Why You’ll Love This this Cheesy Chicken & Rigatoni Pasta Bake
This pasta bake is basically comfort food’s greatest hits all rolled into one bubbly, cheesy masterpiece that’ll make your kitchen smell like pure heaven.
With tender rigatoni tubes acting like little cheese-catching pockets and three different types of melted cheese creating that perfect golden top, every single bite delivers exactly what your soul is craving.
Plus, it’s one of those magical dump-and-bake recipes where you literally just toss everything together, which means you can have this beauty on the table without breaking a sweat or dirtying half your kitchen.
Ingredients List
Here’s everything you’ll need to whip up this absolutely divine cheesy pasta masterpiece that’s going to become your new weeknight hero.
- 1 lb rigatoni pasta (cooked to package directions)
- 1 (16 ounce) can chicken breasts
- 16 ounces italian sausage spaghetti sauce (Hunt’s)
- 2 cups shredded monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)
A Few Things to Keep in Mind:
- This recipe definitely leans into the comfort food category rather than the health food aisle, but hey, sometimes your soul needs all that melty cheese goodness
- You can easily swap the canned chicken for rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken breast if you want a fresher flavor
- The three-cheese situation is totally worth it for that perfect golden, bubbly top, but you could cut back to two cheeses if you’re trying to lighten things up a bit
- That italian sausage sauce adds some extra richness, so if you’re watching sodium or want something milder, a regular marinara works just fine
Step by Step Directions
Making this comforting pasta bake is as simple as combining everything together and letting the oven work its magic. For even better results when preparing the cheese mixture, consider using a stand mixer to ensure all ingredients are perfectly combined.
- Prep your baking dish – Spray a 9×13 glass baking dish with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Cook the pasta – Prepare 1 lb rigatoni according to package directions, then drain.
- Mix the base – In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, canned chicken breast, Italian sausage spaghetti sauce, and the 2 cups of monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend.
- Transfer to dish – Pour the pasta mixture into your prepared 9×13 baking dish and spread evenly.
- Add the cheese topping – Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake – Place in a 375°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
- Rest before serving – Let it cool for about 5 minutes before digging in so the cheese can set up slightly.
Substitutions and Variations
- Make it lighter – Part-skim mozzarella and reduced-fat cheese blends work fine here, though to be frank, we’re not exactly making health food.
- Spice it up – A pinch of red pepper flakes, some garlic powder, or dried Italian herbs mixed into the base can add more complexity without much effort.
- Fresh herb finish – Chopped basil or parsley sprinkled on top after baking adds a pop of color and freshness that cuts through all that cheesy richness.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
This pasta bake is rich enough to appreciate some lighter, fresher companions on the plate.
- Simple green salad – Something crisp with a vinaigrette cuts right through all that cheese, and honestly, we need the vegetables to balance out our life choices here.
- Garlic bread – Yes, it’s carbs on carbs, but sometimes you just lean into it, and crusty bread is perfect for sopping up any extra sauce.
- Roasted vegetables – Zucchini, bell peppers, or broccoli work beautifully, especially if you toss them with a little olive oil and roast them while the pasta bakes.
- Caesar salad – The anchovy bite and crisp romaine provide a nice contrast to all that melted cheese comfort.
- Steamed green beans – Simple, clean, and they won’t compete with the main event while still giving you something green on your plate.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
A few smart moves can take this already-delicious pasta bake from good to absolutely stellar.
- Don’t skip the pasta water reserve – Save a cup of that starchy pasta cooking water before you drain, because if your sauce mixture looks too thick when you’re combining everything, a splash of pasta water will loosen it up perfectly and help everything cling together.
- Let that pasta be slightly underdone – Cook your rigatoni just shy of al dente since it’s going to keep cooking in the oven, and nobody wants mushy pasta tubes that fall apart when you’re trying to get that perfect forkful.
- Mix your cheeses like a pro – Toss all those shredded cheeses together in a bowl first, then use about two-thirds in the pasta mixture and save the rest for the top, because this gives you cheese throughout AND that gorgeous golden top we’re all here for.
- Give it a rest before serving – I know it’s torture, but let this beauty sit for about 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven, which lets everything set up so you get clean slices instead of a molten cheese avalanche all over your plate.
- Check for doneness with your eyes and ears – Look for bubbling around the edges and a golden-brown cheese top, and listen for that gentle sizzling sound that means everything is hot and happy in there.
- Cover with foil if browning too fast – If your cheese top is getting too dark before the inside is heated through, just tent some foil over the dish and keep baking until it’s bubbly throughout.
Nutritional Facts
This hearty pasta bake delivers satisfying comfort food with substantial protein and calcium from the multiple cheeses and chicken.
- Serves 6-8 people – Each generous portion contains approximately 450-500 calories, making it a filling main dish that can easily feed a family.
- High protein content – With chicken breast and three types of cheese, each serving provides about 28-32 grams of protein to keep you satisfied.
- Excellent calcium source – The combination of mozzarella, cheddar, jack, and parmesan cheeses delivers roughly 400-450mg of calcium per serving.
- Carbohydrate energy – One pound of rigatoni provides steady energy with about 45-50 grams of carbs per serving.
- Moderate fat content – Expect around 18-22 grams of fat per serving, mostly from the cheese blend, with a good mix of saturated and unsaturated fats.
- Sodium consideration – The canned chicken, jarred sauce, and cheeses contribute to a higher sodium content of approximately 800-950mg per serving.
- Iron and B-vitamins – The enriched pasta and chicken provide essential B-vitamins and iron for energy metabolism.
- Customizable nutrition – Using whole wheat pasta, low-sodium sauce, or part-skim cheeses can easily boost fiber and reduce sodium or fat content.
Fun “Did You Know?”
Ever wonder why rigatoni’s ridged tubes make it the perfect pasta for bakes like this one?
I’ll tell you why—those ridges aren’t just decorative. They’re designed to grab onto sauces and trap all that cheesy goodness inside each tube.
The name “rigatoni” actually comes from the Italian word “rigato,” meaning ridged or lined.
Here’s something cool: pasta tubes like rigatoni were originally created to mimic the texture of reeds found in Italian marshlands.
When you bite into this baked dish, you’re experiencing centuries of Italian pasta engineering that guarantees maximum flavor in every single bite.
