A wonderful dish for company or the family, this chicken baked ziti is easy with these step by step photo instructions.
Editor’s Note: Originally Published May 13, 2010. Updated and clarified with expanded instructions and photos. This recipe has continued to be popular in spite of my neglect of it. Please enjoy the update.
Great Italian that will make your day and warm you to the bone. It has been cold and rainy today, and I have been working on combining some recipes this week and needed just to dive in and do it.
Ever since my “Chicken Italian Bake” which was a modification of a Giada De Laurentiis recipe, I have needed to “fix it.” Here it is an assembly of 3-4 recipes, and it worked very nicely.
My Rating
A nice solid 4. My wife had three servings.
Expert Tips: Recipe Notes for Chicken Baked Ziti
What is Baked Ziti
Baked ziti is a baked casserole dish made with cook macaroni and combined with tomato sauce and cheese. It may include meat, sausage, mushrooms, peppers, onions, and other things. There are variations, but that is basically it.
Ziti vs. Penne Noodles
Close but not the same. Ziti is a bit bigger and has straight cut ends. Penne is a little smaller with angle cut ends. I have been berated for using penne instead of ziti. Yep, I do it all the time, and it doesn’t matter. Ziti pasta is harder to find for me, and I like a smaller pasta. So use what you like.
A Touch of Heat
I had added 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper initially, and it was just right for us. But that was probably more than most want. In the recipe, I suggest 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon and make it optional since it would be fine without to red pepper.
Finally, I choose to cook until the internal temp was 165 due to the chicken.
Trim and dice two skinless boneless chicken breasts into approximately 1/2 inch cubes.
Chop one medium onion.
In a large pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When shimmering, add the chicken. Saute for 3 minutes then add onion and continue to saute for 5-6 minutes more until onion is clearing and chicken starting to brown some. Add 4-6 cloves crushed or minced garlic and saute 1 minute until fragrant. Remove from heat.
Add 1 tablespoon basil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional), 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 28 oz crushed tomatoes, 14 oz diced tomatoes, 6 oz tomato paste, and 6 oz water. Simmer on low while cooking pasta and cubing mozzarella.
Cook pasta according to package directions to al denta. Cube mozzarella into 1/2 inch cubes.
Remove sauce from heat and mix pasta and mozzarella in well.
Transfer to baking dish and top with 1/4 cup Parmesan and refrigerate or bake at this point.
Place in a preheated 375-degree convection oven until internal temp is 165. Depending on your oven and if a dish is cold, this will take 40-60 minutes. Cover if needed to prevent drying or over browning.
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Chicken Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion - medium
- 4-6 cloves garlic - crushed
- 1 tablespoon basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper - optional
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 14 oz diced tomatoes
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 6 oz water
- 1 pound dry pasta
- 1 pound mozzarella - not shredded
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese - shredded
Instructions
- Trim and dice two skinless boneless chicken breasts into approximately 1/2 inch cubes.
- Chop one medium onion.
- In a large pan over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When shimmering, add the chicken. Saute for 3 minutes then add onion and continue to saute for 5-6 minutes more until onion is clearing and chicken starting to brown some.
- Add 4-6 cloves crushed or minced garlic and saute 1 minute until fragrant. Remove from heat.
- Add 1 tablespoon basil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional), 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 28 oz crushed tomatoes, 14 oz diced tomatoes, 6 oz tomato paste and 6 oz water. Simmer on low while cooking pasta and cubing mozzarella.
- Cook pasta according to package directions to al denta. Cube mozzarella into 1/2 inch cubes.
- Remove sauce from heat and mix pasta and mozzarella in well.
- Transfer to baking dish and top with 1/4 cup Parmesan and refrigerate or bake at this point.
- Place in a preheated 375-degree convection oven until internal temp is 165. Depending on your oven and if a dish is cold, this will take 40-60 minutes. Cover if needed to prevent drying or over browning.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Use the pasta of your choice. I prefer a smaller pasta.
- Brown the chicken a bit.
- Cook the casserole to 165 internal temperature to assure the chicken is safe.
- You can save a lot of time using jarred sauce, but you really don't want to do that.
- The crushed red pepper is optional but adds just a touch of heat.
Have a question or something not clear? Ask in the comments.
Nutrition is for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
If you like this recipe or find it useful, the pleasure of a nice 4 or 5 rating would be greatly appreciated.
Originally Published May 13, 2010.
Jake just hanging out.
Hogie is visiting today.
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Dr Dan
I called it 8 servings. This is one of the “with lots of left overs” recipe. I will usually make this on a Sunday and use the left overs for quick weeknight suppers.
TwoTabsOfMesc
Just made for the second time.. Very good but have to say that this IS NOT a 2 person serving. More like 6. Would like to see more scaled down recipes.