Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Creamy, flavorful, and healthy, chicken Tuscan pasta bake is perfect to eat right away or to prep ahead and freeze for another day. It’s especially nice for sharing with people in need of a meal, too.
How long it takes: 45 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: pasta pot, 9 x 13 inch baking dish, large skillet
Servings: 6
Meal Train Casserole
Many of us have been called upon to cook for a friend who may be in need of a warm meal. An organized version of providing meals for those in need is called a “Meal Train.” It’s a wonderful idea but sometimes it can be hard to think of a recipe to use. This chicken Tuscan pasta bake is a recipe I rely on when I’m bringing a meal to friend.
Another one of my meal train favorites is this easy ground turkey soup with beans & spinach. I make a double batch and then I have dinner made for my family, too. 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 cookie dough balls in the oven and enjoy freshly baked cookies with their visitors.
Hearty Chicken Tuscan Pasta Bake
Comfort food. I will be adding this chicken pasta bake to my rotation for new parents. It’s the epitome of comfort without being overly rich or fattening. Whole wheat pasta, chicken breast, and kale make it a hearty and healthy meal. Creamy cheese ties it all together and will keep you coming back for more.
So flavorful. The tangy, chewy sun-dried tomatoes are little flavor bombs and really add extra oomph to the recipe. Don’t leave them out! I utilize both the tomatoes and the oil they’re packed in for this recipe. I’ve found that the flavor-infused oil is perfect for sautéing the chicken and vegetables.
Freezes well. One of the best parts of this pasta bake is that you can make it ahead and freeze it so it’s ready to use when the need arises. This is also a benefit when you’re making it for a meal train, just in case the family is inundated with food. They can stick it in the freezer to use later.
Recipe Tip
If you do plan to freeze and reheat this, you may wish to add a can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes to the recipe to prevent it from drying out!
Recipe Variations
Use a different green. Baby kale can be replaced with spinach or another tender green. If you use curly or Lacinato kale, remove the stem and thick middle stalk first. Chop the kale finely. It will take a little longer to soften than baby kale.
Add mushrooms. I love to add mushrooms to this recipe! Sauté 8 oz. sliced white mushrooms with the chicken and onions.
Make it vegetarian. Omit the chicken and use mushrooms instead.
Leftover baked pasta: Refrigerate leftovers promptly. The pasta will keep for up to 4 days. Individual portions can be reheated gently in the microwave.
To freeze: Cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and foil and place in freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw overnight in the fridge. Remove plastic and cover with foil. Place in cold oven and turn oven to 350°F. Bake for 30 minutes covered, and then uncover and continue baking for 15-20 minutes longer or until heated through.
More Baked Pasta Recipes
Chicken Tuscan Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 pkg. (13.25 oz) whole wheat penne pasta (or any type of pasta you prefer)
- 1.25 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup diced onion (about 1 small onion)
- 1 clove garlic, minced (or more, if you like)
- 5 ounces fresh baby kale
- 1 jar (7 oz.) julienne cut sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
- 3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (or regular cream cheese)
- 1 cup milk (2% or whole milk)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- If baking immediately, preheat oven to 350°F. Otherwise, begin on step 2.
- Drain the jar of sun-dried tomatoes, reserving the oil. Arrange the tomatoes on paper towels and use additional paper towels to pat off the excess oil.1 jar (7 oz.) julienne cut sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain when finished cooking.1 pkg. (13.25 oz) whole wheat penne pasta
- Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Meanwhile, in a large deep skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of reserved sun-dried tomato oil (or olive oil) and add chicken and onions. Sauté until chicken is cooked through and onions are translucent, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.1.25 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces, ½ cup diced onion, 1 clove garlic, minced
- Add kale and drained sun-dried tomatoes and cook until kale is wilted, stirring frequently.5 ounces fresh baby kale
- Add cream cheese, milk, and Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine and cook until cream cheese is melted and incorporated.3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, 1 cup milk, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Add cooked pasta and stir to coat pasta with all other ingredients. Pour into prepared baking dish and top with mozzarella cheese.1 cup shredded 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.
Notes
- To freeze: Cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and foil and place in freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw overnight in the fridge. Remove plastic and cover with foil. Place in cold oven and turn oven to 350°F. Bake for 30 minutes covered, and then uncover and continue baking for 15-20 minutes longer or until heated through.
- Vegetarian: Skip the chicken and substitute 8 oz. sliced white mushrooms. Sauté them with the onions. If you’re not a vegetarian but still love mushrooms, you can use both the chicken and the mushrooms if you want.
- Different greens: Baby spinach can be substituted for the baby kale. If you use curly or lacinato kale, remove the stem and tough inner stalk, and chop it finely. It will take longer to soften.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
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!
Thank you for this recipe, it’s an absolute favorite in my home! I was looking for a recipe that would incorporate greens with pasta, but not spinach ( I have picky eaters). My teenagers have requested this dish many times and even eat the leftovers.
So happy to hear you liked it and it is a hit with your family – that makes me so happy! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
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!