Description
This hearty Chicken Alfredo Bake is the ultimate comfort food, featuring tender, perfectly seared chicken breast and al dente pasta smothered in a decadent, ultra-creamy garlic parmesan sauce. The dish is topped with a blend of melted mozzarella and parmesan, then baked until bubbly and golden. It is a crowd-pleasing, flavor-packed masterpiece that eliminates the dry, bland pasta issues of traditional casseroles by utilizing a balanced sauce-to-liquid ratio that ensures deep, consistent flavor in every bite.
Ingredients
1 pound Penne or rigatoni pasta
1.5 pounds Chicken breast, diced into 1-inch pieces
2 cups Heavy cream
1.5 cups Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2 cups Low-moisture Mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 tablespoons Unsalted butter
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375°F.
Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the pasta for two minutes less than the package instructions; drain and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
Add the diced chicken to the skillet and season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning; cook until golden and fully cooked through.
Reduce heat to medium, add minced garlic to the chicken, and sauté for one minute until fragrant.
Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer.
Stir in the Parmesan cheese until the sauce thickens slightly.
Remove from heat and fold the cooked pasta into the creamy chicken mixture.
Transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish and top evenly with the mozzarella.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown.
Notes
Ensure you undercook the pasta slightly during the boiling stage so it finishes perfectly in the oven. Freshly grated parmesan provides a much better texture than pre-grated varieties, which contain anti-clumping agents that can lead to a gritty sauce. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Trends Recipes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American-Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 680
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 850mg
- Fat: 38g
- Saturated Fat: 22g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 145mg