Are you searching for the ultimate easy weeknight dinner? A cozy, cheesy, and completely satisfying comfort food casserole that the whole family will love, and that you can throw together in just a few minutes? This incredible, super-easy Chicken Baked Ziti is the answer to your busiest days! We’re talking tender pasta, savory chicken, and fresh spinach, all mixed in a rich tomato sauce and baked under a glorious, gooey blanket of melted mozzarella cheese.
This isn’t just another pasta recipe; it’s your new go-to for a delicious, “dump and bake” style meal that tastes like it took hours to prepare. We’ll show you how to use a few smart shortcuts to create a stunning, from-scratch-tasting casserole that is perfect for a comforting family dinner, a potluck, or for stocking your freezer with a delicious, ready-to-bake meal.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Easy Weeknight Casserole
What makes this Chicken Baked Ziti so spectacularly delicious is its incredible, classic flavor and its wonderfully simple preparation. This recipe is a masterpiece of efficiency, using smart shortcuts to deliver a restaurant-quality result with minimal effort. The dish features tender, cooked penne pasta (or ziti!), savory shredded chicken, and healthy fresh spinach, all tossed in a rich and flavorful, store-bought pasta sauce. The entire casserole is then topped with a generous blanket of melted mozzarella cheese and baked to bubbly, golden-brown perfection.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 45 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 6-8 |
The Shortcut Superstars: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses a handful of smart shortcuts and high-quality pantry staples to create its signature comforting and cheesy flavor.
- The “Dump and Bake” Base:
- Jarred Pasta Sauce: The secret to a fast and flavorful meal is to use a high-quality, jarred pasta sauce. Look for a “thick and hearty” or a traditional-style marinara for the best, richest flavor.
- Pre-cooked Chicken: Using about 2 cups of pre-cooked, shredded chicken is the ultimate time-saver for a quick weeknight meal. A store-bought rotisserie chicken is a fantastic and convenient choice that is already moist, tender, and flavorful.
- Cooked Pasta: A classic, sturdy pasta shape like penne or ziti is the perfect choice for this hearty casserole.
- The Fresh Add-Ins:
- Fresh Spinach: A few large handfuls of fresh spinach add a beautiful pop of color, a wonderful, earthy flavor, and a fantastic boost of nutrients to the casserole. It will wilt down perfectly as the casserole bakes.
- Fresh Basil: A few fresh basil leaves, torn and sprinkled over the top after baking, add a final, fragrant, and authentic Italian aroma.
- The Cheese: For the absolute best, most delicious, and “stretchiest” cheese pull, it is highly recommended to use a block of low-moisture, whole-milk mozzarella cheese and shred it yourself.
Step-by-Step to the Easiest Baked Ziti
This delicious, one-dish meal is incredibly simple to prepare.
Step 1: The Prep
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Step 2: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook your 12 ounces of penne pasta according to the package directions until it is perfectly al dente.
Pro Tip: It is a great idea to cook your pasta for 1 minute less than the package directs. The pasta will continue to cook in the hot sauce in the oven, and this will prevent your final casserole from being soft and mushy. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
Part 2: Mix and Assemble the Casserole
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine your 2 cups of shredded, cooked chicken, the cooked penne pasta, the 23-ounce jar of pasta sauce, and the 2 cups of fresh spinach.
Step 2: Mix everything together until it is thoroughly combined.
Step 3: Pour the entire mixture into a casserole dish or a 9×13-inch bakeware dish and spread it into an even layer.
Part 3: Bake to Bubbly, Cheesy Perfection (and Rest!)
Step 1: Top the casserole with your 6 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese. Step 2: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. You will know it is perfectly done when the sauce is hot and bubbling around the edges and the cheese on top is completely melted and a beautiful golden brown. Step 3 (The Most Important Step!): Let the baked ziti rest on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes before you slice and serve it. This crucial resting period allows the hot, molten layers to set up, which is the absolute secret to getting beautiful, clean slices that aren’t a soupy mess.
Garnish the finished casserole with some fresh, torn basil leaves, if you desire, before serving.
Chicken Baked Ziti (A Simple One-Dish Meal!)
