Creamy Cheesy Chicken Spinach Pasta Bake

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Creamy Cheesy Chicken Spinach Pasta Bake! Say that 10 times fast and then go get a bowl so you can serve up a big spoonful of this incredible pasta bake!

Creamy Cheesy Chicken Spinach Pasta Bake from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)


 

Imagine a pasta bake that is part chicken parmesan, part spinach dip, part funky pasta shape and topped with all the cheese. Welp, that's essentially what this Creamy Cheesy Chicken Spinach Pasta Bake is and I AM OBSESSED.

Creamy Cheesy Chicken Spinach Pasta Bake from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

It comes together quite quickly and it takes a shortcut from the store by using frozen spinach! That way you can eliminate the extra step of having to wilt down pounds and pounds of fresh spinach! You're welcome in advance. It's great to make for a quick weeknight meal, or prep on the weekend and bake off during the week. Either way you slice it, you'll be obsessed.

Creamy Cheesy Chicken Spinach Pasta Bake

Author: Gaby Dalkin
4.5 from 2 votes
Creamy Cheesy Chicken Spinach Pasta Bake! Say that 10 times fast and then go get a bowl so you can serve up a big spoonful of this incredible pasta bake!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
  • 1 28- ounce can of crushed tomatoes
  • 1 pound short pasta
  • 2 boxes frozen spinach (10 oz each) defrosted, squeezed dry, and roughly chopped
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 10 sprigs of fresh basil torn into pieces
  • 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup coarsely grated mozzarella

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 400°F .
  • Heat a large heavy dutch over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil. Add the ground chicken to the oil, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon and stirring every now and then, until the meat is cooked through and browned, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and scrape up any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer, and cook the sauce for about 20 minutes until slightly reduced. Turn off the heat and set aside.
  • Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, add it to the pot with the tomato sauce, and stir well to combine.
  • While the pasta is cooking, put the spinach, heavy cream, Parmesan, half of the mozzarella, and the basil leaves into a large bowl. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper and stir well to combine.
  • Spoon one-third of the sauced pasta into a 9-by-13-in baking dish and spread into an even layer. Dot the pasta with half of the spinach mixture. Continue with half of the remaining pasta, all of the remaining spinach mixture, and then the final layer of pasta. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top.
  • Bake the pasta, uncovered, until it golden browned and the edges are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let it rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

Make sure not to overcook the pasta on the stove as it will continue to cook as it soaks up sauce in the oven.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 498kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 535mg | Potassium: 1023mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 9048IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 442mg | Iron: 4mg
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Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson // Recipe adapted from Now & Again by Julia Turshen

11 Comments

  1. 4 stars
    I picked this recipe because it looked quick, easy and simple! It was certainly quick, easy, and simple, I felt the flavor was a little lacking. This may be in part due to my own tendency to under-season with salt but I just wished it had more "oomph". I think next time I'd add extra garlic, throw in some red pepper flakes and appropriately salt. 🙂
    This is an great way to cook once and eat for a week. It served 4 with nearly half of pan left!

  2. 5 stars
    Delicious, super easy and a crowd pleaser! Made it exactly as called for except used milk instead of cream as that is what I had on hand!

  3. Going to make this and freeze it in smaller dishes, so I can enjoy this several times over the next couple weeks!

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