A comforting baked pasta casserole with whole-wheat rotini, tender chicken and a tomato-herb sauce, topped with melted mozzarella and a crisp Parmesan-panko topping.
Servings: About 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35–40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces whole-wheat rotini
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Nonstick cooking spray
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly coat an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the rotini and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, until it begins to soften.
- Add the tomatoes, garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt and crushed red pepper. Bring to a simmer.
- Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomato sauce has thickened slightly.
- Stir the shredded chicken and cooked rotini into the sauce until evenly combined.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top.
- In a small bowl, combine the panko, Parmesan, parsley and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Sprinkle the panko mixture evenly over the mozzarella.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the casserole is hot and bubbling and the topping is crisp and golden brown.
- Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.
Tip: If the canned tomatoes are whole or very large, break them up with a wooden spoon as the sauce simmers. For a more uniform sauce, chopped or crushed no-salt-added tomatoes would also work well.
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