Ready for a quick weeknight pasta extravaganza?
This is it! You probably have everything in the pantry, except the chicken, to make this tonight! I used a half of a store-bought rotisserie chicken to make the prep even easier. The second half I turned into chicken salad for lunches the next day!
Enjoy!
Serves 4 - 6
1/2 rotisserie chicken, skin removed and shredded (or left over chicken, or you could poach a chicken breast)
1, 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup marinara sauce (You can substitute 1, 8 ounce can tomato sauce if you desire)
3 TB tomato paste
1 TSP dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Handful fresh basil, chopped, a few extra leaves for garnish
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1, 16 ounce box of rigatoni or your favorite shelled pasta (Use chickpea pasta for a gluten-free dinner)
Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook according to box instructions. Drain and set aside.
While the pasta is boiling, in a large mixing bowl, combine: shredded chicken, diced tomatoes, marinara sauce, tomato paste, oregano, salt and pepper**, basil, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
Once mixed well, add the drained pasta and stir to coat.
Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan with cooking spray. Spread the pasta mixture evenly. Top with the remainder of the cheeses, 1 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
Bake uncovered 20 - 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with additional basil leaves.
(Salt and pepper - this is to your taste - each sauce and can of tomatoes has a different salt content!)