A hearty one-pan meal with layers of chicken, tender pasta, flavorful pasta sauce, and melty cheese. Comfort food that can be ready to eat in just 30 minutes.
1poundchicken breasts trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
2clovesgarlic minced
1 28-ouncejar of your favorite pasta sauce or make your own
1 0.5-ouncepackage of fresh basil choppedabout ⅓ cup
1cupgrated parmesan divided into two ½ cups
2cupsshredded mozzarella divided into two 1 cup portions
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook pasta to al dente, drain well and return to pan.
Generously season chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle.
When the chicken is done, add two cloves of minced garlic to the skillet and cook another minute, until the garlic is fragrant.
Stir sauce, chicken, and basil into your pasta, making sure everything is evenly coated.
Pour half of your pasta mixture into the baking dish. Top with ½ cup parmesan and 1 cup mozzarella. Pour remaining pasta on top.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover, top with ½ cup parmesan and 1 cup mozzarella and bake, uncovered for 8 minutes.
Top with additional chopped basil, if desired.
Video
Notes
TIP: Don’t forget to add salt to the water. It adds flavor to the pasta while cooking.TIP: Al dente is the ideal consistency for pasta. The pasta will be tender and will still have a slightly firm texture when you bite into it.TIP: If you want to brown your cheese slightly, you can turn your broiler on for the last minute of melting the cheese. Make sure to keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn.