Chicken Parmesan Pasta Casserole! Get hyped up! Get excited! It’s pan-fried, golden-brown chicken and tender pasta and rich marinara sauce and melty cheese! This is the good stuff! This is why we all look forward to dinner! This is the kind of meal where seconds aren’t only welcome but expected! This is Chicken Parmesan Pasta Casserole! The party is only just beginning!
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound rigatoni pasta
- 1 (32-ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated, divided
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
- 2 small chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- 3/4 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
- fresh parsley, to taste, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2 –Lightly grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
Step 3 –Cook the rigatoni in boiling water for 1 minute less than needed for al dente according to the package directions.
Step 4 –Drain the pasta and add it back to the pot.
Step 5 –Toss the pasta with the marinara, 1/3 of the parmesan, and 1 cup of the mozzarella.
Step 6 –Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and cut them into 1/2-inch-thick strips.
Step 7 –Add the flour, the seasoned salt, and the pepper to a shallow bowl.
Step 8 –Whisk the eggs in a second shallow bowl.
Step 9 –Add the breadcrumbs to a third shallow bowl.
Step 10 –Dredge the chicken strips in the flour mixture, then in the whisked eggs, and then in the breadcrumb mixture until they are completely covered.
Step 11 –Add the vegetable oil and the butter to a pan and heat over medium-high heat.
Step 12 –In batches, carefully add the chicken strips to the hot oil and cook until they are golden-brown and their internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, about 4 minutes per side.
Step 13 –Continue the pan-frying until all the chicken strips are cooked, adding more oil as needed.
Step 14 –Place the chicken strips on a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
Step 15 –Slice the strips into smaller bite-size pieces.
Step 16 –Add 1/2 of the rigatoni and the sauce mixture to the prepared casserole dish.
Step 17 –Add 1/2 of the chicken pieces on top of the sauce, then top with 1/3 of the parmesan and 1 cup of the mozzarella.
Step 18 –Repeat the layers ending with the remaining cheese.
Step 19 –Bake the casserole, uncovered, until the pasta reaches al dente and the cheese has melted, about 25 minutes.
Step 20 –Garnish the casserole with the parsley and serve.
