Chicken Parmesan Pasta

5 from 4 votes

This Chicken Parmesan Casserole is loaded with crispy chicken, marinara sauce, mozzarella, and melted cheese for the ultimate comfort food dinner! It’s an easy, oven-baked twist on the Italian classic.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Carrie Barnard

Ingredients

1 ½ cups vegetable oil (for frying)
2 chicken breasts (cut into bite-size pieces)
1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
2 eggs (beaten)
2 cups Italian Bread Crumbs
16 ounces penne pasta
36 ounces marinara sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)

Instructions

Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil.
Place flour and cubed chicken in a gallon size Ziploc bag and shake to coat.
In a medium size bowl, beat eggs well. Remove flour coated chicken from the bag and place in the egg mixture. Lightly turn chicken cubes till evenly coated.
In another medium sized bowl add the breadcrumbs. Transfer the chicken from the egg mixture to the breadcrumbs and coat evenly.
Next place chicken into hot oil and fry for 4-5 minutes per side until browned. Work in batches if needed and set aside on a paper towel to drain the excess oil.
Heat water for pasta in a large pot and cook al dente per package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Pour drained pasta in a baking dish and pour ½ of Marinara sauce on top. Stir with a large spoon till sauce is evenly distributed through pasta.
Top pasta with ½ of the shredded mozzarella cheese and shredded parmesan cheese.
Place a layer of fried chicken on top of cheese.
Pour the rest of the marinara sauce evenly over the chicken. Top with remaining cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Top with freshly chopped parsley and enjoy!

Notes

Recipe Tips

Cooking Pasta - Cook pasta al dente and according to package instructions. Make sure to not overcook as the pasta will continue to cook while baking in the oven.
Chicken - Cut the chicken about the same size pieces so that the chicken cooks evenly. To ensure that the chicken cooks through, use a meat thermometer to check internal temperature. Make sure it reaches 165 degrees.
Baking Casserole - Baking time for the casserole will vary depending on your oven. We baked our casserole for about 20 minutes. For the last few minutes you can broil the casserole so that the melted cheese gets golden brown.

Variations Ideas

Extra Veggies - Add sautéed spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, or bell peppers to the pasta mixture.
Spicy Kick - Stir in crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce.
Chicken - Feel free to use leftover Rotisserie Chicken, chicken tenders or Cooked Leftover Chicken for an easy substitution.
Spices - For added flavor, add in 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder or fresh basil to the pasta sauce.

Nutrition

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