Baked Chicken Rigatoni is a classic Italian pasta casserole that's rich, meaty and layered with hearty vegetables and chunks of white meat chicken breast. Fresh mozzarella and parmesan give it that cheesy pull. Ready to eat in about an hour.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with nonstick vegetable spray and set aside.
Season the chicken pieces with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and the pepper.
Place a large skillet over medium high heat for one minute. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and swirl around the pan. Add the chicken to the pan. Don't stir. Let the meat cook for about 1 minute before stirring, otherwise it will stick to the pan. Cook the chicken, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is lightly browned on the outside, but not cooked completely through, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to another dish and set aside.
Return the skillet to the heat and add 2 teaspoons of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the eggplant and mushrooms and the remainder of the kosher salt. Stir to coat, reduce the heat to medium and place the lid tightly on the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the mushrooms and eggplant give up their liquid and begin to soften, stirring occasionally.
Add the fennel, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for one minute or until fragrant.
Stir in the chopped onion and bell pepper, cover the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are softened and slightly translucent.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine, stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet to get up any browned bits. Cook until most of the wine has evaporated, 2-3 minutes, then add the chicken and any accumulated juices and the marinara sauce. Simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Use a kitchen spider or slotted spoon to transfer the cooked rigatoni directly from the pasta water to the marinara and stir well to combine. Some pasta water will naturally get into the sauce and that's fine. You don't want to rinse the rigatoni.
Add half the rigatoni mixture to the casserole dish and spread evenly. Top with half of the parmesan cheese and rounds of mozzarella. Top with the remainder of the rigatoni mixture, parmesan and mozzarella.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly and the cheese has melted. Serve.