Description
Gooey mozzarella cheese, jarred tomato sauce, fresh basil—oh yes! This chicken parmesan baked ziti is one of my go-to weeknight dinner. Bake until golden brown and bubbling. It’s cozy comfort food at its finest. Yields 4 servings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces ziti (or penne pasta)
- 1 pound boneless (skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 cups tomato sauce (I love the Tomato Basil Sauce from Trader Joe’s)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add 2 large pinches of salt, then add the pasta and cook according to the package, about 10-11 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet with 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium/high heat. Add the chicken and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper, the garlic powder, and dried basil. Cook for about 5 minutes until chicken is just cooked through. Turn off heat and set aside.
- Once the pasta is done cooking, drain it, then return the hot pasta to the pot. Add the chicken, tomato sauce, chopped fresh basil, and mix together until the pasta is well coated.
- Add half of the pasta mixture back to the skillet that you cooked the chicken in, (or you can use a greased 9×11 baking dish). Sprinkle with 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup parmesan. Add the rest of the pasta, then top with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with extra fresh basil and serve warm.