Some nights call for the kind of dinner you can scoop generously onto a plate, add a piece of garlic bread, and immediately feel like the day has been redeemed. This cheesy, bubbling ricotta chicken pasta casserole is exactly that kind of comfort food. It's warm, familiar, and satisfying without demanding that you spend the evening proving yourself to a saucepan. Dinner should always be this easy to love.
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🥰 Is this ricotta chicken pasta casserole recipe for you?
Yes, if you want...
- Serious comfort food without a complicated recipe or a sink full of dishes.
- An easy way to use leftover chicken or grab a rotisserie chicken and call it meal planning.
- A family dinner ready in about 45 minutes that doesn't require much hands-on time.
- A little spinach tucked into all that cheesy goodness where picky eaters are less likely to file a formal complaint with HR.
- A hearty baked pasta casserole that reheats beautifully for lunch or dinner the next day.
If you're one of the millions of people that love my ricotta chicken you'll want to try this cheesy, easy casserole recipe.
🧾 Ingredients
No specialty ingredients or grocery-store scavenger hunt required. Everything you need is easy to find, with plenty of room for a shortcut or two on busy days.
- Cooked chicken: Rotisserie chicken is the easiest option, but any leftover cooked chicken works beautifully. Or choose one of these easy ways to cook chicken for casseroles.
- Pasta: Penne is my favorite because all those ridges grab onto the cheesy sauce. Any sturdy, medium-sized pasta will work.
- Spinach: Fresh baby spinach works best. Chop it fairly small and the spinach-averse members of the household may choose not to notice it.
- Ricotta: Use whole-milk ricotta for the creamiest texture.
- Marinara: Use a good-quality marinara sauce that you already love. This is not the moment to suffer through a jar you bought because it was on sale. Save that for when that one in-law you don't like is visiting.
- Mozzarella: Shred it fresh from the block if possible. It melts much more smoothly than the pre-shredded stuff.
- Parmesan: Freshly grated Parmesan gives you the best flavor and melts into the casserole instead of just sitting there contemplating its choices.
- Basil: Fresh basil is optional, but it adds a nice pop of fresh flavor and color just before serving.
- Italian seasoning: Your favorite store-bought blend is perfect here.
- Salt & pepper: Season to taste, keeping in mind that the chicken, marinara, and cheeses may already bring quite a bit of salt to the party.
📖 Recipe
Ricotta Chicken Pasta Casserole
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- 3 cups cooked chicken, I used a rotisserie chicken
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 cup baby spinach, chopped
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded from a block
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 3 cups penne pasta, uncooked or any medium-sized pasta
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- fresh basil, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Chop spinach and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Add chicken, ricotta cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, pasta, marinara, and a pinch of salt and pepper to the spinach.
- Mix well.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining 1 cup of shredded mozzarella.
- Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray to keep the cheese from sticking.
- Cover baking dish with the foil, cooking spray side down, and bake for 20 minutes.
- Uncover and cook an additional 10 minutes or until heated through and cheese has melted.
Notes
- Let the casserole rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. It gives the creamy sauce time to settle so you get nice scoops instead of a cheesy pasta landslide.
- Use a deep 9x13-inch baking dish. There's a generous amount of pasta and sauce, and a shallow dish can bubble over in the oven.
- Making it ahead? Add a few extra minutes to the covered baking time if it's going straight from the refrigerator into the oven.
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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🔪 How to make ricotta chicken pasta casserole
The prep is quick and easy, and most of the work is just stirring everything together. Be sure to cook the pasta just until al dente since it'll continue to soften while the casserole bakes.
- Cook pasta, drain, and set aside.
- Mix spinach, chicken, cheeses, Italian seasoning, marinara sauce, black pepper, and salt.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce/ricotta mixture and combine.
- Spread into a baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
😱 What can go wrong (and how to fix it)
🍝 The casserole is dry: The pasta may have absorbed too much sauce while baking. Cook it just to al dente and make sure it's well coated with the ricotta and marinara mixture before it goes into the oven.
🍝 The casserole is watery: Low-fat ricotta or poorly drained frozen spinach can add too much moisture. Use whole-milk ricotta and, if you're using frozen spinach, squeeze it very dry.
🍝 The pasta is mushy: It was probably overcooked before it went into the casserole. Remember, it'll keep cooking in the oven, so drain it while it still has a little bite.
🍝 The cheese stuck to the foil: Spray the underside of the foil with nonstick cooking spray before covering the casserole. Otherwise, you'll unveil dinner and take half the glorious mozzarella with you. Tragedy.
🍝 The top isn't golden and bubbly: Remove the foil for the final 10 minutes of baking. If it still needs a little persuasion, give it a minute or two under the broiler, watching it closely because broilers have no sense of moderation.
👩🍳 FAQs
Although I prefer penne pasta, you can use other sturdy pasta like ziti, farfalle (bowtie), rotini, or rigatoni.
Absolutely! Assemble the casserole in a 9x13 baking dish, then wrap the entire dish in plastic wrap then aluminum foil. Refrigerate 1-2 days. You can also freeze the unbaked casserole for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge for at least 24 hours before baking.
🍽️ Serve with:
Keep the rest of the meal simple with a fresh salad, crisp vegetables, or warm bread to scoop up every last bit of that cheesy sauce.
🍽 Related recipes
Still hungry? These easy, comforting recipes are perfect for keeping the cheesy, cozy dinner situation going.
🏡 This ricotta chicken pasta casserole is the kind of dependable comfort food that earns a permanent place in the dinner rotation. It's easy, filling, and cozy without requiring an evening-long commitment to the kitchen. Add a salad or some garlic bread, call everybody to the table, and dinner is handled. 🍝❤️
Becky says
This casserole that my husband and I said "It's a keeper!" was also shared with our neighbors. They both gave it two thumbs up. I followed the recipe without making any changes. Loved how easy it was and it freezes well.
Stephanie says
I made this recipe and it turned out great! I used Rao's marinara sauce (a few ounces more than what the recipe call for) and also used 5% fat Good Culture cottage cheese instead of ricotta and lastly, I used red lentil pasta instead of regular pasta and it came out great and made the macros even better. I will definitely be making this again!