Sharing a favorite chicken pasta today! This Creamy Chicken Italiano Pasta Bake is cheesy, packed with chicken, sun dried tomatoes and broccoli plus simple to prepare and perfect for busy weeknights!
Chicken Pasta
Preparing quick and simple weeknight dinners are some of my favorite recipes to create. This chicken pasta is a favorite it our home. Convenient for getting dinner on the table quick.
Be sure to try my Chicken Caprese Pasta Bake too! Follow Picky Palate on Instagram for daily recipe inspiration.
What You’ll Need
- penne pasta– Any small dry pasta shape you like will work great.
- alfredo sauce– For quick dinners I use jarred alfredo sauce, but be sure to try my homemade alfredo sauce when you’ve got a little extra time!
- milk– Generally I use 2% milk for the recipe.
- broccoli florets– Cut your own broccoli florets or grab a bag that’s already cut.
- cooked shredded chicken– Rotisserie chicken works great for quick fix dinners. You can also use canned chunk chicken, drained.
- sun dried tomatoes– Find sun dried tomatoes down the pasta/pasta sauce isle. I get the jar that’s in olive oil.
- kosher salt– Kosher salt is a bit more coarse than the traditional table salt. I prefer it in my cooking and baking.
- freshly cracked black pepper– For best tasting results use freshly cracked black pepper.
- shredded mozzarella cheese– I usually get the bag of cheese that is already shredded. Fresh mozzarella is delicious too. You can slice it and add it to the top if you’d like.
How To Make Easy Pasta Recipe
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and lightly spray a 12 inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray. You may also use a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
- Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to large pot over low heat. Stir in alfredo sauce, milk, steamed broccoli, cooked chicken, chopped sun dried tomatoes, salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to cast iron skillet.
- Top with shredded cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and hot. Remove from oven and serve pasta warm. Careful with cast iron skillet, as it stays hot for a while after removing from oven.
Top cast iron skillet of creamy pasta with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake at 350 degrees F. for 20-25 minutes.
Once cheese is hot and melted, it’s time to enjoy! Note, the cast iron skillet stays very hot for a good period of time after removing from oven. It’s best to use a heat proof sleeve over the handle.
How To Serve Easy Chicken Dinner
Serve past warm, right out of cast iron skillet. Serve on individual serving plates with a side salad.
How To Store Leftovers
Store any leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat as needed.
Creamy Chicken Italiano Pasta Bake
Equipment
- Oven
- Stove
- Dutch Oven or large pot
- mixing spoon
- cast iron skillet
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- strainer for pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry penne pasta
- 16 ounce jar prepared alfredo sauce
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups broccoli florets steamed until just fork tender
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken I use a rotisserie
- 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes I get them in jar with olive oil, drain and chop them
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and lightly spray a 12 inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray. You may also use a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
- Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to large pot over low heat. Stir in alfredo sauce, milk, steamed broccoli, cooked chicken, chopped sun dried tomatoes, salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to cast iron skillet. Top with shredded cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and hot. Remove from oven and serve pasta warm. Careful with cast iron skillet, as it stays hot for a while after removing from oven.
I don’t have an iron skillet – can it be made in a casserole dish.
Yes, that is no problem. I used a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and it worked great
How many does this serve?
Looks great!
I’m a big fan of the cheesy creamy chicken pasta. Usually I chop mine up but I like how you shred the chicken in this recipe.
Thanks for sharing!
Is this your own recipe, Jenny, appearing in a Gooseberry Patch cookbook, or theirs?
Thanks,
Cheryl