Description
Baked ziti with chicken brings comfort straight from an Italian-American kitchen to your dinner table. Creamy pasta, tender chicken, and melted cheese combine into a hearty meal that feeds hungry families with pure satisfaction.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 400g ziti pasta
- 500g boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
- 2 cups marinara sauce
Cheese Ingredients:
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Seasoning and Garnish Ingredients:
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil, chopped
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat your oven precisely to 375°F. Boil 400g ziti pasta in salted water until al dente, then drain and set aside.
- Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet. Mince 2 garlic cloves and sauté until fragrant.
- Add 500g diced chicken breast to the skillet. Season with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Cook until chicken reaches 165°F internal temperature.
- Pour 2 cups marinara sauce into the chicken skillet. Stir and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, combine cooked pasta, chicken-marinara mixture, and 1 cup ricotta cheese. Mix thoroughly.
- Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Spread half the pasta mixture evenly across the bottom.
- Sprinkle 1 cup shredded mozzarella and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese over the first layer.
- Add remaining pasta mixture on top. Cover with another 1 cup mozzarella and ¼ cup Parmesan.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until cheese turns golden and bubbly.
- Optional: Broil for 2-3 minutes to create a crispy cheese top.
- Let the dish rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped basil before serving.
Notes
- Use freshly grated Parmesan for the best melting and flavor complexity in your ziti.
- When cooking chicken, ensure it reaches 165°F internally to guarantee food safety without drying out the meat.
- For a lower-carb version, substitute ziti with zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice to make the dish more diet-friendly.
- Let the casserole rest 5-10 minutes after baking so the cheese sets and becomes easier to serve in clean portions.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Baked
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 460 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg