Some nights you want chicken spaghetti without opening a can of cream-of-anything and pretending beige is a flavor. Chicken Spaghetti with Red Sauce is old-school casserole comfort with an Italian-ish detour, plenty of cheese, and those crispy edges everybody quietly hopes land on their plate. Bake in a big pan, because leftovers are tomorrow-you's lunch decision solved.
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🥰 Is this chicken spaghetti with red sauce recipe for you?
This easy pasta casserole is for you if:
- You're tired of creamy chicken spaghetti. This version swaps the usual cream soup situation for rich tomato sauce and lots of melty cheese.
- You need a dependable family dinner. It's hearty, filling, and familiar enough that nobody should stare suspiciously at their plate.
- You love baked pasta. Think somewhere between chicken spaghetti and baked spaghetti, with plenty of mozzarella and Parmesan getting bubbly and golden on top.
- You're planning ahead. Chicken spaghetti with tomato sauce is easy to assemble the day before and bake when you're ready to eat.
- You have leftover chicken to use up. Rotisserie chicken works beautifully, too, because some nights we are cooking dinner and some nights we are merely assembling it with authority.
🧾 Ingredients
Just 5 simple ingredients are all you need! Nothing fancy here, just easy-to-find ingredients that turn into a seriously good pan of baked chicken spaghetti with red sauce.
- Cooked chicken breast or thighs - Use whichever you have. Thighs bring a little more flavor, breasts keep things lean, and leftover or rotisserie chicken keeps everybody sane. Check out my suggestions on how to cook chicken for casseroles.
- Spaghetti sauce - I use my homemade slow cooker spaghetti sauce because it's rich, garlicky, and already knows what it's doing. Your favorite jarred spaghetti or marinara sauce works just as well when life has other plans.
- Thin spaghetti - Regular spaghetti works, too, but I like thin spaghetti here because it mixes easily with the chicken and sauce instead of staging a pasta rebellion.
- Parmesan - Adds that salty, savory little something that keeps the tomato sauce from doing all the heavy lifting.
- Mozzarella - The reason we're all here. Melts into the spaghetti and gives you that glorious, stretchy cheese pull across the top.
📖 Recipe
Chicken Spaghetti with Red Sauce
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 16 ounces thin spaghetti
- 5 cups spaghetti sauce, homemade or store-bought (about 2 [24-ounce] jars)
- 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded, about 1-¼ pounds raw boneless chicken breast
- 1½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions for al dente. Drain well.
- Add the cooked spaghetti and shredded chicken to a large bowl.
- Add about 4½ cups of the spaghetti sauce and toss until the pasta and chicken are evenly coated.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly.
- Spoon the remaining ½ cup spaghetti sauce over the top.
- Sprinkle evenly with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
- Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted. It will register 165℉ when checked in the middle with an instant read thermometer.
- If desired, broil for 1 to 2 minutes to brown the cheese. Watch it closely because mozzarella can go from beautifully bronzed to crime scene with remarkable enthusiasm.
- Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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😱 What can go wrong (and how to fix it)
🍝 The spaghetti is mushy. Cook it just to al dente, or even a minute shy. It'll keep cooking in the oven, and nobody invited pasta pudding to dinner.
🍝 The casserole is dry. Don't skimp on the sauce. The pasta will soak up quite a bit as it bakes, so it should look a little saucier than you think it needs to before it goes into the oven.
🍝 The cheese is browned before the middle is hot. Loosely cover the casserole with foil and let it finish heating through. Remove the foil for the last few minutes if the top needs a little more color.
🍝 The cheese isn't getting those gorgeous golden spots. Pop it under the broiler for a minute or two at the end. Stay right there and watch it because broilers go from not quite to call the fire department with remarkable enthusiasm.
🍝 The spaghetti clumps together. Toss the drained pasta with the sauce while it's still warm, then add the chicken and cheese. Once thin spaghetti decides to form a union, negotiations can be difficult. If it's too late for that, dunk the clump back into hot pasta water for a minute to loosen it up.
🍽 More chicken spaghetti recipes
Still in the mood for spaghetti? I've gathered my best spaghetti recipes into one gloriously carb-loaded collection, with everything from old-fashioned family favorites to easy casseroles and slow cooker dinners. Because apparently there are quite a few ways to turn a box of spaghetti into dinner, and I felt compelled to investigate all of them.
🏡 Chicken spaghetti doesn't have to involve cream soup, Velveeta, or a can of Rotel to earn its place at the dinner table. This cheesy chicken spaghetti with red sauce is easy enough for a weeknight, cozy enough for Sunday dinner, and makes leftovers you'll actually be happy to see in the refrigerator tomorrow. Add garlic bread and a salad if you're feeling responsible. Personally, I'm not here to supervise your vegetables.
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