This is the creamy chicken and spinach pasta bake for anyone who goes straight for the crusty corner of a casserole. Pull this Italian-style baked pasta out of a 475°F oven and the cream will be bubbling around the edges, the corners of the pasta deep golden and crisp, and the Fontina cheese melted into the sauce in long, stretchy strands. Underneath that crust, every forkful has tender chicken, pre-cooked spinach and garlicky cream.

Baked chicken pasta with rigatoni, spinach, and melted cheese in an oval ceramic dish.

The ingredient list is short, and so is the method: Blanch fresh spinach, parboil the pasta, stir it all together with the cream and cheese, and bake in a very hot oven.

What to layer into the baking dish

  • Fresh spinach: Start with full pound of fresh spinach. The pile may look like a ridiculous amount on the counter, but it collapses into almost instantly in boiling water. Drain it, gather it up in a clean kitchen towel and wring it out well. This is the step that can make or break the dish, because water left in the leaves will seep into the baking dish and thin out the cream. What you want is a dense, deep-green clump to chop into pieces.
  • Cooked chicken: One cup of cooked, bite-size chicken is all you need. Leftover roast whole chicken is ideal for this cheesy baked pasta recipe, or shredded meat from a rotisserie bird works just as well. No leftovers? Roast a large bone-in, skin-on chicken breast half for 25 minutes at 425°F, then cool and tear into bite-size pieces.
  • Dried pasta: Short tubular pasta shapes such as shells, ziti, penne or rigatoni are my choice for catching all the sauce in the nooks and crannies. Cook the pasta only until it’s parboiled, still firm in the center, which should take about half the time listed on the package. It finishes in the oven, so it won’t be overcooked by the time the edges are browned and crisp.
  • Cheese: Use a mixture of grated Parmesan and a cheese that melts well, such as Fontina, Monterey Jack or Havarti.
An image of an oval baking dish with baked cheesy rigatoni pasta with spinach and pieces of chicken.
Baked chicken pasta with rigatoni, spinach, and melted cheese in an oval ceramic dish.
4.83 from 34 ratings

Spinach Chicken Pasta Bake

Karen Tedesco
Italian-style creamy chicken and pasta casserole baked with spinach and gooey melted cheese. A perfect one-dish dinner for a cozy night in.
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Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound (450 g) spinach
  • ½ pound (225 g) dried short pasta, such as mezze rigatoni or penne
  • 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
  • 1 cup (140 g) cooked shredded chicken
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
  • ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup shredded Fontina, Monterey Jack or Havarti cheese
  • 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter

Equipment

Instructions
 

  1. Heat oven to 475 (245 C) degrees. Bring a large pot of water (5 or 6 quarts) to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt.
  2. Drop 1 pound spinach into the water and cook 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon to a colander and drain. Put the spinach in a clean kitchen towel (carefully, it's hot), roll it up and squeeze over the sink to remove as much water as you can. Chop the spinach.
  3. Parboil ½ pound dried short pasta in the boiling water until halfway cooked, 7-10 minutes depending on the size and thickness of the pasta. Drain.
  4. Stir together 1 ¼ cups heavy cream, 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic , ½ teaspoon kosher salt, Fresh ground black pepper, 1 cup cooked shredded chicken, ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese, ½ cup shredded Fontina, Monterey Jack or Havarti cheese and the drained chopped spinach in a large bowl. Add drained pasta and mix together.
  5. Smear 2 tablespoons butter over a 2-quart gratin or baking dish. Transfer pasta mixture to the dish and spread into an even layer.
  6. Bake 12-15 minutes, until the cream is bubbling and edges of the pasta begin to brown. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • This recipe makes a hearty dinner for a hungry couple or 4 people with a salad on the side. Double up the recipe for a larger crowd, using 2 gratins or one 2-quart baking dish.
  • Other greens: Chopped kale, Swiss chard or other tender greens can replace the spinach. Blanch, squeeze dry and chop them just as you would the spinach.
  • Make ahead: Assemble through the baking step, then cover and refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 1 month. To bake from frozen, cover the dish with foil for the first half of the bake time, then uncover, and add 15 minutes to the total.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 461kcal Carbohydrates: 34g Protein: 21g Fat: 27g Sodium: 538mg Fiber: 3g Sugar: 3g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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