An incredibly quick and easy ‘one-pot’ baked ziti-style casserole that’s perfect for a busy weeknight. This simple recipe uses convenient shortcuts like pre-cooked shredded chicken, cooked penne pasta, and jarred pasta sauce. All the ingredients, including fresh spinach, are mixed together in a single bowl and then transferred to a casserole dish. The dish is topped with mozzarella cheese and fresh basil, then baked for about 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Ingredients
- 2 medium chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
- 12 oz. whole wheat penne, cooked
- 23 oz. jar of pasta sauce
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 6 oz. (about 1 1/2 cups) mozzarella cheese
- 5-6 fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
- In a large bowl, mix together the shredded, cooked chicken, the cooked penne pasta, the pasta sauce, and the fresh spinach.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and spread it into an even layer.
- Top with the mozzarella cheese and the basil leaves.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is hot and bubbly.
- Let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- This recipe is a true ‘dump-and-bake’ style casserole, making it exceptionally fast and easy to assemble with minimal cleanup.
- Using pre-cooked chicken (such as from a rotisserie chicken) and jarred pasta sauce are key time-saving shortcuts.
- The fresh spinach is added to the casserole raw and will wilt perfectly as the dish bakes.
What to Serve With Your Chicken Baked Ziti
This beautiful and rich dish is a fantastic, all-in-one meal. To round it out, here are a few simple and classic pairings:
- A Simple Green Salad: A crisp green salad, especially one with a bright and zesty Italian vinaigrette, is the perfect, fresh counterpoint to the rich, cheesy casserole.
- Crusty Garlic Bread: A side of warm, crusty garlic bread is an absolute must-have for sopping up every last drop of that delicious, savory sauce.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Baked Ziti is the ultimate make-ahead and freezer-friendly meal.
- Make-Ahead: You can fully assemble the entire, unbaked casserole up to 2 days in advance. Simply cover it tightly with foil and store it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to bake, you may need to add 15-20 minutes to the total baking time.
- Storage: Store any leftover baked ziti, well-covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: This casserole freezes beautifully! You can freeze it either before or after baking. Let it cool completely, then wrap the pan very well in a double layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Make it a Creamy Baked Ziti: For an even richer and more decadent, restaurant-style result, you can add a simple ricotta layer. In a small bowl, mix together 1 cup of whole-milk ricotta cheese, 1 egg, and a pinch of salt. After you have placed half of your pasta mixture in the casserole dish, add large dollops of the ricotta mixture over the top before you add the remaining pasta.
- Use a Different Protein: If you’re not in the mood for chicken, this delicious and versatile recipe is also absolutely fantastic with about 1 pound of browned and crumbled ground beef or sweet or spicy Italian sausage.
- Add Some More Vegetables: This is a great “clean out the fridge” meal! Feel free to add about 1 to 2 cups of your other favorite, cooked vegetables, like some sautéed mushrooms, roasted bell peppers, or some chopped zucchini, to the pasta mixture.
Enjoy The Ultimate Easy Weeknight Casserole!
You’ve just created a truly special dish that is a perfect harmony of wholesome, classic ingredients and delicious, satisfying flavors. This classic Chicken Baked Ziti is a testament to the power of a simple, from-scratch-tasting meal to bring the whole family together. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a new, much-requested family favorite for cozy dinners.
We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, cheesy, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves an easy and impressive meal!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a baked ziti that is not watery?
The number one secret is to use a thick, hearty pasta sauce and to make sure your other ingredients are not adding too much excess moisture. If you are using fresh spinach, as this recipe does, there is no need to pre-cook it; it will wilt perfectly in the oven. If you were to add other high-moisture vegetables, like zucchini or mushrooms, it would be a great idea to sauté them first to cook off some of their water content.
Q2: Can I make this baked ziti ahead of time and freeze it?
Yes, this is a perfect freezer meal! The best method is to assemble the entire unbaked casserole in a freezer-safe baking dish. Then, you can wrap the dish very well in a double layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. When you are ready to eat, you can bake it directly from frozen, just be sure to cover it with foil for the first hour and then uncover it, and add about 45-60 extra minutes to the total baking time.
Q3: What is the best kind of cheese to use for baked ziti?
For the absolute best, gooiest, and most delicious melted cheese topping, a low-moisture, whole-milk mozzarella that you shred yourself from a block is the number one choice. Pre-shredded cheeses are often coated in starches that can prevent them from melting as smoothly.
Q4: Do I really have to cook my noodles before I bake them?
Yes, for this classic recipe, you must boil the pasta noodles first. They are too thick and sturdy to cook properly just from the moisture in the sauce. Be sure to cook them just until they are al dente, as they will continue to cook in the oven.
Q5: Can I use ziti instead of penne?
Of course! Ziti is the classic pasta shape for a baked ziti. Penne, with its ridged texture, is also a fantastic choice that does a great job of catching and holding onto the delicious sauce.