I have been craving for a good pasta dish, and I remember cooking this Cheesy Ground Chicken Pasta Bake years ago. I was so obsessed with this baked pasta because it has everything I want for a pasta dish. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!
Cheesy Ground Chicken Pasta Bake
Print RecipeIngredients
- Homemade Tomato Sauce Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- ½ white or Spanish onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 14-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
- 1 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
- 1 packed tablespoon of brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
- Pasta Bake Ingredients
- 12 ounces of whole-grain, small-shaped pasta
- Homemade tomato sauce
- 3 cups of baby spinach
- 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese
- 12 ounces of fully-cooked ground chicken
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare your mis-en-place: dice onion, mince garlic, slice sausage, and open tomatoes and paste cans.
- Boil a large pot of water on your stove and cook pasta al dente. The pasta will finish cooking in the oven. Drain pasta and set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and diced onion to a large skillet on medium heat. Sauté onion for 2 to 3 minutes until soft. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, basil, salt and a few twists of pepper. Simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes, then add the chicken. Simmer for another 5 minutes, then add spinach and give it a few stirs to allow spinach to wilt.
- Add pasta to the sauce, stir to coat, and add half the mixture to a baking dish. Sprinkle with ¾ cup of grated cheese of choice. Pour the remaining mixture into the dish and cover with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese has melted and the top is slightly brown and crusty.
