Cheesy Baked Chicken Rigatoni

We can all agree that pasta + cheese = PURE COMFORT. Right? That’s how you know this cheesy baked chicken rigatoni is a winner. Pasta + cheese. ‘Nuff said.

Why you’ll love spicy baked rigatoni with chicken

Now that we’ve gotten the math lesson out of the way, let’s talk about the other reasons you’ll love this recipe.

1. It’s warm, flavorful, oozing with cheese, satisfying and delicious.
2. This baked rigatoni recipe is loaded with veggies, so it’s a healthier casserole recipe.
3. It uses everyday ingredients. A handful of pantry spices, veggies, boxed pasta, marinara, cheese and chicken. Nothing fancy here.
4. It’s easy to make. A little chopping, and sautéing.
5. You can substitute and swap ingredients for a myriad of tasty variations.
6. Cheesy Chicken Rigatoni is great for sharing at potlucks, for meal trains and of course, for family dinners.

What you’ll need for baked chicken rigatoni recipe

What’s rigatoni?

Rigatoni comes from the italian word, rigato, which means lined or rigid. Consequently, rigatoni is a large, tubular shaped pasta with grooves around the perimeter, making it ideal for clingy sauces and cheeses to adhere to. Rigatoni are popular noodles in Southern Italy, Sicily in particular. They can be used in saucy skillet dinners or baked into casseroles.

What’s the difference between rigatoni and penne or ziti?

Rigatoni is shorter and wider than penne or ziti with straight cuts at the ends.

Penne is a thinner tube-shaped pasta and comes with or without ridges. It’s sliced on a bias with little pointy edges. Penne is not meant to be eaten in baked casseroles, but rather tossed in saucy dishes like penne alla vodka.

Ziti is a slightly wider, shorter pasta than penne and this tube-shaped noodle is missing the telltale ridges of rigatoni. It has flat cuts at the ends and is most commonly used in cheesy baked casseroles. Ziti would be a good substitute for rigatoni in this recipe.

Use a large skillet to prep chicken rigatoni

You’ll need a large, wide skillet with 2″ to 3″ sides and a lid for this recipe. I used my 10″ pan, but a 12″ would actually be optimum for a little extra room. Most of the prep for the chicken rigatoni is done in the skillet.

Tempted as you might be to just dump everything into the pan and stir, you’ll want to follow these steps to ensure a well seasoned and properly cooked dish, starting with the chicken.

Par-cooking the chicken for baked rigatoni recipe

You don’t want to add raw chicken to a casserole as it would take a LONG time to actually cook through. The simple solution is par-cooking it. That means cooking it part-way.

The meat will still be pink on the inside, but as long as you sear the outside of the chicken chunks in a hot skillet, it will continue to cook in the oven when you bake the cheesy rigatoni casserole.

Par cooking also prevents the lean chicken from drying out in the oven.

How to make spicy baked rigatoni with chicken

1. Saute diced chicken breast until lightly browned on all sides. Transfer to another dish.
2. Add the mushrooms and eggplant to the pan, cover and cook until the vegetables give up their liquid and are softened.
3. Stir in the spices followed by the diced onion and bell pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender and the dish is fragrant.
4. Deglaze with a bit of red wine and stir to scrape up any browned bits.
5. Add the cooked chicken and marinara sauce to the skillet and stir to combine.
6. Toss in the al dente rigatoni (no need to drain – just add directly from the hot water) and stir.
7. Add half of the chicken rigatoni to a casserole dish and top with half of the parmesan and sliced fresh mozzarella.
8. Layer the casserole with again with the remainder of the chicken rigatoni, and cheeses.
9. Bake until the pasta is bubbly and the cheese has melted.

Tips for spicy baked chicken rigatoni

• Use a good, drinkable red wine for deglazing the pan (preferably the same one you’re going to drink with dinner. Avoid using “cooking wines” as they are barely a step above vinegar — and that’s doing a disservice to good vinegar.
• If you have homemade marinara sauce in your pantry or freezer, use it. Otherwise, use your favorite quality jarred sauce in the spicy baked rigatoni.
• Speaking of “spicy” — if you have diners who don’t like it spicy, you can skip the crushed red pepper flakes.
• Don’t drain the cooked rigatoni. Instead use a kitchen spider or slotted spoon to transfer the noodles (along with a little of the pasta water) to the marinara sauce. A little extra liquid will keep the pasta saucy while adding enough moisture to continue cooking the rigatoni in the oven.
• To save time, use a pre-sliced log of mozzarella. The slices have a more uniform thickness and cut. I get mine at Trader Joe’s, but there are lots of other brands available.

FAQs

This casserole recipe is endlessly customizable, so you can pick and choose your favorite ingredients. Here’s a few options:

Swaps and variations:

• Use cooked and sliced Italian sausage or diced pancetta instead of chicken.
• Try ziti instead of rigatoni.
• Try roasted red peppers instead of fresh.
• For a seafood version, use shrimp instead of chicken.
• Swap eggplant for zucchini or yellow squash.
• Use Pecorino Romano instead of Parmesan
• Exchange fresh mozzarella for slices of smoked gouda.
• Swap vodka sauce for the marinara, or add 1/2 cup of cream to the marinara for a creamy version.
• Add frozen broccoli florets or peas to the sauce instead of eggplant.
• Swap marinara for a hearty bolognese sauce and skip the chicken.
• Add leftover pulled pork or chicken to the marinara instead of the chicken breast.
• Swap chicken for Greek meatballs and use crumbled feta in place of mozzarella. Add kalamata olives to the sauce.

Garnishes for cheesy baked rigatoni casserole:

• Fresh herbs like parsley or basil.
• Extra parmesan cheese.
• Add a scoop of ricotta cheese.
• Extra red pepper flakes and dried oregano.

How does the spicy baked rigatoni with chicken taste?

This is a very well seasoned dish. The fennel, oregano and crushed red pepper really elevate the marinara sauce and give this baked casserole a punch of flavor. Eggplant and bell peppers add a sweetness to the sauce, while the mushrooms make it seem meatier. The tender chunks of chicken are perfectly cooked (not dry) and the rigatoni is tender and saucy.

My tasters went back for seconds — and my husband claimed the leftovers for his lunch the next day. High praise. If you’re looking for a sure-fire winner for your family dinners, this is it.

What to serve with spicy baked rigatoni casserole

• Simple Green Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette
• Soft Crescent Rolls
• Summer Heirloom Tomato Salad
• Soft Parmesan Dinner Rolls
• Steakhouse Wedge Salad
• Tangy Frisée with Lardons
• Cheddar Chive Popovers
• Simple Citrus Almond Salad

More cheesy baked pasta casseroles you’ll love:

• Butternut Squash Lasagna – A combination of sweet, savory and cheesy.
• Southwest Cowboy Casserole, A meaty, saucy, bean and pasta bake covered in cheese.
• ultimate mac and cheese (for 2), so indulgent. So good.
• baked spaghetti pie (which feeds a crowd) – great for leftover spaghetti.
• vegetarian ratatouille lasagna – With cottage cheese for a (slightly) healthier lasagna.
• Southwestern ham and noodle casserole with a crunchy crumb topping.
• Braised Pork Penne is layered with smoked Gouda. My husband loves this one.
• cheesy tuna noodle casserole is just like Mom used to make.
• Spicy Sausage and Spinach Lasagna – A family favorite.
• Lobster Mac and Cheese with a Newburg cheese sauce
• Southern Ham and Kale Hotdish – A cross between mac and cheese and a casserole.

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