Chicken Tuscan Pasta Bake – Freezer Friendly
Creamy, flavorful, and healthy, Chicken Tuscan Pasta Bake is perfect to eat right away or to prep ahead and freeze for another day. Great for sharing with people in need of a meal, too.
I was chatting with a friend once who was pregnant with her third child and I mentioned that I wanted to bring her a meal after the baby was born. She was thrilled, telling me she had never had a “new mom” meal delivered to her.
Let me stop for a minute. Two previous babies, and no one had ever made her a meal to help her out when she brought home a newborn.
NO ONE.
This is so appalling to me, and yet she may still be in the same situation because I moved and was unable to bring her one. The thought of cooking after you’ve given birth is a seriously daunting thought and everyone should have, at the very minimum, a week of meals from friends and family to help them out.
One of my favorites is my easy 20 Minute Italian Turkey Bean Soup. I make a double batch and then I have dinner made for my family, too. I usually pair the bean soup with a loaf of yummy bread, fresh fruit, a salad, and a dessert. I love to make my whole wheat chocolate chip cookies, bringing a couple dozen baked and a couple dozen additional balls of dough that I’ve frozen. If the new moms have surprise visitors (and you know they will!), they can pop the frozen dough balls in the oven and enjoy freshly baked cookies with their visitors.
I will be adding this Chicken Tuscan Pasta Bake to my rotation for new parents. It freezes well and it’s the epitome of comfort without being overly rich or fattening. Whole wheat pasta, chicken breast, and kale make this a hearty and healthy meal and the cheese that ties it all together will keep you coming back for more. The tangy, chewy sun dried tomatoes are little flavor bombs…don’t leave them out!
This Brussels sprouts salad is a great side. It keeps well in the fridge. These no bake peanut butter bars would be welcome, too, I’m sure.
Tip: If you do plan to freeze and reheat this, you may wish to add a can of diced tomatoes (15 ounce) to the recipe to prevent it from drying out!
PS: If you’re still looking for ideas for new parents, I compiled a whole post about what to bring new parents – it’s divided up by diet/eating style to make it easy to navigate and also to help you find ideas for families who follow gluten-free, vegan, and paleo diets. It even has some ideas for how to help out families that don’t live close by you.
Important note! If you’re cooking this from the freezer, make sure to put it in the COLD oven before preheating. Never put a cold pan in a hot oven or you’ll be cleaning up glass and no one will be eating pasta.
PS: If you have a busy day planned, this crock pot baked ziti looks perfect!
More baked pasta recipes
- Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe with a twist on the classic!
- Green Chile Mac and Cheese Recipe
- EASIEST Baked Macaroni and Cheese (the best!)
- Pastitsio
- Stuffed Shells Recipe — vegetable packed!
- Macaroni and Cheese Pizza with bacon and green onions
- Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna Rolls
- Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese with bacon and caramelized onions
Chicken Tuscan Pasta Bake - Freezer Friendly
Creamy, flavorful, and healthy, Chicken Tuscan Pasta Bake is perfect to eat right away or to prep ahead and freeze for another day. Great for sharing with people in need of a meal, too!
Ingredients
- 1 package (13.25 oz) whole wheat penne pasta
- 1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 small onion, diced (1/2 cup diced)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 5 ounces fresh baby kale
- 1 jar (7 oz) julienne cut sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained (oil reserved!) and patted dry
- 3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
- 1 cup milk (2% or whole)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- If baking immediately, preheat oven to 350°F. Otherwise, begin on step 2.
- Spray a 9X13 or larger baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain when finished cooking.
- Meanwhile, in a large deep skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of reserved sun dried tomato oil (or olive oil) and add chicken and onions. Saute until chicken is cooked through and onions are translucent, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add kale and sundried tomatoes and cook until kale is wilted, stirring frequently. Add cream cheese, milk, and Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine and cook until cream cheese is melted and incorporated. Add pasta and stir to coat pasta with all other ingredients. Pour into prepared baking dish and top with mozzarella cheese.
- If baking immediately, place in preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted. If you like a softer noodle, cover with foil during baking.
- If freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil and place in freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, remove plastic and cover with foil. Place in cold oven and turn oven to 350°F. Bake for 45 minutes covered and then uncover and continue baking for 30 minutes longer or until heated through.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 of 6Amount Per Serving: Calories: 361Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 395mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 41g
RachelCooks.com sometimes provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietician. Please consult a medical professional for any specific nutrition, diet, or allergy advice.
43 Comments on “Chicken Tuscan Pasta Bake – Freezer Friendly”
When cooking the chicken and onions…alot of water is produced. Do I drain before adding garlic and cheese etc?
No need to drain it!
I have made this dozens of times. My 17 year old loves it. He isn’t crazy about sundried tomatoes, so we use roasted red bell peppers, instead. I made it for a vegetarian friend with no chicken and an assortment of veggies. I do add more seasoning to it. I add Italian spices and and crushed red pepper. It is so comforting at the end of a long day!
So glad to hear you like this recipe! It really is so versatile. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, it means a lot to me!
Hi. I am planning on doing some meal prep for my mom and aunt. If I added artichoke hearts and spinach in place of the kale, would it still freeze well?
Yes, that will be great!
can you bake it first, portion it, and then freeze it to reheat at work?
Yes, you could most definitely do that!
I made this to bring to a neighbor and it was a big hit! I loved the sun dried tomatoes.
So glad to hear it! Thanks for leaving a comment and review!
Am going to make this because I’m I’m having surgery soon, and want to take some of the cooking load off my wife. Can we use broccoli instead of kale?
I think that would be delicious! I hope your surgery goes well!
