Baked Ziti with Chicken

Straight-on view of a white plate filled with baked ziti, chicken chunks, tomato sauce, melted cheese, and sprinkled basil.

5 from 4 votes

This baked ziti with chicken mixes tender pasta, rich sauce, and melted cheese into one easy oven-baked dinner. Make it for weeknights, potlucks, or holidays.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Chicken Dinner Ideas, Dinner, Pasta

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 362kcal

Author: Shauna

Ingredients

16 ounces ziti noodles
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound chicken breasts trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
2 cloves garlic minced
28 ounces your favorite pasta sauce or make your own
0.5 ounces fresh basil chopped (about ⅓ cup)
1 cup grated parmesan divided into two ½-cup portions
2 cups shredded mozzarella divided into two 1-cup portions

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare 9×13 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 a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the 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 the 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 of parmesan and 1 cup of mozzarella. Pour the remaining pasta on top.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 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

Don’t forget to add salt to the water. It adds flavor to the pasta while cooking.
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.
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.

Nutrition