One pan Tuscan chicken pasta bake- this is going to be the easiest pasta bake of your life! The pasta, chicken and veggies all cook together in the pan, and it makes for an easy freezer meal that can be baked from frozen.
I'm kind of ridiculously excited about today's recipe because it fits perfectly in line with my 'lazy cook' attitude.
I used to feel guilty for not being the kind of person who was willing to spend hours in the kitchen making dinner. Sometimes that can be fun, but for me, only when the mood strikes.
When it comes to everyday dinner recipes, I always though pasta bakes and casseroles were off limits because you have to cook your pasta and your chicken aaaand make a sauce of some kind. That's just too many dishes.
Then I discovered Recipe Tin Eats Ultra Lazy Healthy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake. I mean, it even has the world 'lazy' in the title, so it was clearly made just for me 😉
We enjoyed Nagi's recipe three times before I decided to adapt it into this one pan Tuscan chicken pasta bake, and even made it into a freezer meal that can be baked from frozen.
Pasta shapes to use in this Tuscan Chicken Pasta Bake (important!)
I experimented with different pasta shapes and different portion sizes. Since we are a family of three (well...four), we scaled it down to 4 oz of pasta and baked it in a 9 x 9 inch pan...it doesn't look like a lot (see above), but I promise, you won't walk away feeling hungry 😉
Penne was no good, as Nagi mentions in her recipe, as the flour gets stuck in it and the sauce ends up...chunky. Bowtie and rotini were both great! I used 'smart' pasta, which has extra fibre added. Whole wheat pasta does not work for this recipe.
How simple is it to prep this Tuscan Chicken Pasta Bake?
To my dried pasta, I added some stock, milk, sundried tomatoes and flour, plus salt, pepper and red pepper flakes for seasonings. Mix it all up and try to get rid of any flour clumps.
I topped it with 8 oz of mushrooms and a chicken breast. Increase the chicken if you are a bunch of carnivores! We found one chicken breast was plenty and this one pan Tuscan chicken pasta bake was quite filling.
Cover and bake. I needed to bake at 400°F for 30 minutes, before stirring everything up and returning to the oven uncovered for another 10-15 minutes. The last step? Stir in some cheese and shredded kale. You could also use spinach in place of kale.
I baked it another 5 minutes until everything is melty and wilted, and then we served it up.
We found this one pan Tuscan chicken pasta bake recipe perfectly served 4, and you get a great portion of veggies, protein and pasta...not to mention cheese 😉 You will be left feeling full and satisfied but not overly stuffed and heavy.
I am so happy I found Nagi's recipe and will be absolutely keeping this in my pocket for nights when we want comfort food, without the effort of a regular casserole...not to mention all the dishes! This recipe? One pan to wash up.
SO EASY.
Tips for perfect one pan Tuscan chicken pasta bake:
- I baked mine in this non-stick 9 x 9 inch baking dish
, which is also perfect for freezing (don't freeze in glass as this may shatter when placed frozen in the oven) - To freeze, I covered and baked everything for 30 minutes, before stirring in the kale and cheese and allowing to cool. Cover tightly with foil and freeze for up to 2 months. To bake from frozen, place in a 350°F degree oven and bake for 30 minutes, add ½ cup of chicken stock, and bake for 15 more minutes. Uncover, give it a good stir, and bake for 5 more minutes.
- Looking for more meal prep pasta recipes? Try this Sun Dried Tomato Chickpea Pasta, this Meal Prep Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad, or this Make Ahead One Pot Black Bean Fajita Pasta
, which is also perfect for freezing (don't freeze in glass as this may shatter when placed frozen in the oven)
One Pan Tuscan Chicken Pasta Bake (Freezer)
Ingredients
- 4 oz uncooked rotini or bowtie pasta (not whole wheat; see ’note’ for cup measurements)
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup milk
- ⅓ cup sun dried tomatoes oil drained and chopped
- 8 oz sliced mushrooms roughly 4 cups
- 14 oz chicken breast in 1 inch cubes (1 large chicken breast)
- 2 cups tuscan kale shredded
- 1 cup shredded cheese I used mozzarella
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400F.
