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No Boil Chicken Pasta Bake

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Make getting dinner on the table super easy with this no boil chicken pasta bake. It takes almost no prep work and results in a tasty and filling meal.

Dinner plate of chicken and penne pasta bake with cheese and garlic bread.

A filling dinner that’s quick and easy is a must at our house. We tend to come home HUNGRY at the end of the day and usually tired too. So a pile of baked pasta with chicken and plenty of cheese like this is a welcome sight for famished eyes!

We fell in love with making no boil baked pasta a few years ago and we haven’t looked back. You don’t have to precook the meat or boil the noodles.

You just dump everything in the casserole dish and let the oven do the work for you. It doesn’t seem like it should work, but it really does.

This recipe is no exception. Just add a jar of tomato sauce and some chicken broth to the mix and the pasta soaks it up while it bakes.

The chicken cooks right in the sauce too. So everything gets the flavor benefits of being cooked together.

And you get the benefit of only having one dirty dish. No skillets, no stock pots, just one 9×13 inch pan.

It really doesn’t get any easier than that!

Tips and Tricks

Allowing your casserole to cool helps the liquid to finish being absorbed and will make serving the casserole a little less messy.

In addition to using mozzarella, you can also use grated parmesan cheese. 

After you add the cheese there is no need to recover the casserole dish. Covering the dish helps prevent moisture from escaping so that the pasta cooks through all the way. Since we just need the cheese to melt during the last 10 minutes there is no need to keep the dish covered. 

We like to serve this casserole with a side of garlic bread and a fresh garden salad.

I recommend cutting your chicken into chunks no bigger than an inch. This will help ensure the chicken cooks through all the way.

Feel free to use your favorite flavor of pasta sauce. We like a classic marinara sauce, but any kind of red sauce will work great.

Store your leftover casserole in the glass dish covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.

Reheat a serving of the casserole in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and then cook for an additional 15-30 seconds, or until hot.

More No Boil Pasta Recipes

If you like the idea of tossing everything into a pan and baking it into a delicious dinner, I have more tasty ideas for you. No boil baked ziti was one of the first recipes we tried and loved, and it is still a hit.

No boil rigatoni and meatballs is another favorite. It is super simple to make if you pick up a bag of frozen meat balls from the grocery store.

Two dinner plates with baked chicken and pasta casserole next to baking dish and some slices of garlic bread.

Or try no boil mac and cheese for the easiest baked macaroni and cheese recipe you have ever tried. They are all really delicious and make almost no dirty dishes.

For more tasty inspiration, check out my full collection of dinner recipes.

Dinner plate piled high with penne pasta coated in tomato sauce, with chunks of chicken and melted cheese, ready to eat.

No Boil Chicken Pasta Bake

Carlee
Make getting dinner on the table super easy with this no boil rigatoni and meatball casserole. It takes almost no prep work and results in a tasty and filling meal.
5 from 1 rating
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dinners
Cuisine American
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 478 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
 

  • cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups marinara sauce
  • 16 oz penne pasta
  • 2 cups diced chicken breast
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 425°F.
  • Add the chicken broth, pasta sauce, penne pasta, diced chicken, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning to a 9×13 inch glass baking dish. Use a large spoon or spatula to stir the ingredients together.
    2½ cups chicken broth, 2 cups marinara sauce, 16 oz penne pasta, 2 cups diced chicken breast, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • Cover the dish with tin foil and cook your casserole for 40 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked to al dente.
  • Top the casserole with the shredded cheese and cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.
    2 cups mozzarella cheese
  • Remove your casserole from the oven and allow it to cool on the counter for 10 minutes.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 478kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 30gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 1047mgPotassium: 653mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 630IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 229mgIron: 2mg
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Recipe Rating




Andrea Nine

Wednesday 13th of May 2020

Looks sooo delicious!!

Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies

Thursday 10th of May 2018

I like your idea of precooking the breasts in the slow cooker. My days are to long anymore for chicken to survive in the slow cooker, but precooking it on the weekends would be a huge help!

Carlee

Sunday 20th of May 2018

Plus there are so many ways to fix it during the week, you won't even get tired of it!

Carlee

Friday 4th of May 2018

I hope you do!

Amy

Wednesday 2nd of May 2018

I love that you called this the fill-em-up dinner. Sometimes that is just what we need - something to fill up that empty spot! This Chicken Parm and Pasta Bake really sounds good. I believe that it will be a new staple here.

Carlee

Friday 4th of May 2018

I hope you love it! Thanks, Amy!

Hardlyagoddess

Monday 23rd of April 2018

I love the cracker crumb topping- great little salty crunch!

Carlee

Thursday 26th of April 2018

Thank you!