To make the baked ziti, I cooked up a batch of penne ziti and then tossed it with the sauce. Then for the “chicken parmesan” twist, I added in some shredded cooked chicken, chopped fresh basil, and lots of grated Parmesan.
I know that traditional chicken parmesan requires you to bread and pan-fry the chicken. But I thought the dish already had plenty of flavor and texture without adding the extra fat/calories. And hey, true to the name, we’re including lots of chicken and lots of Parmesan. So I’m sticking with it.
This Chicken Parmesan Baked Ziti only requires 6 ingredients and is totally delicious and comforting.
INGREDIENTS:
- 12 ounces DeLallo penne ziti (or any pasta shape)
- 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (about 2 small chicken breasts)
- 1 (25 ounce) jar DeLallo Pomodoro Fresco Tomato-Basil Sauce (pasta sauce)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used 2% low fat)
- 1/3 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cook the pasta al dente in a large stockpot of generously-salted boiling according to package instructions. Drain. Return pasta to the stockpot and add chicken and tomato sauce. Gently toss to combine until the pasta is evenly coated.
- Pour half of the pasta into a greased 11×7-inch or 9×13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, half of the Parmesan cheese and half of the basil. Layer the remaining half of the pasta evenly on top. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and just barely starts to turn golden. Remove and sprinkle immediately with the remaining Parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Serve warm.
recipes adapted by : gimmesomeoven.com