This is a baked pasta dish built around ground chicken, pesto, red onion, chestnut mushrooms, and rigatoni, finished with grated Grana Padano. It comes together in 45 minutes and serves two generously — scale it up and it feeds a family without much extra effort.
What makes this version work
Two things matter here. First, reserving a tablespoon of pasta cooking water before you drain it — that starchy liquid loosens the pesto just enough to coat every piece of rigatoni without making the bake wet. Skip it and the pesto clumps. Second, the oven step is short on purpose: 4 to 5 minutes at maximum heat melts the Grana Padano and crisps its edges without drying out the chicken underneath. Pull it the moment the cheese bubbles. Any longer and the pasta starts to toughen.
About the ingredients
- Ground chicken: This is ground chicken breast, which is lean and cooks fast — it hits the safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) in just a few minutes in a hot pan. Don’t rush it, but don’t overcook it either or it turns grainy by the time it comes out of the oven.
- Chestnut mushrooms: These are brown cremini mushrooms. Standard white button mushrooms work fine as a swap, though they release a little more water, so cook them an extra minute to drive off moisture before mixing everything together.
- Grana Padano: Similar to Parmesan but milder and less expensive. Parmesan is a direct substitute. Pre-grated works, but freshly grated melts more evenly.
- Pesto: Jarred pesto is perfectly fine here. Sun-dried tomato pesto is a solid swap if you want a different flavour profile — use the same quantity.
Storage and reheating
Cool leftovers completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, add a small splash of water to the portion, cover loosely, and microwave in 90-second bursts, stirring between each, until steaming hot throughout — ground chicken needs to reach 165°F (74°C) again before serving. This dish does not freeze well; the pasta turns mushy on thawing and the pesto separates. Make it fresh.
What can go wrong
- Dry, clumped filling: Pesto thickens as it heats. If you forget the pasta water, the mixture will be stiff and uneven. Keep a cup of cooking water on hand and add it a tablespoon at a time until the mixture looks loose enough to coat the pasta — it tightens further in the oven.
- Watery bake: Mushrooms hold a lot of liquid. If you crowd them in the pan or rush the cooking, they steam instead of sauté and release water into the dish. Cook them in a single layer and give them the full 2 to 3 minutes until they look dry at the edges.
- Undercooked ground chicken: Because the oven step is so short, the chicken must be fully cooked through in the pan before anything gets mixed together. Cut into a larger piece — no pink, clear juices. Use a thermometer if you’re unsure: 165°F (74°C) at the centre.
- Cheese burns before it melts: Every oven runs differently at its highest setting. Check at 3 minutes. If the cheese is browning too fast on top but still raw underneath, drop the temperature to 425°F (220°C) and give it another 2 minutes. Skip the garnish — not worth the extra dish.
Flavourful Pesto Chicken Rigatoni Bake
Ingredients
- 120 grams rigatoni
3 sprays olive oil
1 breast ground chicken (minced chicken)
1 medium red onion - sliced- 80 grams chestnut mushrooms - sliced
4 tablespoons pesto- 30 grams Grana Padano - grated
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.
- Heat a pan on medium heat, add a few sprays of firelight and fry the chicken for a few minutes until cooked through.
- Add the sliced onion and mushroom to the pan and cook, stirring until soft for 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
- Once the pasta is cooked, turn the oven onto its highest setting.
- Drain the pasta, and set aside some of the cooking water. Mix the chicken, veg and pesto sauce into the pasta and add about 1 tablespoon of the pasta cooking water to help loosen the sauce.
- Put to a baking dish, sprinkle over the grated cheese and bake in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
FAQ
Can I double this recipe to feed more people?
Yes — doubling the ingredients scales well. Use a larger baking dish so the pasta is no more than about 2 inches deep, otherwise the centre stays cold while the top browns.
Can I use a different pasta shape?
Penne or ziti both work because they hold sauce inside the tube the same way rigatoni does. Avoid flat pasta like linguine — it won’t trap the pesto and the bake will be dry in patches.
Can I use rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken instead of ground chicken?
You can, but shred it finely so it distributes evenly through the pasta. Since it’s already cooked, skip the pan-frying step and just mix it straight in with the onion and mushroom mixture before adding the pesto.
My family is bigger — will the bake keep warm if I make it ahead?
Assemble the dish up to the point of adding the cheese, cover it, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to eat, bring it to room temperature for 20 minutes, add the cheese, then bake — you may need an extra 2 to 3 minutes since the dish starts cold.
Is there a way to add more vegetables to bulk it out?
Diced zucchini or baby spinach both work well. Add zucchini to the pan with the onion and mushrooms; stir spinach in right at the end of the pan stage so it just wilts — it shrinks down significantly and won’t make the dish wet.
What to cook next
- Chicken Macadamia Sausage Rolls
- Creamy Beef Spinach Pasta
- Beef Ricotta Lasagna Rolls
- Hearty Beef Cauliflower Bake
