If you’re a pasta fan, you’re gonna love this Chicken Parmesan Baked Ziti! It comes together quickly and easily with just a few simple ingredients. The perfect easy casserole recipes dinner that everyone in the family will love on any night of the week!
Do you and your family love pasta? Yes, mine too! It’s probably the one dish that everyone can agree on at our house. My Chicken Parmesan Baked Ziti is one of our favorites. I love any type of pasta with red sauce, my husband loves any type of Italian dish, and my son is a big pasta and chicken guy, so this is pretty much always on my go-to list for dinner!
This delicious baked pasta couldn’t be easier to make. My recipe calls for just a few simple ingredients that you can easily pick up at the grocery store. I use the classic ziti pasta, but you can also use any type of small tube-like penne or rigatoni. I also use frozen, prepared chicken strips that have a Parmesan herb breading. These are a great shortcut to achieving a classic chicken Parmesan flavor without having to mix, prepare, and fry chicken cutlets.
In addition to the pasta and chicken, I use a jar of pasta sauce plus one 8 oz. can of tomato sauce. My family prefers a nice, saucy pasta. Once the pasta finishes cooking in the oven it tends to absorb some of the sauce, so adding the extra can is a good way to keep your dish “saucy” and delicious!
One ingredient that is always a must when making a great pasta dish is plenty of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese! I use a full 8 ounce package of shredded mozzarella cheese and a 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan. I prefer purchasing shredded cheese in the package. It is typically more economical to shred your cheese at home, but I find that purchasing the cheese already shredded is such a time-saver. Especially on busy weeknights when I’m trying to get dinner on the table, any time-saver is worth it!
As you can see, this recipe is simple, easy, and delicious! It can be done within 30 minutes and is the perfect dinner the entire family will love any night of the week!
Ingredients
- 16 oz pkg, Ziti pasta (you can also use penne or rigatoni)
- 4 medium frozen Parmesan herb breaded chicken strips precooked
- 24 oz jar, pasta sauce
- 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 8 oz package, shredded Mozzarella cheese
- ½ c. shredded Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. With non-stick cooking spray, lightly spray a 11x7 or 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.
- In a large stockpot or dutch oven, cook pasta in salted, boiling water according to package directions, less 2 minutes of cooking time. (The directions for the box of ziti states to cook for 10 minutes - I cooked for 8 minutes to al dente.) Drain pasta, and return to the stockpot. Toss with the jar of sauce and can of tomato sauce.
- In the microwave, defrost breaded chicken strips for about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into medium bite-sized pieces.
- Ladle half of the pasta and sauce mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the chicken, and half of the mozzarella cheese. Layer the remaining half of pasta and sauce, and top with the remainder of chicken and mozzarella. Add the Parmesan to the top.
- Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until cheese becomes golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with fresh chopped basil, if desired.
See more of my family-favorite pasta dishes:
Loaded Chicken Enchilada Pasta
bristol plasterer says
This sounds lovely. Going to give this a go. thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon