This easy oven Chicken Pasta Bake tastes AMAZING – cooked pasta baked in a rich, buttery, cream sauce baked with crispy chicken breast and loads of Parmesan cheese. This recipe is almost a one-skillet dish that’s perfectly paired with a side of sautéed broccoli!
Chicken pasta bake sounds elegant, doesn’t it?! Like something you’d order at a fine dining restaurant. I couldn’t be more excited to share with you that this pasta in a creamy white wine sauce couldn’t be easier to make in your home kitchen and it’s just as much comfort food as it is an impressive dish!
It couldn’t be easier!
It really is a scrumptious dish that is perfect for serving guests, but we love it just the same any night of the week. I mean who doesn’t love a cheesy cream sauce? Or as my kids call it, pasta with white sauce!
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Cooking Tips
- Salt the pasta water when it boils. It helps to flavor the pasta.
- To save time, brown the chicken and make the sauce while your pasta cooks.
- Avoid adding any extra liquid to your sauce and making it watery by making sure to drain your pasta well before adding it to the pan.
- For some added greens, mix in some baby spinach to the sauce and allow it to wilt towards to end.
- To add veggies feel free to add chopped broccoli, red bell peppers, or mushrooms.
Ingredients for Baked Chicken Pasta
- Pasta: I prefer to use penne for this chicken and pasta bake. The medium size noodles make it so that they hold up to the chicken and sauce without getting lost as small pasta would. Start with uncooked pasta and cook it according to the package directions.
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breast. I use thicker breasts because they will continue to cook in the oven and I don’t want them to overcook.
- Flour: Used for both the coating on the chicken and to thicken the sauce.
- Breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs are lighter and flakier and brown evenly so they are what I tend to use more often, but you can use what you have on hand.
- Seasoning: Garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, rosemary, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Olive oil: Needed to sear the chicken to get a nice golden crust on the outside.
- Butter: This will be used to start a roux with the flour which will not only give a buttery flavor to the sauce but also help to thicken it up.
- White wine & chicken stock: Both are used together to flavor the sauce and give it the liquid it needs. If you’re avoiding alcohol, replace it with all chicken stock. If you’re using it, no need to buy anything expensive.
- Heavy whipping cream: Adds the richness and creaminess we need for that delicious cream sauce.
Parmesan cheese: Lots of it! Adds a sharpness and cheesiness that makes the cream sauce so much better! I highly recommend grating Parmesan yourself, fresh from a block. It melts much easier and tastes better too. - Finely chopped fresh parsley: For garnish just before serving.
How to Make Chicken Pasta Bake
Step 1: In a shallow dish, combine the flour, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, rosemary, oregano, salt, and pepper and mix.
Step 2: Trim any excess fat off of the chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper then dredge each piece in the flour and breadcrumb mixture.
Step 3: Once all sides of the chicken are coated, preheat the olive oil in an oven-proof skillet (this is just to save you from having to wash another dish) over medium heat. Sear chicken breast for about 3 minutes per side until golden. Remove the chicken to a plate.
Step 4: To the same skillet over medium heat, melt the butter then add the flour. Stir for one minute until a paste forms. Pour in the white wine and cook for about 1-2 minutes until it reduces. Scrape the bottom bits off with a wooden spoon as you stir.
Step 5: Pour in chicken stock and bring it to a boil for 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper then stir in the heavy whipping cream.
Step 6: Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, and toss it so that the pasta noodles are fully coated. Place the chicken breast on top of the pasta and add a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese over everything.
Step 7: Bake uncovered in a preheated 375F oven for about 12 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink on the inside.
Step 8: Transfer the chicken breast to a cutting board and cut it into strips. Serve pasta with a side of your choice and top the pasta with the sliced chicken. Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
I prefer a dry white wine like corduroy wine. You can also use whatever you have on hand whether Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Blanc, or a Riesling.
What other types of medium pasta can I use?
Any of them! Farfalle, rotini, rigatoni, and fusilli are all great choices.
This dish is best enjoyed the day it’s made, but by all means, if you want to get ahead, make it the night before and reheat it for a quick dinner the next day.
There are also some things you can do to prep ahead of time. You can cook the pasta, make the sauce, and cook the chicken separately. Keep them stored separately too and then assemble everything in a skillet or baking dish to bake.
Yes, you can. Once it’s completely cooled, transfer it to a freezer-safe container or a disposable aluminum foil baking dish and cover it tightly to avoid freezer burn. Keep it frozen for up to 1 month then thaw overnight and bake to heat it through.
More Pasta Recipes to Enjoy
- Mashed Potatoes with Russet Potatoes & Macaroni
- Potato Pierogi
- Beshbarmak (Chicken Pasta Recipe)
- One Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
- Easy Baked Ziti with Chicken
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📖 Recipe
Easy Chicken Pasta Bake in White Sauce (Video)
Ingredients
- 2 cups penne pasta uncooked
- 2 chicken breast organic boneless skinless
- 2 tablespoon flour + 1 tablespoon of flour for white sauce
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 cups chicken stock
- 1 ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon organic parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Cook pasta according to the directions on the package.
- In a mixing plate mix together flour, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, rosemary, oregano, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Pat chicken breast dry with paper towel, then season with ½ teaspoon Kosher salt and pepper, to taste. Dredge chicken breast in bread crumbs.
- Preheat olive oil on a medium heat in oven-proof skillet (this is the one I use from Amazon https://amzn.to/2SqdRl3). Add chicken breast and sear for about 3 minutes on both sides or until golden color (in this step you want to get the flavorful golden sear, the chicken breast will finish cooking in the oven). Remove chicken to a plate.
- Using the same skillet, on a medium heat, add butter. After butter melts add 1 tablespoon of flour and stir for 1 minute. Now pour in white wine and cook for about 1-2 minutes, or until reduces in half. Pour in chicken stock, bring it to a boil and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in heavy whipping cream.
- Place cooked pasta into the sauce & seared chicken breast over the pasta, sprinkle parmesan cheese over the chicken and pasta, bake in the oven uncovered for about 12 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink inside.
- Cut chicken breast into strips, return back to the skillet. Garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Brown the chicken and make the sauce while the pasta cooks to save time.
- Drain the pasta well before adding it to the pan to avoid a watery sauce.
- Add baby spinach to the sauce for greens.
Sveta
Whenever I am craving pasta I always remember and go back to this recipe. I cant even tell you how many times I have made this recipe! I brought it to a potluck once and had people ask me for the recipe. Love this recipe!
Munchkin Time
Thank you, Sveta! I am so happy you like this creamy chicken pasta recipe!!!
Darce
This was excellent!! Whole family loved it!!!
Munchkin Time
Thank you, Darce!