Chicken Parm Pasta Bake

Name: Chicken Parm Pasta Bake
Prep time: 10
Cook time: 30
Total time: 40
Yield: 1
Ingredients: rigatoni; frozen chicken tenders (about 8 tenders); olive oil; package The Sausage Project Italian Herb Chicken Sausage, casings removed and hand-crumbled; 32-ounce jar marinara sauce; grated Parmesan cheese; shredded mozzarella cheese; Fresh basil leaves, for garnish (optional)

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Servings: 1

Dinner

Italian Herb

Like the humble Caesar, chicken parm is a dish that practically begs to be reimagined. It’s a mainstay of red-sauce joints and sandwich-slinging bodegas alike. It can transform a pizza or feed a hungry game-day crowd in slider form. And now, with the help of Italian Herb Chicken Sausage, it’s also your new favorite easy weeknight pasta bake.

Like its cousin baked ziti, this recipe is an easy way to satisfy a crowd without destroying the kitchen. Toss rigatoni with crumbled Italian Herb Chicken Sausage and marinara, then top it with crispy chicken tenders and a generous helping of cheese. The result has everything you love about classic chicken parm—gooey, rich, and saucy—with an extra hit of Calabrian chili heat and protein from the Italian Herb Chicken Sausage.

See Recipe

A hand serving cheesy Chicken Parm Pasta bake. — Screenshot

A cheesy plate of a heaping portion of Chicken Parm Pasta Bake — Screenshot

SERVING MULTIPLIER:

Ingredients

1 pound rigatoni

12 ounces frozen chicken tenders (about 8 tenders)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 package The Sausage Project Italian Herb Chicken Sausage, casings removed and hand-crumbled

1 32-ounce jar marinara sauce

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Fresh basil leaves, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Servings: 1

Cook the chicken: Preheat the oven to 425°F. While it heats, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Arrange the chicken tenders in a 9×13-inch baking dish and cook according to package directions (about 20 minutes). When they're done, transfer them to a cutting board and cut each tender in half crosswise. Keep the oven on.

Cook the pasta: While the chicken cooks, add the rigatoni to the boiling water and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain well and set aside.

Make the sausage marinara: Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally until browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Stir in the marinara sauce, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cooked rigatoni to the skillet and stir until evenly coated.

Assemble the pasta bake: Transfer the pasta mixture to the baking dish used for the chicken. Arrange the chicken tenders over the pasta, then sprinkle evenly with the mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake: Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown. For a more golden-brown finish, broil for 1–2 minutes at the end, if desired.

Serve: Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with torn fresh basil.

tags: Cheese Mediterranean Pasta