This baked chicken spaghetti recipe has juicy chunks of chicken breasts, tender spaghetti pasta, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese, all in an easy homemade tomato red sauce that simmers as you bake. The casserole is topped with a delicious crusty cheese topping. This Italian chicken spaghetti casserole is easy, economical, and healthy comfort food.
🐓Ingredients
Chicken—skinless boneless chicken breasts, thigh, or rotisserie chicken
Spaghetti—or other pasta
Aromatics—garlic, onion
Canned products—diced tomatoes, tomato paste
Cheese—mozzarella and grated or shredded Parmesan
Pantry ingredients—vegetable oil, oregano, dry basil, salt, black pepper, crushed pepper (optional)
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Featured Comment by Georgeann:
"I cooked just as the recipe called for… so good! My husband's favorite thing is chicken parmesan, but this was just as good and easier to make and store."
This chicken spaghetti with marinara sauce is a comforting casserole that can be made a few days ahead and baked fresh when you need an easy weeknight dinner. Or make it for a freezer meal for months later.
I started with my excellent chicken marinara, added spaghetti for the pastsunder, mixed in some Parmesan, and topped with mozzarella and more Parmesan. It is baked until browned—a perfect baked chicken and spaghetti with loads of cheesy goodness.
Check out other Italian chicken recipes, like Crock Pot Italian Chicken Pasta, Healthy Chicken Parmesan, or Sheet Pan Chicken Breasts with Vegetables.
👨🍳How to Bake Chicken Spaghetti—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. Trim and cube chicken breasts.
2. Crush garlic and dice onion.
3. In a large pan, brown chicken with onion and garlic in hot oil for 8-9 minutes.
4. Mix in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and all seasoning. Simmer while the pasta is cooking.
5. Cook spaghetti or other pasta to al dente.
6. Add Parmesan cheese to the sauce and then mix in the cooked pasta.
7. Move the mixture to a prepared casserole dish and top with mozzarella and more grated Parmesan cheese.
8. Bake until sauce is bubbling and top brown—about 25 minutes for me.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
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🤔Options, variations, and tips
This recipe has you cooking raw chicken using skinless boneless chicken breasts, but you may use thighs.
Precooked shredded rotisserie chicken is fine. You need 3-4 cups. To use rotisserie chicken, cook the onion to start to clear, then add the chicken and garlic for a few minutes.
The recipe makes a very nice red marinara sauce—much better than jarred. But if you want, use jar sauce. You may also use Alfredo sauce. The whole recipe needs about 4 cups of sauce.
Other options are adding chopped bell peppers or mushrooms with the tomato products.
While this is a "spaghetti" dish, you may use any pasta you like.
Other cheese may be used if you want different flavors, but as an Italian dish, the mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese add a lot of flavor.
The full recipe makes eight servings and fits in a 2 ½ quart casserole dish or a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
⬇️How to make this a more "for two" friendly recipe
Make this recipe a more "for two" friendly small batch recipe by cutting it in half.
To make a half-recipe
- Use the recipe card and adjust the servings from 8 to 4.
- Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient list, not the instructions—those do not adjust.
- The half recipe will fit a 6 by 9 or 8-inch square baking dish.
- Cook to brown and bubbling, but it will be a few minutes faster.
📋Italian Casserole Recipes
Check out these other easy Italian casserole dishes, like Sausage Pasta Bake, Chicken and Pasta Bake, Creamy Smoked Sausage Pasta, and Parmesan Chicken Alfredo.
📅Making ahead for later
To make this chicken casserole ahead, assemble it, but don't bake. Seal tight with foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for 2 months.
To bake, thaw completely in the refrigerator before cooking. Cooking time will be a few minutes longer since the casserole is cold.
🍽️How to serve
I like a small green salad and dinner rolls. A hot vegetable, like Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan or Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower, is also a nice addition. And end the meal with something sweet, like Easy Apple Crisp or Mini Cheesecakes.
❄️Storage of leftovers
Store leftovers sealed in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 4 days or freeze for 3 months.
To reheat, cover with aluminum foil and reheat in the oven. A microwave may be used, but will affect the texture of the chicken.
❓FAQs
The answer is twofold: Use standard pasta that has been undercooked a bit before adding it to a casserole. Standard box pasta will hold up well during baking, while specialty pasta may absorb more fluid or cook faster.
Al dente pasta is firm, holds its shape well, and is a bit chew, and after cooking in a casserole, the pasta will be soft and tender. If you want a more firm texture, undercook the pasta by 10-20% from al dente.
