Name: Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces rigatoni (cooked al dente and drained); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 onion (sautéed); 10 ounce pkg. frozen spinach (thawed); 3 cups cooked cubed chicken; 14 ounce can Italian-style diced tomatoes (undrained); 8 ounce pkg. cream cheese (softened); ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon pepper; 1½ cups mozzarella cheese (shredded); non-stick cooking spray

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Cheesy Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake is so easy and full of Italian flavor. It's even easier to make if you have cooked chicken and onions stocked in your freezer!

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⏲️ Time needed
🥘 Ingredients
🌾 Adaptations for dietary restrictions
📋 Instructions
💭 Tips
Recipe
🥗 Side dishes
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⏲️ Time needed

This recipe takes about an hour and 15 minutes to prepare. It calls for softened cream cheese, cooked pasta and chicken, and thawed spinach; so preparing those ingredients will take about 30 minutes; the casserole takes about 45 minutes to bake.

🥘 Ingredients

rigatoni
olive oil
onion
frozen spinach
cooked cubed chicken
Italian-style diced tomatoes
cream cheese
salt
pepper
shredded mozzarella cheese

🌾 Adaptations for dietary restrictions

You can use gluten-free noodles for this dish.

📋 Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly spray the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish.

Drain the chopped spinach well, pressing between paper towels. In a large mixing bowl, add drained spinach, sautéed onions, cooked rigatoni, cooked chicken, diced tomatoes, cream cheese, salt and pepper; mix together thoroughly.

Spoon the mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over top, then cover and bake for 30 minutes; uncover and continue baking 15 minutes longer or until bubbly.

💭 Tips

Put the spinach in the fridge overnight to thaw.

Recipe

Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake

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Cheesy Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake is so easy and full of Italian flavor. It's even easier to make if you have cooked chicken and onions stocked in your freezer!

Mary Ann

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 15

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Italian

Servings servings

Calories 393

Ingredients

8 ounces rigatoni, cooked al dente and drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, sautéed
10 ounce pkg. frozen spinach, thawed
3 cups cooked cubed chicken
14 ounce can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
8 ounce pkg. cream cheese, softened
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
non-stick cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly spray bottom of 9x13" baking dish. Drain chopped spinach well, pressing between paper towels.
In a large mixing bowl, add drained spinach, sautéed onions, cooked rigatoni, cooked chicken, diced tomatoes, cream cheese, salt and pepper; mix together thoroughly.
Spoon mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over top.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes; uncover and continue baking 15 minutes longer or until bubbly.

Notes

If you do not have cooked chicken and onions in the freezer, you can sauté those while you are cooking the pasta. Allow time for the cream cheese to soften and the spinach to thaw while you are preparing the pasta, chicken, and onions.

For a vegetarian option, omit the chicken and add sautéed mushrooms and diced red peppers or other vegetables.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 393 calCarbohydrates: 28 gProtein: 25 gFat: 20 gSodium: 507 mgFiber: 3 gSugar: 4 g

🥗 Side dishes

Simple sides are best with Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake. Your meat and carbs are covered, so I'd suggest a simple side to round out the spinach in the casserole:

Seasoned Green Beans
Green Salad
Green Peas with Butter
Caprese Salad