30 Minute Cheesy Chicken Pasta Bake

Chad and I are excited to share with you that we are now authoring a blog for Dash Recipes (from the editors of PARADE).  The Simple Kitchen - creating delicious meals in a snap!  This is an evolution of TSRI's "Simply Delicious" dishes that we were sharing with you.

You can now see these new delicious dishes exclusively on Dash Recipes, every week.  Check us out, you are going to love these recipes!

This week we are sharing a quick and easy dinner that goes from prep to plate in 30 minutes.  It is so delicious that Chad, Munchkin and I devoured this dish! The secret ingredient really makes this dish pop!  30 Minute Cheesy Chicken Pasta Bake.

Yield: 8

Author: Donna Elick

30-Minute Cheesy Chicken Pasta Bake

Rich and creamy ricotta cheese is combined with pureed roasted red peppers, Parmesan cheese and garlic to create an incredible sauce for your pasta. Topped with slices of fresh mozzarella, this is one pasta dish you will certainly catch me eating out of the fridge when no one is looking.

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Ingredients

• 1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers marinated with garlic, drained
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
• 1 pound mini penne pasta
• 12 ounces pre-cooked chicken, chopped
• 1/2 cup reserved pasta water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Fill a large pot with water and cover it. Bring water to a boil, over high heat. Add a handful of salt. Cook pasta to al dente; meaning it still has a little bite to it. Al dente pasta absorbs sauce better while it cooks and this is going into the oven.
3. Meanwhile, puree drained red peppers. Pour pureed peppers into a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add ricotta, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and basil. Whisk to combine. Allow to simmer while pasta cooks.
4. Drain pasta, reserve at least ½ cup pasta water and return to same sauce pan. Add reserved pasta water to sauce and whisk to combine. Add sauce and chicken to penne and stir to combine. Pour into a casserole dish and cover with slices of mozzarella.
5. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

https://www.theslowroasteditalian.com/2012/08/30-minute-cheesy-chicken-pasta-bake.html

Recipe developed by Donna Elick forThe Slow Roasted Italian
Copyright ©2012 The Slow Roasted Italian – All rights reserved.