No, every component is already cooked to a safe temperature for serving. If you want to skip the baking, fully cook the pasta and serve topped with sauce and a sprinkle of cheese.
📖The Recipe Card with Step-by-Step Instructions
Baked Chicken Spaghetti
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 ½ pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts - medium cut into 1 inch cubes
- 8 oz spaghetti - or other pasta
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 2 to 4 cloves garlic - minced or crushed
- 1 onion - medium diced
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 28 oz diced tomatoes
- 6 oz tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 2 teaspoons dry basil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper - optional
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° convection or 375° conventional. Prepare a 2 ½ quart casserole dish or a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
- Trim, pat dry, and dice two medium chicken breasts—about 1-1 ½ pounds. You can use precooked chicken, and you will need 3-4 cups and add when the onion is clearing.
- Chop a medium onion.
- Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken. After a couple of minutes, add the onion. At the last minute of cooking, add the garlic. Cook until the chicken is 165° and easily cuts with a wooden spoon—about 8 to 9 minutes.
- Add two 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes, one 6 oz can of tomato paste, 2 teaspoons of dry basil (or 2 tablespoons fresh basil), 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper (optional), ½ teaspoon of oregano. Simmer over low heat while you cook the pasta, stirring occasionally.
- Cook 8 oz of spaghetti or other pasta according to instructions on the box for al denta and drain.
- Add ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese to the sauce and mix well. Mix the sauce and the pasta and move to the casserole dish.
- This fits nicely in a 2 ½ quart size, or use a 9X13 baking pan. Top with ½ cup each of mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese. You may cover and refrigerate at this point for up to 2 days.
- Bake until sauce is bubbling and top brown—about 25 minutes—longer if you have refrigerated the dish.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- The full recipe makes eight servings and fits in a 2 ½ quart casserole dish or a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
- This recipe is easy to cut in half and bake in a 1 ½ quart baking dish or a 6 by 9 casserole.
- You can use precooked rotisserie chicken. You will need 3-4 cups, which you add to the sauce when you add the tomatoes.
- Using premade sauce can decrease your work. You will need about four cups, but you will love my sauce.
- Vary the cheese any way you want.
- If you want, you can refrigerate it for a couple of days before cooking. Since it will be cold, it will take a few minutes longer to cook.
- Leftovers are good refrigerated for 4 days and can be frozen for 3 months.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Originally Published September 29, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Beverly says
Do I have to bread my chicken
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Beverly,
Welcome to the blog.
No, not breaded.
Dan
Steve Armistead says
What a great dish, thank you! I added a handful of roughly chopped mushrooms, which added another layer of flavor. Wonderful recipe, wow!
Tammy says
Was wondering do you cover it when baked. And removed last 5mins, or just baked uncovered?
DrDan says
Uncovered until nicely brown which will be 20-25 minutes.
Dan
Marbeli says
Hi I have a question how long do I have to refrigerate it before I baked it???
DrDan says
There is no refrigeration needed but before going in the oven, if you want to delay cooking you may refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Zainab says
Hi, this looks awesome. Can I skip the baking part and just serve plated spaghetti with the sauce poured over?
DrDan says
Yep, it would taste good. The baking does give it something extra though.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Angie says
I just made this today . It was very good!
I used a rotisserie chicken and I will definitely be making this again.
Thank you!
Georgeann says
I cooked just as the recipe called for... so good! My husband's favorite thing is chickend parmesan but this was just as good and easier to make and store.
DrDan says
I always forget about this recipe. I have to do it a bit more.
DrDan
Chris says
Baked spaghetti, chicken or otherwise, always makes me happy. Odd thing is my kids don't care for it (although they love regular spaghetti) so we don't make it often. Can I just have some of yours? ha ha
Sharon @ Red Poppy | Pink Peony says
Hi DrDan: I just came across your blog when searching for slow cooker recipes for 2. I've only been on your site a few minutes now, but everything looks great and I will definitely be visiting often and trying these recipes! Thank you!
Dr Dan says
Since everything is precooked, you can somewhat cook it like you want. 350 but increase the time by a few minutes. Or 375 and about the same time. If you are not sure your chicken was fully cooked then take it to an internal temp of 165 plus. Mine was 170 with a nicely browned top (350 convection for 25 minutes). Please note ovens can vary so don't cook by time alone.
ReaderWoman says
Loving your recipes - you use a convection oven for this baked spaghetti? What would be the cooking time for a conventional oven?
What's Cookin Stacey?? says
Sounds so good! Will have to give it a try this week! Love your blog!