Wow, this recipe is delicious! I made it today as 2 freezer meals (I live alone so wanted smaller portions) and had enough left over for a little personal size baked pasta tonight. It was delicious as is, but I ultimately added a little lemon zest and Italian seasoning for extra flavor (probably wouldn’t have been necessary had I used nicer cheeses).
So glad you liked it! I love the addition of lemon zest, yummy! Thanks for taking the time to come and leave a comment!
Hi Rachel.
This recipe looks amazing ( Chicken Tuscan Pasta Bake – Freezer Friendly). I just wanted to ask a question. I was hoping to cook this and freeze for a camping trip which would mean i can only use a gas hot plate to cook / reheat it. Your recipe says to cook in an oven for 45mins. I was wondering (and I’m not a great cook which is why I’m asking for your take on this lol) can i bake it in the oven at home then just reheat on the stove or would it turn to mush? Thanks
Hi Stephanie, I’m not sure that would work too well. I would probably just skip the baking step, reheat it slowly on the stove with a little extra liquid (broth would probably be best), and serve it more as a stovetop pasta rather than a baked pasta. Does that make sense?
Rachel you’re the best! My son and daughter-in-law had twins recently. Before the babies came home, we helped them move to a larger home. While family and friends helped with the move, I just spent the weekend cooking up freezer meals, in anticipation of the crazy days ahead. They LOVED this dish. Now that the babies are home, we are back to help again. I’m making this dish tonight, yummy! can’t wait to eat!
Your comment made me smile so much! I’m glad this was a hit and helped in such a busy time! Congrats on the grandbabies!!
I think tossing would distribute the flavors better, but this worked pretty well and kept the pasta intact. Thanks for this delicious–and seemingly very flexible and forgiving!–recipe!
I’m glad you liked it!
I made this for our family this past weekend and they loved it. I am making it to bring to a friends family tomorrow but my question is; can I make it today, refrigerate without the 30 minute oven step and then have them cook it tomorrow evening for their dinner? If so, how long would I tell them to cook it taken out of the refrigerator?
Definitely! If it’s in a glass pan, make sure to tell them to let it come to room temperature before putting it in the hot oven OR put the cold pan in the cold oven before preheating the oven, so the glass doesn’t explode. If it’s cold, I’d say it probably will take around 45 minutes, but if it’s room temp, probably closer to 30-35 minutes. It just needs to heat through so that the center is hot, and the cheese is melted.
Fantastic recipe, thank you! I have made it twice for freezer meals in the last couple of months.
That’s great! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a comment and review!
Hi! Are you able to separate it in small/personal portions and then microwaving the small amounts? Thinking about making this as my freezer lunch meal for work. Thanks!
I think that would work well!
Could you use spinach instead of kale?
That will work great!
I made this for a ‘freezer baby shower’ for a friend and made a second one for dinner for me. My boyfriend who thinks kale should be left in the yard, ate and loved it too! Thanks so much for sharing this!!!
I’m so glad you liked it! I love that it converted a kale-hater! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Made this for an Oscar party, and people loved it! I will say that the assembling, chopping, cooking, draining, etc. required a LOT more prep time than 10 minutes. Since I’ve never cooked with kale, a little direction on what to do with it (strip leaves, toss stems, cut, etc.) would be helpful. Also a bit of guidance on seasoning would help. I punted, and it was fine (S, P, red pepper flakes in the sauce, air-dried shallots), but amounts and other ideas would be useful. Love the use of lower fat ingredients. I added sauteed portobello mushrooms to increase the veggie component. I used ribbon noodles, as that’s what I had, and they worked well. Because they’re a little more subject to breakage than penne, I made the sauce separately and poured it over rather than tossing. I think tossing would distribute the flavors better, but this worked pretty well and kept the pasta intact. Thanks for this delicious–and seemingly very flexible and forgiving!–recipe!
I’m so glad this was a hit, Fran! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, and for the valuable feedback! I really appreciate it. I bet it was delicious with mushrooms! :)
Hi! I made this and froze it so I can save it for a busy night. However, I made it in a glass casserole dish and I don’t think it’s a good idea to put frozen glass into an oven, even if starting from a cold oven. The change in temp will still be too rapid and I don’t want to have shattered glass in my oven/food! So I let it thaw out in my fridge over night. Can you suggest a baking time/temp for this case?
Thanks, can’t wait to eat this casserole – it looks so tastey!
You can bake it at the same temperature, but it will probably cook in 30-45 minutes. Hope that helps!
Found this recipe while looking to freeze several meals before surgery! Glad I came across it! Froze and reheat great! I did however use spinach instead of kale and I made a second time with kielbasa instead of chicken
Oooh yummy! So glad you liked this recipe – thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment! I hope your surgery and recovery goes well!
This is a PERFECT meal to bring to a friend in need. But seriously–2 babies and no meals?!! That is a shame. So glad you could love on her.
I know, I couldn’t believe it! People these days! ;)
I made this for my coworker and her family and they loved it! She said her little guy gobbled it up, and they ate it all week. Now, I need to make it for myself :)
I’m so happy to hear that! She’s lucky to have a friend like you! :)
Hi Rachel! My girlfriend brought this over for me after I had my baby this spring. It was SO WONDERFUL having it in the freezer and pulling it out on a day where no one wanted to cook! When we reheated it, it was a little bit dry. Is there something I can do next time to make it less dry? Thanks!
Great question! I’ve experienced some dryness when I reheat this recipe too. To combat that, I typically sprinkle a little milk or chicken broth over it prior to reheating – around 1/4 cup should be enough. You could also stir in a small can of diced tomatoes (15oz) before freezing to make it a little more moist when reheated. Or you could always sprinkle more cheese on top…I find that’s a good solution to most cooking problems. ;)
deliciously easy!