Chicken Baked Ziti: An easy and healthy casserole recipe made with Parmesan, Ricotta and Mozzarella! Be sure to watch the video to see how simple it really is.
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Creating this Chicken Baked Ziti
Mmm…Chicken Baked Ziti!
You guys know I love a good pasta recipe. The Italian in me just can’t resist it!
Growing up, my mom made a version of this recipe. It was our go-to easy pasta recipe for busy weeknights.
All of us were busy with sports and after school extracurricular activities so we thrived off of meals just like this.
To make this meal even easier I like to have the chicken and pasta cooked in advance so all of you have to do is pour all ingredients in the baking pan and bake!
Ingredients you will need for Chicken Baked Ziti
Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts is what I typically use. Cube the chicken into bite sized pieces to make it easy to eat!
Ziti pasta: A 1lb. box is what I typically use! If you can’t find ziti pasta, another pasta shape such as Rigatoni or Penne works as well. I always recommend to cook until al dente.
Olive oil: Just a little bit will be used to cook the chicken in.
Seasonings: Salt, pepper and Italian Seasoning to season the chicken. Red pepper flakes can also be added too if you like some spice!
Marinara sauce: I use a 32 oz. jar. I typically open up a second jar for leftovers the next because the noodles soak up all of the sauce, so I recommend buying 2 jars if you like saucy noodles!
Cheese: I use a blend of Ricotta Cheese, Mozzarella Cheese and Parmesan Cheese in this recipe. SO good!
Basil: Chiffonade the basil by stacking leaves, rolling them tightly, then slice the leaves perpendicular to the roll.
How to make Chicken Baked Ziti
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove to cook the ziti noodles according to package directions. Be sure to reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add in the cubed chicken and cook until the chicken is cooked all the way through. If there is any excess liquid in the pan, you can drain and discard.
Add in the marinara sauce and reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer.
Then, add the chicken and sauce mixture to an oven safe glass baking dish. (3 quart recommended, needs to be fairly large to fit everything!)
Pour the ziti noodles on top, followed by the ricotta and basil. Mix all of this together.
Top with mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan. Cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes with the foil on, and then remove the foil and broil for 3-4 minutes or until the cheesy get slightly browned and bubbly.
Garnish with more basil and serve with any remaining red sauce you have on hand if desired. Enjoy!!
How long can chicken baked ziti last in the fridge?
Properly stored, cooked baked ziti will last for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator! Perfect for meal prep.
Can I freeze baked ziti?
Yes! To freeze, let the baked ziti cool completely, then cover with an airtight lid. If no lid is available, cover with plastic wrap and then a double layer of tin foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
How to bake from frozen: Take casserole out of freezer and remove lid or any plastic wrap. Cover with foil and let it sit on the counter while the oven is preheating. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour, remove foil and continue baking for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until center is bubbly. Enjoy!
Chicken Baked Ziti: An easy and healthy casserole recipe made with Parmesan, Ricotta and Mozzarella! Be sure to watch the video to see how simple it really is!
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove to cook the ziti noodles according to package directions. Be sure to reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add in the cubed chicken and cook until the chicken is cooked all the way through. If there is any excess liquid in the pan, drain and discard it.
Add in the marinara sauce and reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. Then, add the chicken and sauce mixture to an oven safe glass baking dish. (3 quart recommended, needs to be fairly large to fit everything!)
Pour the ziti noodles on top, followed by the ricotta and basil. Mix all of this together.
Top with mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan. Cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes with the foil on, and then remove the foil and broil for 3-4 minutes or until the cheesy get slightly browned and bubbly. Garnish with more basil and serve with more red sauce if desired. Enjoy!!
Video
Notes
Serve with a salad or your favorite vegetable dish.
Hello! It is a necessary step since the pasta water is starchy it will thicken the sauce mixture a bit as it bakes. Just forgot to mention it in the video (oops!) The sauce is thinner though when I pour it into the casserole pan if you look closely 🙂 Thank you for visiting my site, hope you enjoy the recipe!! xo, Tawnie
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Is there a reason the video does not show adding the reserve pasta water? Is that a necessary step?
Hello! It is a necessary step since the pasta water is starchy it will thicken the sauce mixture a bit as it bakes. Just forgot to mention it in the video (oops!) The sauce is thinner though when I pour it into the casserole pan if you look closely 🙂 Thank you for visiting my site, hope you enjoy the recipe!! xo, Tawnie
This recipe looks amazing! I can’t wait to make this chicken and baked ziti for the family I bet they love it.
This looks like the ultimate comfort food, it sounds delicious!
One of my favorite recipes! Yours looks pretty incredible. Add a side of crusty, warm garlic bread and I’m sold;)
This is my favourite type of comfort food. We batch cook it for the freezer too.
Thank you! Isn’t it so great that it’s freezer friendly? Thank you!
Mmmm…this reminds me so much of my favorite dish from our local Italian restaurant. I love the combination of chicken with the ziti. Perfection!
Aw that’s awesome. Thank you so much Alyssa!