- Spray a 9 x 9 inch baking pan with oil.
- In the bottom of the baking pan, combine the pasta, flour, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, chicken stock, milk and sun dried tomatoes. Stir until no flour clumps remain.
- Scatter with mushrooms and chicken breast, season with additional salt & pepper.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, stir everything up, and return to the oven uncovered for another 10-15 minutes. Liquid will reduce but may still seem liquidy, and that's OK (it will thicken as it cools)
- Stir in the kale and cheese, and return to the oven for 5 more minutes, until everything is melted.
- Serve immediately or enjoy leftovers for up to 4 days.
To prep ahead and freeze:
- Follow steps 1-5 above.
- After baking for 30 minutes, stir in the kale and cheese, then cool completely.
- Cover tightly with foil, label with re-heating directions (below) and freeze up to 2 months.
To bake from frozen:
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Place pasta bake (still frozen and covered with foil) in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Add ½ cup broth, cover back up and bake for another 15 minutes.
- Stir everything up, and if it is heated through, uncover and heat for a final 5 minutes. If it's not heated through, continue heating (covered) until it is.
Notes
4 oz bowties = 1.75 cups Recipe may be doubled and cooked in a 9 X 13 baking pan, however baking from frozen has not been tested with this size pan and cook times may vary.
Recipe adapted from Recipe Tin Eats
Cheryl
I need to amend my earlier comment about cooking time for the freezer method and undercooked chicken. I later realized since I was making a double batch in a 9 x 12 pan, that most likely contributed to the fact 30 minutes wasn’t nearly enough time to cook the chicken.. I baked it an extra 20 minutes or so before it was done enough to freeze. 30 minutes may in fact be enough time for a 9 x 9 pan as long as the chicken is cooked through thoroughly.
Denise Bustard
Hi Cheryl, thank you so much for reporting back with these details, I really appreciate it!
Sukaina
I made this dish for lunch today. I was a bit skeptical because I've never baked dry pasta before. The flavor was very good, the chicken very tender and the pasta was not mushy. The sauce looked a bit grainy (I wisked the flour with milk before adding it to the baking dish), it's not the same as the silky smooth bechamel sauce but it's a good shortcut for quick one pot dinners. I would make it again and maybe use cornstarch instead of flour. I think it would work in the IP too, just use less water and add heavy cream at the end. Thanks Denise!
Denise Bustard
Hi Sukaina! Thank you so much for reporting back with those details. I appreciate your feedback!
Cheryl
The freezing directions on this recipe need to be modified. After 30 minutes my chicken was very under cooked. As I understand, it is unsafe to partially cook chicken then freeze or refrigerate it to finish later as bacteria may be present. Please check into this so folks don’t get food poisoning.
Denise Bustard
Hi Cheryl, thank you for your feedback! This is on our list to retest <3
Karyn Zister
Mushy and watery.
I didn't use the whole wheat pasta, cuz I didn't think it would make a significant difference.
My pasta was mushy. The sauce was watery. Even after letting cool.
The flavour was ok.
Would not recommend.
Denise Bustard
Sorry to hear it was not a success for you, Karyn! I appreciate your feedback on the recipe.
Sara
Made this and pasta (bows) was mushy and my chicken didn’t even cook through. I had to cook it for over an hour. I think you should cook the chicken in the pan a bit before you add it to the casserole.
Denise
Hi Sara, did you use whole wheat pasta or regular? Thanks!
Cate
How do you think it would work if I double everything and bake in a 9x13 pan? I have a family of 7!
Denise
Hi Cate! Yes! see the recipe notes!
