This post may contain affiliate links, read my disclosure policy for details.
This Baked Spaghetti Pasta with chicken is an easy, cheesy, and tasty dinner that the whole family will love. It’s a classic comfort recipe that uses ground chicken instead of ground beef. It is such an easy pasta casserole that is perfect for any occasion.
This chicken pasta bake is one of my go-to recipes when I’m craving a cozy recipe. It’s hearty and family-friendly, making it perfect for a weeknight recipe. When this spaghetti casserole goes into the oven, the kids are right at the oven, waiting for the bubbly cheese to set to a beautiful golden brown.
Want more delicious pasta recipes that the whole family will love? Try my Creamy Chicken Alfredo Pasta recipe or my Baked Feta Pasta.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Pasta Bake
- It’s easy. This easy baked spaghetti is like making a lasagna but there is no layering involved, making it way easier and less time consuming to make.
- It’s so flavorful. Thanks to some simple spices and the cheese, this is a super creamy and flavorful pasta.
- It’s easy to customize. There are so many versions you can make by changing the meat, cheese, and spices. The options are limitless!
Baked Spaghetti Casserole Ingredients
- Olive oil – or oil of your choice.
- Aromatics – you’ll need garlic, onions, carrots, and celery.
- Ground chicken – you can also swap for a different ground meat.
- Chicken broth – try and use low sodium when possible as there’s salt added to the recipe.
- Tomato paste – not tomato sauce!
- Canned crushed tomatoes – the canned crushed tomatoes is the ideal texture. If you use canned diced or whole tomatoes, you’ll have to cook it down.
- Seasoning – I use Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
- Spaghetti – you can use regular or whole wheat spaghetti.
- Mozzarella cheese – the more the merrier.
- Basil – for garnishing.
How To Make Baked Spaghetti
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Grease a 9X13 baking dish with oil and keep it aside.
- Sauté the aromatics: Heat a Dutch oven with oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion; sauté for 4-5 minutes until the onions turn translucent. Add carrots and celery, cook for a couple of minutes.
- Cook the sauce: Then, add ground chicken. Break it up and cook for 3-5 minutes until the chicken releases the moisture. Stir in the chicken broth, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasonings, black pepper and salt. Bring it to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes until everything comes together and the sauce thickens a bit. Cover and keep the sauce aside.
- Cook the pasta: Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions minus 1 minute. Reserve about 1 cup of prepared sauce and toss the spaghetti with the remaining sauce.
- Bake the spaghetti: Transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish, top the pasta with the reserved 1 cup sauce and mozzarella cheese. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish the baked spaghetti with basil and serve a slice while it is warm.
Tips and Notes to make the Best Pasta Bake Recipe
- When filling your pot to cook the pasta, use enough water that once the noodles begin to cook and expand, there will still be plenty of room for the pasta to move freely.
- Prevent your pasta from sticking together by stirring it immediately after you drop it into the pot.
- Don’t put oil in your pasta water! You’ll just end up with greasy pasta.
- I love serving this baked spaghetti with Cheesy Cauliflower Bread Sticks, Roasted Garlic Bread, and Cheesy Pesto Breadsticks. But a side of salad would work really well too!
- Feel free to add other vegetables such as bell peppers, spinach, zucchini, eggplant, or mushrooms.
- Don’t have ground chicken? Try ground turkey or ground beef!
- Make this spicy with the addition of some hot sauce, cayenne pepper, and chili flakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
This pasta casserole is baked both covered and uncovered. The first half is covered so the spaghetti casserole can bake through without burning the cheese. The second half allows the cheese to get all golden brown.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the water has reached its boiling point, add in the pasta noodles. Stir and allow to cook just under al dente. Do not overcook the pasta as it’ll be cooking in the oven as well.
You can prepare this spaghetti casserole ahead of time in a freezer-safe dish like an aluminum tray, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and freeze it for 2-3 months. When ready to eat, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then place in the oven as instructed to heat through fully.
Most pasta bake reicpe do require the pasta to be cooked al dente before baking.
If you don’t like your pasta to be hard and crunchy on the top when you bake it, be sure to make it extra saucy and cover the spaghetti completely on the top with mozzarella cheese and cover with foil wrap when you bake. Remove the foil wrap just for a few minute while you broil the top to give the cheese some brown blistered color.
The best and fastest way to reheat spaghetti is in the microwave. Cover with seran wrap to preserve the moisture and prevent any splattering in the microvave.
More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
- Spicy Arrabbiata Pasta
- Creamy Red Pepper Pasta
- Creamy Chicken and Tomato Pasta
- Creamy Shrimp Penne Pasta
- Creamy Alfredo Chicken Pasta
I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this delicious Baked Spaghetti Pasta recipe. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it, and share it with your friends and family!
If you try this recipe and liked it, please leave a star rating and comment below. Use my hashtag to share it with me on INSTAGRAM So I can see your delicious recreations! Also, follow me at Cookin’ With Mima on FACEBOOK |INSTAGRAM |PINTEREST for all of my latest social posts and recipes.
Baked Spaghetti Pasta Casserole
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 2 tbsp. olive oil, light tasting
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 3 cups chicken broth, low sodium
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 28 oz. canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp. dried Italian seasonings
- 1 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. salt
For the Spaghetti:
- 1 lb. spaghetti pasta, cooked
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, for topping
- Water, to cook spaghetti
- Basil, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Grease a 9 X 13 baking dish with oil and keep it aside.
- Heat a dutch oven with oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion; saute for 4-5 minutes until the onions turn translucent.
- Add carrots and celery, cook for a couple of minutes and then add ground chicken. Break it up and cook for 3-5 minutes until the chicken releases the moisture.
- Stir in the chicken broth, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasonings, black pepper and salt. Bring it to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes until everything comes together and the sauce thickens a bit. Cover and keep the sauce aside.
- Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions minus 1 minute. Reserve about 1 cup of prepared sauce and toss the spaghetti with the remaining sauce.
- Transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish, top the pasta with the reserved 1 cup sauce and mozzarella cheese. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes.
- Once done, garnish the baked spaghetti with basil and serve a slice while it is warm.
Notes
- When filling your pot to cook the pasta, use enough water that once the noodles begin to cook and expand, there will still be plenty of room for the pasta to move freely.
- Prevent your pasta from sticking together by stirring it immediately after you drop it into the pot.
- Don’t put oil in your pasta water! You’ll just end up with greasy pasta.
- I love serving this baked spaghetti with Cheesy Cauliflower Bread Sticks, Roasted Garlic Bread, and Cheesy Pesto Breadsticks. But a side of salad would work really well too!
- Feel free to add other vegetables such as bell peppers, spinach, zucchini, eggplant, or mushrooms.
- Don’t have ground chicken? Try ground turkey or ground beef!
- Make this spicy with the addition of some hot sauce, cayenne pepper, and chili flakes.
