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Easy Chicken Pasta Bake

This quick and easy chicken and mushroom pasta bake is a great casserole to make for parties, potlucks or for dinner during busy weeknights. Made with chicken, mushrooms and store bought Arrabbiata sauce, it is tasty and ready for the dinner table in less than an hour.

I love baked dishes. They are good to make ahead, and are excellent to take for potlucks. This easy chicken and mushroom pasta bake is a new favorite of mine. I think chicken and mushrooms make an excellent pairing. And when you have melted cheese on top, all my taste buds are satisfied!

Would you believe it if I told you that growing up I hated mushrooms? My liking towards this particular fungus started in College, when my friend made me a simple mushroom on toast. It was so good and since then I love mushrooms. In everything!

Using store bought arrabbiata sauce makes this chicken pasta bake a breeze to make, but if you want to make your own, I have you covered with this easy homemade pasta sauce recipe.

It finally rained yesterday! Remember how I complained last post that its been crazy hot. Well it still is hot, but the rains did bring some relief. I have been particularly looking forward to the weekend. This week was tiring- shoots, meetings, taxes and while I love that I am this busy (I wouldn’t trade this feeling for anything), its good to have a relaxing weekend. A shoot that was planned for today got cancelled, which means I get to spend some time on the blog. I know I have been neglecting it- I have recipes- 12 to be exact that I want to share with all of you, but between shooting, editing and meetings, the blog has taken a back seat.

It was actually my blogiversary yesterday. I have been blogging for 7 years now. My posts have become sporadic since I first started blogging. But blogging, sharing recipes here is still something I treasure so dearly and thats why I strive to post at least once a week, no matter what.

This blog has given me so much. Friends who I have met thanks to the blog, who have always supported and encouraged me. Talent that I never knew existed in me. Opportunities that probably would have never come my way had it not been for the blog. So while I know I am not always able to write here, I am not going anywhere.

And on that note, leaving you my 486th post- this chicken and mushroom pasta bake. I hope you get to try it and if you do, please tag me on instagram, facebook, twitter or leave a comment here.

Easy Chicken Pasta Bake

Recipe Type: dinner, pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Author: Shumaila

Serves: serves 4-5

Ingredients

1 350 grams jar arrabbiata pasta sauce (you could also use homemade and I have a wonderful recipe in the archives)
300 grams Penne Rigate
250 grams boneless chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces
2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
100 grams mushrooms (about 8-10 pieces), thinly sliced
1 cup mix of mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese
¼ cup cream
bunch of fresh basil
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200° C.
Cook the penne pasta in boiling salted water as directed on package. Drain and keep aside.
Combine the chopped chicken with salt and pepper. Add chilli flakes and mix.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the chicken and cook on high heat for 5 minutes or lightly browned and just cooked through. Remove from pan and keep aside.
In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the garlic and fry till light brown. Add the chopped onions, season with salt and cook till translucent.
Add the mushroom and cook the mushrooms for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the Arrabbiata sauce and the cream. Sprinkle herb mix and check for seasoning.
Add the chicken and pasta and ½ cup cheese and mix through.
Transfer mixture to an oven safe 8 inch square baking pan. Sprinkle with cheese on top and bake in oven for 20 minutes or until cheese melts and is golden brown.
Sprinkle chopped fresh basil on top and serve pasta bake.