Dump-And-Bake Chicken Spinach Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This Dump-And-Bake Chicken Spinach Pasta is everything you need for a weeknight. All done in just over 1 hour, with just 10 minutes of prep. Creamy and filled with cheese this will become an immediate favorite with your whole family!

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• Why you will love this recipe
• What you need to make it
• How to make it
• Tips & tricks
• Recipe FAQ
• More quick & easy pasta recipes
• Recipe
• Reviews

Baked pasta is one of my favorites for busy weeknights. It all started many years ago with a simple tortellini casserole, via my chicken broccoli pasta bake, and now we've arrived here - at a delicious chicken spinach pasta dump-and-bake loaded with cheese.

Why you will love this recipe

• It's easy - you don't even need to cook pasta!
• It's quick to prep - 10 minutes is all you need
• Pasta cooked in milk & cream & cheese might just be the best kind of pasta
• Perfect golden crust from two types of cheese
• Full of flavor from parmesan cheese and sun-dried tomatoes
• A healthy touch from lots of spinach
• Reheats extremely well - so well in fact, that it's even better the next day

What you need to make it

Ingredient notes & substitutions

• Chicken: Either use raw chicken that you cook according to the instructions in the recipe card below, or use leftover chicken. I prefer to use chicken thigh filets, but any cut of chicken works - just cut it in bite-size pieces.
• Penne pasta can be swapped for fusilli, or another similar-size pasta
• Cheese: I like to use two kinds, one well-melting (and cheaper) kind like mozzarella and one flavorful kind like Parmesan. But you can use all mozzarella, orother kinds.
• Butter can be swapped for vegetable oil
• Sun-dried tomatoes: I always use the kind in oil, but you can use the dry kind as well. Just soak them in hot water for a few hours until softened.

How to make it

If you're using leftover chicken, you can skip over steps 1 through 8 below.

1. Melt the butter for the chicken in a pan over medium high heat
2. Add the the chicken
3. Fry for a minute to give it some color
4. Season with paprika powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper

5. Cook for a few minutes until the chicken has a nice color on all sides
6. The chicken does not have to be cooked all the way through
7. Push the chicken to one side of the pan and add the tomato paste on the other side. Fry the tomato paste for 1 minute.
8. Mix in the tomato paste with the chicken, then remove from the heat and set aside for now

9. Bring out a deep oven dish and grease with butter
10. Add the raw pasta
11. Add the cooked chicken
12. Add sun-dried tomatoes

13. Add the spinach
14. Add half the Parmesan cheese
15. Add half the Mozzarella
16. Mix

17. Make sure everything is mixed well
18. Add the remaining Parmesan cheese
19. Add the rest of the mozzarella
20. Pour over the cream

21. Pour over the milk
22. Make sure all the pasta pieces are submerged, and use a spoon to gently press down any pieces that are not
23. Bake in the middle of the oven at 440°F (225°C) for one hour. Check once halfway to make sure it's not getting too dark - if it is, cover with a piece of oven foil.
24. Bring out the Chicken Spinach Pasta and let it sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Tips & tricks

• To make it quicker use leftover chicken instead of raw chicken
• Fry the tomato paste to intensify the taste.
• Let it sit after baking to allow for it to "set" - if not, it's going to be a bit runny
• Store leftovers in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 4 days
• Freeze leftovers to keep them for up to 3 months

Recipe FAQ

More quick & easy pasta recipes

Love easy weeknight dinners? Then you will love these pasta recipes!

• Pink Pasta Sauce with Bacon
• Creamy Broccoli Pasta
• Salmon Spinach Pasta
• Seafood Pasta Bake
• Halloumi Pasta Primavera
• Spicy Sausage Pasta
• Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake
• Dump-And-Bake Chicken Broccoli Pasta

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