So today I’m sharing with you a modern recipe mashup I made for some friends. It’s all of the goodness of chicken parmesan, turned into a baked ziti dish. I call it…(prepare yourself for the brilliance of the name)…
…Chicken Parmesan Baked Ziti.
The inspiration for this actually came from everyone’s reaction to this Chicken Alfredo Baked Ziti recipe that I posted last month. Oh my goodness, you guys, this recipe skyrocked to the top of this blog’s statistics and has stayed there ever since. I forgot how much the world loves baked ziti!
In my mind, this will always be called a simple college-style “pasta bake”. But when you use ziti, I guess the classic name is apropos. ;)
So for a slightly different twist on the classic, I thought it would be fun to use one of my favorite Pomodoro Fresco tomato sauces from DeLallo and make a “chicken parmesan”-inspired version of baked ziti. Many of you know that I love to make homemade marinara sauce, but when I’m pressed for time, I always turn to this delicious line of sauces from DeLallo. By contrast to many sauces at the grocery store, DeLallo’s sauces are made from whole, all-natural ingredients. And they actually tastes fresh and good, not processed and overly sweetened. Just good. On just about anything. :)
I went with DeLallo’s Pomodoro Fresco Tomato Basil Sauce for this recipe, but any of their pasta sauces would be great (especially my other favorite, the Spicy Arrabiatta Sauce).
To make the baked ziti, I cooked up a batch of penne ziti and then tossed it with the sauce. Then for the “chicken parmesan” twist, I added in some shredded cooked chicken, chopped fresh basil, and lots of grated Parmesan.
I know that traditional chicken parmesan requires you to bread and pan-fry the chicken. But I thought the dish already had plenty of flavor and texture without adding the extra fat/calories. And hey, true to the name, we’re including lots of chicken and lots of Parmesan. So I’m sticking with it.
It definitely feels wild that a decade has passed and I have somehow learned my way confidently around a kitchen in the time since. And — yes — now am even a full-time food blogger. (That job wasn’t even invented when I was back in college!) But I love that dishes like these are still a part of my life, and are just as comforting today as they were ten years ago. Because I definitely hope to still be making this one tens years form now, and ten years after that, and after that….
YIELD: 6-8 SERVINGS
CHICKEN PARMESAN BAKED ZITI
This Chicken Parmesan Baked Ziti only requires 6 ingredients and is totally delicious and comforting.
TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN
PREP TIME: 15 MIN
COOK TIME: 30 MIN
INGREDIENTS:
- 12 ounces DeLallo penne ziti (or any pasta shape)
- 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (about 2 small chicken breasts)
- 1 (25 ounce) jar DeLallo Pomodoro Fresco Tomato-Basil Sauce (pasta sauce)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used 2% low fat)
- 1/3 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cook the pasta al dente in a large stockpot of generously-saltedboiling according to package instructions. Drain. Return pasta to the stockpot and add chicken and tomato sauce. Gently toss to combine until the pasta is evenly coated.
- Pour half of the pasta into a greased 11×7-inch or 9×13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, half of the Parmesan cheese and half of the basil. Layer the remaining half of the pasta evenly on top. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and just barely starts to turn golden. Remove and sprinkle immediately with the remaining Parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Serve warm.
DIFFICULTY: EASY INGREDIENTS: BASIL, CHICKEN, MOZZARELLA CHEESE, PARMESAN CHEESE, PASTA, TOMATO SAUCE, ZITI
All images and text ©Gimme Some Oven
Source : https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/chicken-parmesan-baked-ziti-recipe/
