Try this Chicken Parmesan Baked Pasta recipe
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 12 oz pasta (i used shells)
- 2 oz (about 1 cup) grated parmesan cheese divided
- 4 oz (about 1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
- Carbohydrate 6.69629249973388 g
- Cholesterol 263.0835746 mg
- Fat 9.27626038940431 g
- Fiber 0.762299987706104 g
- Protein 106.037630732946 g
- Saturated Fat 2.01601857118908 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (1462g)
- Sodium 619.601440515984 mg
- Sugar 5.93399251202777 g
- Trans Fat 1.64626232103205 g
- Calories 560 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 475 F.
- Add the tomatoes to the bowl of your food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped, about 10 pulses. Set an oven-safe 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, the water, 1 cup of the chicken broth, and the pasta to the pan, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a vigorous simmer, then cover the pan and continue simmering (you may need to reduce the heat slightly) until the pasta is tender, about 16-18 minutes. Stir the pasta frequently as it cooks.
- Once tender, remove the cover and stir in 3/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the pepper, and the chicken. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if necessary. If the mixture seems dry, mix in as much of the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth as needed to loosen it up (I didn’t add any of it). {Note: if you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, transfer the mixture to a baking dish at this point.} Sprinkle the top evenly with the mozzarella cheese and the remaining Parmesan cheese. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and bubbles around the edges. Garnish with the basil then serve.
Adding cold cooked chicken directly to simmering tomato sauce will instantly seize the meat and make it rubbery. To prevent this, temper the cooked chicken breasts by bringing them to room temperature on the counter for twenty minutes before folding them into the hot skillet. This temperature equilibrium protects the delicate protein structure of the meat from thermal shock, keeping each bite tender.
The Mechanics of One-Skillet Pasta
Cooking raw pasta directly in canned whole peeled tomatoes and broth requires precise liquid management. Whole canned tomatoes carry varying water content depending on the brand and harvest year. Pulse the tomatoes briefly in a food processor, then maintain a vigorous simmer with the lid on for precisely eighteen minutes while stirring frequently to prevent scorching at the bottom of a twelve-inch oven-safe skillet. Finish the dish at 475 degrees Fahrenheit for five to ten minutes until the mozzarella bubbles around the edges.
- Exchange canned whole peeled tomatoes for ripe fresh plum varieties by blanching, peeling, and pureeing them, though you will need to increase the simmering time by five minutes to reduce excess natural water.
- Substitute dried basil with fresh chopped leaves only at the very end of cooking, because heat destroys delicate volatile oils instantly.
- Keep leftover portions in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
