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    🏠Home » Recipes » Italian Recipes

    Baked Chicken Spaghetti

    Sep 29, 2012 · Modified: Apr 16, 2021 by Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan · 17 Comments

    Recipe Table of Contents    
    4.05 from 49 votes

    Homemade chicken spaghetti casserole is a great, cheesy casserole that will become a family favorite. Tender chicken with tasty homemade marinara sauce mixed with spaghetti then baked until bubbly and golden brown.

    baked chicken spaghetti on plate

    Jump To:
    • 🐓Chicken
    • 🍝Pasta
    • 🥣Sauce
    • 📖Italian Casseroles
    • 🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
    • 📝Recipe

    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    Introduction

    I have tried other baked spaghetti recipes before, but the recipes always had too much pasta that was mushy. And most of them used a jar of sauce or cream sauce. They were just wrong.

    I started with my wonderful chicken marinara with few changes. I then undercooked 8 oz of spaghetti a bit. Mixed in some grated Parmesan and topped with some mozzarella and more grated parmesan.

    It is then baked until browned. It came out perfect in about 25 minutes.

    My Rating

    My rating system of a 4 out of 5 so very nice.

    A very strong 4 with the potential of being somebody's favorite recipe.

    🐓Chicken

    The recipe as written has you cooking your own chicken using skinless boneless chicken breasts, but you can you other chicken. Pre-cooked shredded rotisserie chicken is fine. You need 2-3 cups.

    🍝Pasta

    I like my pasta to have a bit of "body." read that as not overcooked and mushy. Even cooked to al denta, it can turn mushy when baked in sauce. I suggest cooking a little short of the al denta instructions for the pasta you use.

    You don't have to use spaghetti. Use the pasta you want. I do not suggest using whole wheat or gluten-free pasta since they tend to fall apart in recipes like this.

    🥣Sauce

    You need about 4 cups of marinara sauce for this recipe as written. If you have a jar or other sauce, feel free to use it, but you will love mine, and it is not that much work.

    My normal garlic marinara has some crushed red pepper, but it is optional here.

    I like to add some cheese to the sauce in casseroles so it will hold together better and add a bit of taste.

    📖Italian Casseroles

    Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage

    Chicken Baked Ziti

    30 Minute Spicy Sausage Pasta

    Spicy Parmesan Chicken Alfredo

    This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.

    Casserole Recipes, Comfort Food Recipes, Italian Recipes, Pasta Recipes
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

    canned tomatoes and spices for sauce

    Preheat the oven to 350° convection or 375° conventional.

    cubed chicken on white board

    Trim, pat dry, and dice two medium chicken breast. About 1-1 ½ pounds. You can use pre-cooked chicken, and you will need 2-3 cups.

    chopped onion on wooden board

    Chop a medium onion.

    adding trimmed chicken to fry pan

    When the oil is hot,  add 2-3 cloves of garlic, the chicken and the onion.  Cook until chicken is done and cuts easily with a wooden spoon. About 8 to 9 minutes. Break apart any large pieces of chicken. If using precooked chicken, then don't add the chicken until the onion is translucent.

    adding tomato sauce into pan with cooked chicken

    Add two 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes, and one 6 oz can tomato paste, 2 teaspoons dry basil (or 2 tablespoons fresh basil), 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional), ½ teaspoon oregano. Simmer over low heat while you cook the pasta.

    sprinkling cheese into sauce

    Cook 8 oz of pasta according to instructions on the box for al denta or a bit less.

    adding cheese to sauce

    Add ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese to the sauce and mixed well. Mix the sauce into the pasta and move to the casserole dish.

    adding cheese to top of casserole

    This fits nicely in a 2 ½ quart size, which is about 8X12 inches. Top with ½ cup each of mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese. You may cover and refrigerate at this point.

    cooked chicken spaghetti in dish

    Bake until sauce is bubbling and top brown. About 25 minutes for me. Longer if you had refrigerated the dish.

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    📝Recipe

    baked chicken spaghetti on plate

    Baked Chicken Spaghetti

    From Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
    Homemade chicken spaghetti casserole is a great, cheesy casserole that will become a family favorite. Tender chicken with tasty homemade marinara sauce mixed with spaghetti then baked until bubbly and golden brown.
    Tap to leave a Rating
    4.05 from 49 votes
    Print Email CollectionCollected
    Prep Time: 25 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings #/Adjust if desired 8 servings