Justin Jones
I just made this and it didn't turn out to well. First mistake, I did not cover the dish in the oven. 2nd I mixed all the ingredients together instead of putting thee chicken and mushrooms on top like the recipe called for, doesn't sound like a big deal till you realize some of the pasta is not submerged in the liquid needed to cook properly. 3rd, do not use whole wheat pasta, it got mushy way too fast. The recipe has a top of flavor, just follow the directions closely and you will have a better outcome.
Denise
Hi Justin! THank you for reporting back and for sharing the changes you made.
Leah
The flavor was good and it was a very easy recipe to make, but unfortunately I also had problems with mushy pasta after the first bake (I didn't even freeze and reheat). The texture was really, really bad. I used whole wheat rotini... if I make this again it sounds like I should try regular (not WW) pasta.
Linda F. Resnick
can you use almond or oatmilk for the cup of milk?
Denise
Hi Linda! I am not sure if that would thicken the same way. Let me know if you give it a try!
Hannah
Do you think it would work with a different type of milk?
Denise
Hi Hannah, it's hard to say as I've only tested it as written. If you try a different type of milk I'd love to hear how it turns out for you!
Keriann Eklund
Made this last night and it was SO YUMMY! I am a vegetarian so we used Quorn "chicken" instead of real chicken. I just added the "cutlets" from the frozen pack as is, and they cooked fine. And, I used veggie broth. I also added some minced garlic.
Would this work in a crock pot? I used a 9x13 pan and I found it difficult to really stir everything.
Thanks for the great recipes!
Denise
I don't think this would work in a crock pot, as the liquid needs to evaporate. Thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to leave a review, Keriann 🙂
Mel
I did mine from frozen and after we recooked it in the oven, the noodles were completely mush. It looks like baby food. I was so looking forward to this and now I'm dissapointed.
Denise
I'm so sorry to hear this, Mel! Can you tell me what type of pasta you were using? I tested this from frozen with two different types of pasta (rotini and bow tie) and it was not mushy at all 🙁
Melanie Saunders
I had used the rotini pasta.
Denise
Hi Melanie, was it by any chance whole wheat or an alternative type of pasta?
Melanie Saunders
No it was just regular rotini noodles
Denise
Thanks so much for your answers, Melanie! I plan to re-test this recipe soon. I'm really sorry you had problems with it 🙁
Danielle
Made this for dinner last night and we loved it! I ended up using baby spinach leaves instead of Tuscan kale since I already had those - still just as delicious (although maybe less Tuscan, haha). Love that it only uses one pan. Awesome recipe!
Denise
Hi Danielle! I'm so happy you enjoyed it...thanks so much for leaving a review 🙂
Dee
Do you think this might work with gluten free pasta?
Denise
Hi Dee! I can't say for sure as I've never actually cooked with gluten-free pasta. If you try it I'd love to hear how it turns out 🙂
Karly
I love that this is one pan! Can't get any easier then that !!
Denise
Yes! One pan for the win 😉
t
SO easy! I decided to make this with "on hand" items, I used canned canned mushrooms and frozen spinach, turned out great! I was skeptical of the small amount of pasta, but it really is 4 servings, along with a salad....perfect for dinner! Next time I will make a double batch one to eat and one to freeze. Thanks for the easy weekend night dinner!
Denise
It really looks skimpy, doesn't it? So happy you liked it! Thanks so much for reporting back 🙂
Vicki
This looks so good! What would be a nice substitute for the mushrooms? One of my family members doesn't eat them.
I'm thinking jarred artichokes, which I have on hand, but they are marinated in oil. Tomatoes are too juicy with the sauce. Maybe zucchini rounds? The mushrooms add both a different texture and umami.
Denise
I like your suggestions of artichokes, they seem like they'd add some umami that the mushrooms have. Maybe you could drain and rinse them first? Zucchini should work as well!
Renee
Maybe sundried tomatos instead of regular?
Judy
We just finished this for dinner tonight and even have a tiny amount left for tomorrow. I can’t believe how easy it was! My husband loved it(me too!).
Denise
Yay! So happy to hear you liked it, Judy 🙂