This cheesy chicken and pasta bake with veggies is a cozy, delicious casserole that’s lightened up and easy to prep in advance.
It’s a great all-in-one dinner that can serve a crowd or serve as leftovers for lunch later in the week.
Today’s yummy and easy chicken and pasta bake is one that I have made for years and years, decades really.
I originally got it from a high school friend of mine when we ended up living near each other for a few years after college. She had adapted it from a Giada recipe.
I have since made a few adaptations of my own and tried it a few different ways to make it even more versatile. (All those tips and notes are in the recipe card for you.)
This dish has it all: Tender pasta, chunks of chicken, plenty of veggies and just the right amount of sauce and cheese to bring it all together for a warm, cozy and delicious dinner.
Recipe Highlights:
Make ahead friendly - Get the casserole prepped earlier in the day and bake it off when ready.
Serves a crowd - Great for a larger family or for a group dinner. Or you get to have dinner finished for another night or a few days of scrumptious lunches ready to go.
Versatile - You can play around with the veggies and pasta and cheese types to make this uniquely your own (or just to optimize what you already have in your fridge and pantry).
Healthier - No heavy cream needed and we’ve got tons of veggies added in. You can also use whole wheat pasta. Don't worry though, it's plenty cheesy and rich feeling!
It takes a bit of prep to get everything ready, but it's oh so worth it. Plus, then it's hands off as it all bakes together.
I mean, who doesn’t love an all-in-one dinner?
This chicken pasta bake is one of my wife’s very favorites and my daughter adores this recipe as well.
I hope you and yours love this pasta dinner, too!
Happy cooking and enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Healthier Chicken and Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 12 oz. penne pasta (or sub rigatoni; whole wheat or regular pasta is fine to use)
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 small red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 8 oz. white button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 oz. fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped (about 4 cups)
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups cooked, chopped chicken (such as rotisserie chicken)
- 16 oz low fat cottage cheese
- ½ cup low fat milk
- 1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and add to a very large bowl.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and mushrooms and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until tender. Add the garlic and sauté an additional minute, until fragrant.
- Add the spinach, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and sauté for 2-3 more minutes, stirring regularly, until the spinach is wilted. Turn off the heat.
- In a food processor, add the cottage cheese and blend until smooth then transfer to a medium bowl. (You can also use a hand blender if you have one and blend the cottage cheese right in the bowl. You can also technically skip this step, but the final dish will have the cottage cheese curds in it instead of having a smoother sauce.)
- To the cottage cheese, add the milk, condensed soup, shredded cheddar cheese and ¼ cup of the grated Parmesan cheese. Mix well.
- In the very large bowl, add the spinach veggie mixture to the cooked pasta. Add the cooked chicken and the cottage cheese mixture and stir very well to combine.
- Carefully add the mixture to the prepared baking dish. It will be very full and liquidy, that’s OK. Smooth the top so it’s in an even layer. Top with the mozzarella cheese and the remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 425 for 22-25 minutes, until bubbly and browned on top. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving to allow the casserole to fully set up. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Love chicken and pasta together like I do?
Try this fajita chicken pasta, cajun chicken pasta and this healthy chicken pasta with zucchini and peas.
Oh and this creamy pasta with chicken and mushrooms is a great one pot pasta. Gotta love the easy clean up!
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