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Convert to Metric
    • 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts - medium cut into 1 inch cubes
    • 8 oz spaghetti
    • 2 teaspoons oil
    • 2-4 cloves garlic - minced
    • 1 onion - medium diced
    • 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 pepper - optional
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350° convection or 375° conventional.
      canned tomatoes and spices for sauce
    • Pat dry, trim, and dice two medium chicken breast. About 1-1 ½ pounds. You can use pre-cooked chicken, and you will need 2-3 cups.
      cubed chicken on white board
    • Chop a medium onion.
      chopped onion on wooden board
    • When the oil is hot,  add 2-3 cloves of garlic, the chicken and the onion.  Cook until chicken is done and cuts easily with a wooden spoon. About 8 to 9 minutes. Break apart any large pieces of chicken. If using precooked chicken, then don't add the chicken until the onion is translucent.
      adding trimmed chicken to fry pan
    • Add two 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes, and one 6 oz can tomato paste, 2 teaspoons dry basil (or 2 tablespoons fresh basil), 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional), ½ teaspoon oregano. Simmer over low heat while you cook the pasta.
      adding tomato sauce into pan with cooked chicken
    • Cook 8 oz of pasta according to instructions on the box for al denta or a bit less.
      cooked pasta in pan draining
    • Add ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese to the sauce and mixed well. Mix the sauce into the pasta and move to the casserole dish.
      sprinkling cheese into sauce
    • This fits nicely in a 2 ½ quart size, which is about 8X12 inches. Top with ½ cup each of mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese. You may cover and refrigerate at this point.
      adding cheese to top of casserole
    • Bake until sauce is bubbling and top brown. About 25 minutes for me. Longer if you had refrigerated the dish.
      cooked casserole nicely browned
    See the step-by-step photos in the post. Some recipes have an option to display the photos here with a switch above these instructions but the photos DO NOT print.

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    Recipe Notes

    Pro Tips:

    1. You can use pre-cooked chicken. You will need 2-3 cups and add it to the sauce when you add the tomatos.
    2. You can decrease your work and use pre-made sauce. You need about 4 cups. But you will love my sauce.
    3. Vary the cheese any way you want.
    4. An easy recipe to cut in half and bake in a 1 ½ quart dish.
    5. You can refrigerate for a couple of days before cooking if you want. It will take a few minutes longer to cook since it is going in cold.
    6. Good refrigerated for 3-4 days and can be frozen for 3-4 months.

    To adjust the recipe size:

    You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.

    Nutrition Estimate

    Nutrition Facts
    Baked Chicken Spaghetti
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 216 Calories from Fat 18
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 2g3%
    Saturated Fat 0.2g1%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 1g
    Cholesterol 35mg12%
    Sodium 465mg19%
    Potassium 494mg14%
    Carbohydrates 33g11%
    Fiber 4g16%
    Sugar 7g8%
    Protein 17g34%
    Vitamin A 250IU5%
    Vitamin C 5mg6%
    Calcium 10mg1%
    Iron 2.2mg12%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Serving size is my estimate of a normal size unless stated otherwise. The number of servings per recipe is stated above. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
    Course : Main Course
    Cuisine : Italian

    © 101 Cooking for Two, LLC. All content and photographs are copyright protected by us or our vendors. While we appreciate your sharing our recipes, please realize copying, pasting, or duplicating full recipes to any social media, website, or electronic/printed media is strictly prohibited and a violation of our copyrights.

    Originally Published September 29, 2012. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.

    13 Weeks Molly and Lilly

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    1. Beverly

      March 31, 2019 at 6:53 pm

      Do I have to bread my chicken

      Reply
      • Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan

        March 31, 2019 at 6:57 pm

        Hi Beverly,
        Welcome to the blog.
        No, not breaded.
        Dan

    2. Steve Armistead

      February 04, 2018 at 11:39 pm

      What a great dish, thank you! I added a handful of roughly chopped mushrooms, which added another layer of flavor. Wonderful recipe, wow!

      Reply
    3. Tammy

      November 18, 2017 at 3:50 pm

      Was wondering do you cover it when baked. And removed last 5mins, or just baked uncovered?

      Reply
      • DrDan

        November 18, 2017 at 4:09 pm

        Uncovered until nicely brown which will be 20-25 minutes.
        Dan

    4. Marbeli

      October 11, 2017 at 7:12 pm

      Hi I have a question how long do I have to refrigerate it before I baked it???

      Reply
      • DrDan

        October 11, 2017 at 8:35 pm

        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.

    5. Zainab

      August 09, 2017 at 1:45 am

      Hi, this looks awesome. Can I skip the baking part and just serve plated spaghetti with the sauce poured over?

      Reply
      • DrDan

        August 10, 2017 at 10:59 pm

        Yep, it would taste good. The baking does give it something extra though.
        Thanks for the note.
        Dan

    6. Angie

      September 08, 2016 at 12:52 pm

      I just made this today . It was very good!
      I used a rotisserie chicken and I will definitely be making this again.
      Thank you!

      Reply
    7. Georgeann

      May 14, 2015 at 7:16 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • DrDan

        May 14, 2015 at 8:09 pm

        I always forget about this recipe. I have to do it a bit more.
        DrDan

    8. Chris

      October 05, 2012 at 5:30 pm

      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

      Reply
    9. Sharon @ Red Poppy | Pink Peony

      October 03, 2012 at 2:32 pm

      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!

      Reply
    10. Dr Dan

      October 02, 2012 at 6:46 pm

      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.

      Reply
    11. ReaderWoman

      October 02, 2012 at 1:49 pm

      Loving your recipes - you use a convection oven for this baked spaghetti? What would be the cooking time for a conventional oven?

      Reply
    12. What's Cookin Stacey??

      September 30, 2012 at 8:40 am

      Sounds so good! Will have to give it a try this week! Love your blog!

      Reply

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