It’s as scrumptious as it is straightforward! Chicken Penne Bake bakes up tender penne with golden, juicy chicken in a rich, bright, and sweet tomato sauce. With plenty of cheese, bursts of garden-fresh bell pepper flavor, and just the slightest amount of heat, this Chicken Penne Bake covers all the bases! It’s the dinner you look forward to all day long!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups penne pasta, uncooked
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 pound chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 cups park-skim mozzarella, shredded
- 1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated
- fresh parsley, optional, to taste, minced, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease a 2-quart baking dish.
Step 3 –Cook the penne to al dente, according to the package directions. Drain the penne.
Step 4 –In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.
Step 5 –Add the chicken, the onion, the green bell pepper, the red bell pepper, the basil, the oregano, the parsley, the salt, and the crushed red pepper flakes to the hot oil and sauté, until the chicken is no longer pink and it reaches 165 degrees F internally, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 6 –Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 7 –In a blender, pulse the diced tomatoes and the tomato paste, covered, until blended.
Step 8 –Add the tomato mixture to the chicken mixture.
Step 9 –Stir in the chicken broth.
Step 10 –Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
Step 11 –Reduce the heat and cover the saucepan.
Step 12 –Simmer the mixture until slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes.
Step 13 –Toss the penne with the chicken mixture.
Step 14 –Spoon 1/2 of the chicken-penne mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Step 15 –Sprinkle the chicken-penne layer with 1/2 of the mozzarella and 1/2 of the Romano cheese.
Step 16 –Repeat the layers.
Step 17 –Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
Step 18 –Uncover and bake until heated through, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 19 –Garnish with the parsley and serve.
