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Chicken Penne Bake: A comforting, cheesy dish perfect for new parents.
The first meal after bringing home our newborn was a day I won’t soon forget. In the haze of sleepless nights and constant diaper changes, I craved something comforting yet uncomplicated. Chicken Penne Bake was the answer. Our kitchen was filled with the aroma of garlic sizzling in canola oil as the chicken thighs browned to perfection. I had always been fond of incorporating a generous amount of dried oregano and basil to punch up the flavor. It reminded me of cozy family dinners when life was simpler.
As I layered the bubbling penne with mozzarella and Romano cheese, I couldn’t help but recall how my grandmother used to sprinkle her dishes with parsley for that final touch. My husband hovered over the stovetop, eager yet exhausted, gratefully taking in the savory smells. One crucial tip I learned from her was to make sure the penne was al dente. This way, it held its structure and soaked up the sauce like a sponge. Let the bake rest for a few minutes after pulling it from the oven—that's a little trick for picture-perfect slices.
After a quiet evening filled with gooey, cheesy bites, we felt a sense of normalcy amid the chaos. That dish encapsulated our new life perfectly: a bit of messiness wrapped in warmth and love, just like our little family’s adventure had begun.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups penne pasta uncooked
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 pound chicken thighs boneless and skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup onion chopped
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes undrained
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 cups park-skim mozzarella shredded
- 1/2 cup Romano cheese grated
- fresh parsley optional, to taste, minced, for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 2-quart baking dish.
- Cook the penne to al dente, according to the package directions. Drain the penne.
- In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.
- Add the chicken, the onion, the green bell pepper, the red bell pepper, the basil, the oregano, the parsley, the salt, and the crushed red pepper flakes to the hot oil and sauté, until the chicken is no longer pink and it reaches 165 degrees F internally, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- In a blender, pulse the diced tomatoes and the tomato paste, covered, until blended.
- Add the tomato mixture to the chicken mixture.
- Stir in the chicken broth.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat and cover the saucepan.
- Simmer the mixture until slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes.
- Toss the penne with the chicken mixture.
- Spoon 1/2 of the chicken-penne mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle the chicken-penne layer with 1/2 of the mozzarella and 1/2 of the Romano cheese.
- Repeat the layers.
- Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and bake until heated through, about 15-20 minutes.
- Garnish with the parsley and serve.
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