This easy-to-make one-pan wonder feeds eight people and can be prepared in just minutes. No need to boil the noodles first — they cook right in the pan! Saucy noodles and pre-cooked chicken are topped with shredded mozzarella and seasoned bread crumbs, then baked until melted and golden. It’s a cozy homemade meal the entire family will love.
Have a budding kitchen helper? This recipe is perfect for getting kids in the kitchen. With supervision, they can help assemble the meal by measuring, dumping, stirring and sprinkling ingredients.
Prepared sauces like pasta sauce can be a surprisingly high source of sodium. The nutrition below is for a low-sodium pasta sauce. To reduce sodium further, look for sauces with “no salt added” on the label.
Ingredients
| 1 14.5 ounce box penne pasta, high protein |
| 2 cups pasta sauce, low-sodium or no salt added |
| 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, no salt added |
| 2 teaspoons garlic powder |
| 1 teaspoon dried basil |
| ½ teaspoon dried oregano |
| Pinch of crushed red pepper, optional |
| 2 cups shredded chicken, pre-cooked |
| Topping |
| ¼ cup panko bread crumbs |
| ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder |
| ⅛ teaspoon dried basil |
| ⅛ teaspoon dried oregano |
| 1¼ cups shredded mozzarella, part skim |
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425°. Pour uncooked pasta into a 13×9 baking dish. Add pasta sauce and canned, diced tomatoes with their juices. Fill the diced tomato can with water and add to the dish. Repeat to add a total of 2 cans full of water. Add the spices, mix well and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake pasta for 40 minutes.
- While pasta is baking, combine panko crumbs with garlic, basil and oregano. After 40 minutes of cook time, remove baking dish from the oven. Carefully remove the aluminum foil (avoiding any steam) and add the chicken to the pasta. Mix well. Sprinkle mozzarella over the pasta and sprinkle the seasoned panko over the cheese. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender, the chicken is heated through and the cheese has melted. If desired, briefly broil until cheese and bread crumbs are golden brown in spots. Serve immediately.
Serves 8.
Nutrition
| Calories | 333 | Total Fat | 7 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g | Monounsaturated Fat | 0 g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0 g | Trans Fat | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 39 mg | Sodium | 311 mg |
| Potassium | 539 mg | Total Carbohydrate | 45 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g | Sugars | 8 g |
| Protein | 27 g |
