This easy baked chicken pasta recipe is made with juicy chicken tenderloin pieces that take on a quick marinade with Italian dressing and dry spices.  A bit of quick store-bought marinara sauce and your favorite short pasta all bake together with melty cheeses to make a simple cheesy chicken casserole that will feed the whole family.

This is the perfect recipe for busy weeknights when you need to whip up easy dinners in a pinch.  This easy casserole recipe bakes up with juicy tender chicken in the oven and comes out nice and hot!  It’s similar to a cheesy pasta bake topped with melty shredded cheeses plus marinated mozzarella cheese for added flavor.

A perfect comfort food on cooler days when you want something hot and satisfying that comes together to make complete meal all in one baking dish.  This easy baked chicken pasta recipe with simple ingredients will become a family favorite for sure!  Here’s what you’ll need to bake it nice and hot…

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Ingredients To Make an Easy Baked Chicken Pasta Recipe:

1. One pack of chicken tenderloin pieces – about 6 or 7 pieces (they stay tender and juicier than skinless chicken breasts, in my opinion, and they cook along sooner due to their smaller more slender shape)
2. Good Italian dressing – my absolute favorite is Ken’s Steakhouse Italian Dressing with Aged Romano (it has the best most authentic flavor and really helps flavor the chicken during baking).  Much better than just sprinkling on dry Italian seasoning.
3. Coarse salt plus ground pepper
4. Garlic powder
5. Ground onion powder
6. Jar of store-brought marinara pasta sauce
7. A bit of half-way cooked pasta – short pasta such as penne pasta or rotini pasta
8. Good melty shredded cheese – any of your favorites will work to make a delicious cheesy casserole! Shredded mozzarella, shredded provolone, or even shredded cheddar jack will work nicely.
9. A container of marinated mozzarella for topping
10. A piece of foil wide enough to cover your casserole dish or baking dish
11. Non-stick cooking spray

How To Make This Easy Baked Chicken Pasta Recipe with Melty Cheese and Marinara

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F.  Begin by tossing the chicken tenderloin pieces in a large mixing bowl.  Toss chicken together with the Italian dressing and bump up the flavors with the addition of a few quick dry spices.  Sprinkle in the ground onion powder, garlic powder, plus coarse salt and ground pepper.  Toss together to coat chicken and set aside.

Add Marinara Sauce To The Casserole Dish

Now comes the handy shortcut: easy store-bought marinara sauce!  Ladle a bit of your favorite marinara sauce into the bottom of your baking dish or casserole dish and swirl around to create a bottom layer for the pasta to sit on.  

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Add Half-Cooked Pasta To the Baking Dish

Add strained half-cooked pasta to bottom of baking dish over the bit of ladled sauce.  To make the half-cooked pasta, simply drop it into a pot of boiling water with a drizzle of olive oil.  Stir pasta around and cook for 5 minutes in boiling water then strain and drop the al dente pasta right into your baking dish.

Place Marinated Chicken Tenderloin Pieces On Top

 Dot the pasta with a bit more of the marinara sauce.  Now place the marinated chicken tenderloins over the saucy pasta layer.  Gently press them into the pasta a bit, tucking them in slightly.  

Now top the chicken layer with remaining marinara sauce.  I did this by pouring it in a circular motion over my oval shaped casserole dish, right from the jar.  I’m using a 32 oz jar of Costco’s Kirkland brand marinara sauce which which came out to exactly enough.  

Sprinkle on Shredded Cheese and Add Some Marinated Mozzarella

Sprinkle on the shredded cheese in an even layer making sure it also seals all around the edges evenly.  Add pieces of the marinated mozzarella and drizzle on some of the juices from the container of the marinated mozzarella for added flavor.  

For this, I’m using a few pieces (about 7 or 8) of Belgioioso marinated fresh mozzarella pieces that come marinated with oil and herbs.  I’ll just dot the top of the casserole with these and gently tuck them into the dish so that they are mostly even with the rest of the surface.    

This adds such a delicious pop of Italian flavors to the finished dish.  It also really complements the quick Italian dressing marinade we made for the chicken earlier.  Lots of quick and delicious come together easily in the oven to make a simple Italian chicken pasta casserole that will please a crowd!

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Cover the Baked Chicken Pasta with Foil and Bake

Spray a foil sheet evenly with cooking spray so that the cheese layer doesn’t stick to the foil.  Wrap the casserole tightly with the aluminum foil and bake.  Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree F oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until chicken reads at least 155 to 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, the juices are bubbling, and cheeses evenly melted.  

Turn On The Broiler and Brown The Top

Once the baking time is up, open the oven and remove the foil.  Turn off the oven and turn on the broiler on high.  Brown the top cheesy layer for 4 to 5 minutes under the broiler until just golden.  

***Don’t leave the oven area as the broiler will burn the cheese if you walk away and forget!  I always recommend, if need be, set a timer for the short 5 minutes so you don’t forget to remove the casserole right on time.

When cheese layer is bubbly golden brown, remove immediately from the broiler.  Turn broiler off.  Serve this easy baked chicken pasta recipe with a bit of green simple salad and maybe even some garlic bread!  Serve this easy chicken pasta bake recipe hot while the gooey cheese is melty and soft!

If it’s leftovers you’re hoping to save and bake up into something new, try this easy leftover spaghetti casserole or this healthy baked ratatouille casserole!

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