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!
Some of my other favorite pastas for busy weeknights are my One Pot Boursin Pasta , Marry Me Chicken Pasta , and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta !
Ingredients you will need for Chicken Baked Ziti
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
- 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
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
- 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. A dd 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. (Large Pyrex 4.8 quart (10×15) recommended, needs to be fairly large to fit everything!)
- Pour the cooked 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 cheese get slightly browned and bubbly.
- Garnish with more basil and serve with any remaining red sauce you have on hand if desired. Enjoy!!
Other pasta recipes you will love:
- Easy Shell Pasta with Ground Turkey
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Shrimp Scampi Alfredo Pasta
- Roasted Tomato and Bell Pepper Pasta
- Kung Pao Pasta
- Avocado Pesto Pasta
- Thai Peanut Sauce Noodles with Shrimp
This recipe serves at least 8. I hope you love it!
the goods
Non Stick Skillet
Large Pyrex (4.8 Quart)
Which type of pasta do you prefer?
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Chicken Baked Ziti
Equipment
- Large stockpot
- Cutting board
- Chefs Knife
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ziti pasta, cooked (reserve 1/2 cup pasta water)
- 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper chili flakes (optional)
- 32 oz. marinara sauce
- 1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Parmesan
- 1 bunch basil, chiffonade
Instructions
- Preheat 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. 1 lb. ziti pasta, cooked (reserve 1/2 cup pasta water)
- Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add in the cubed chicken and seasonings and cook until the chicken is cooked all the way through. If there is any excess liquid in the pan, drain and discard it. 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, 1/2 tsp. red pepper chili flakes (optional)
- 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. (4.8 quart/10x15 recommended, needs to be fairly large to fit everything!) 32 oz. marinara sauce
- Pour the cooked ziti noodles on top, followed by the ricotta and basil. Mix all of this together. 1 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, 1 bunch basil, chiffonade
- Top with mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan. Cover with foil. (Pro tip: spray foil with non stick spray so the cheese doesn’t stick to the foil). Bake for 20 minutes with the foil on, and then remove the foil and broil for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese get slightly browned and bubbly. Garnish with more basil and serve with more red sauce if desired. Enjoy!! 3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded, 1 cup Parmesan
Video
Notes
- Serve with a salad or your favorite vegetable dish.
- Can use Italian Sausage in place of chicken if you prefer.
- Make this dish in advance: After you top with cheese and cover with foil you can place in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it. Note, bake time will be a little longer than 20 minutes since dish is now cold. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, remove foil and broil 3-4 minutes.
