Pesto-Chicken Penne Casseroles

Who knew a dish could be both an easy-to-make comfort food and complex quasi-gourmet fare? Anyone who has made this pesto chicken pasta casserole recipe, that’s who. Each ingredient complements its counterparts, with the tanginess of the cheeses and tomatoes balanced against the creaminess of the Alfredo sauce. The spinach and pesto add a welcome earthy flavor profile. It will all make sense when you take a bite, which will rapidly be followed by many more.

And as much as you and your family or friends will enjoy this pesto-chicken penne casserole the first time you make it, you will also love that the recipe makes two portions, provided you are cooking for a group of four average eaters. This casserole freezes well and reheats to taste just as good as when made fresh. The hands-on work in this recipe consists of turning on and opening the oven so it’s a win-win.

Ingredients for Pesto-Chicken Penne Casseroles

• Penne pasta: You’ll need just a standard 1 pound package of penne pasta for this recipe, something you likely have on hand already.
• Cooked chicken: The pre-cooked chicken is best if you cook it fresh and cube it yourself, of course, but you can use store-bought cooked chicken that comes in a can or bag.
• Italian cheese blend: Don’t skimp on the cheese. It adds flavor and texture and helps bind other ingredients to the pasta noodles.
• Fresh baby spinach: The spinach, wilted down into the dish, works in concert with the pesto, helping ground some of the more potent flavors.
• Crushed tomatoes: Often, you want to incorporate the liquid in a can of tomatoes into a recipe, but in this case, it’s best to drain most of the fluids.
• Alfredo sauce: Thick, creamy, and rich, Alfredo sauce is the anchor of this dish even though it’s pesto that made it into the title.
• Milk: 2% milk does well in this recipe and doesn’t need much more creaminess thanks to the Alfredo sauce, but of course, whole milk is most welcome as well.
• Pesto: The recipe as written calls for prepared jarred pesto, but if you’ve got quite the home garden bristling with basil, you can go fresh for an even richer taste.
• Seasoned bread crumbs: Just a half cup of seasoned bread crumbs brings a lovely texture and a savory touch to this dish.
• Parmesan cheese: Our last and tangiest ingredient, save for the oil in which you’ll combine this classic cheese and those bread crumbs, the Parmesan plays a major role here despite each portion of casserole using just a quarter cup.
• Olive oil: What’s to be said about olive oil other than it’s as essential to Italian cooking as water is to all of life?

Directions

Step 1: Cook the pasta and begin combining ingredients

First off, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Then, cook the pasta according to its package directions, erring toward the slightly al dente side. As it cooks, get a large bowl and combine the cooked chicken, Italian cheese blend, spinach,  tomatoes, Alfredo sauce, milk and pesto. Toss these ingredients lightly.

Step 2: Transfer the ingredients to baking dishes and coat

As soon as the pasta is cooked to your liking, drain it and immediately add the noodles to the bowl with the other combined ingredients. Toss the contents of the bowl well. Then transfer the bulk of the ingredients to two greased 8×8-inch baking dishes.

In another small bowl, combine the oil, Parmesan, and seasoned bread crumbs and stir them together. Then sprinkle the cheese and breadcrumb blend over the two baking dishes evenly.

Step 3: Bake one casserole and freeze the other for later

Cover tonight’s dinner in foil and pop it into the oven to bake for between 40 and 45 minutes. Once the pesto chicken penne casserole in the oven is bubbling all over, retrieve it from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes, then serve it and enjoy, knowing you have another portion waiting for later.

Let the other casserole cool at room temperature until you can easily touch it. Once chilled, secure it tightly in an airtight wrap and pop it into the freezer.

Pesto-Chicken Penne Casserole Variations

• Swap the pasta: This recipe can be made using many different shapes of pasta noodles, from rigatoni to shells to bowties or even to linguini. Just make sure to watch the cooking times closely and to make sure all the pasta gets well coated during tossing.
• Skip the spinach: If you’re not a spinach fan, you can leave it out without changing the recipe in any way, though adding a bit more pesto to compensate for the greens removed is a good idea, if possible.
• Add chopped bacon: This recipe is already filled with flavor, but adding chopped raw bacon during Step 2 will only take the taste to the next notch, bringing in smoky and savory goodness.

How to Store Pesto-Chicken Penne Casserole

If you have any leftover casserole, place it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for two to three days.  Reheat it in the oven or the microwave. As for the casserole you froze, it is best thawed overnight in the fridge and then left at room temperature for 30 minutes before being cooked. Cover the baking dish in foil and bake the room-temp pesto chicken casserole at 350º for 50 to 60 minutes, making sure it’s bubbly all through.

Pesto-Chicken Penne Casserole Tips

What should I serve with this casserole?

Because this dish has your protein and carbs covered, it’s all about the veggies as the ideal side. A fresh Mediterranean salad is a great idea. A basic green salad will also do the trick. For reference, a Caesar salad might have a bit too much flair combined with the complex profile of this casserole. So keep the veggies on the simple side.

Is there a vegetarian take on this recipe?

You could make this recipe using cannellini beans or another favorite white bean in place of the chicken.  The cheese is too important in this dish and does not allow us to make it a vegan meal.

How do I cook penne pasta?

As with all pasta, it’s best to follow the directions on the product itself. If you don’t have access to those, the best way to cook penne pasta ( assuming it is a pound of pasta) is to have about five quarts of salted water at a rolling boil. Add the pasta and stir, then stir occasionally as the pasta cooks in boiling water, uncovered, for 11 minutes. Then, drain it and toss it with sauce, oil, or butter ASAP so it doesn’t grow gummy.