Three Cheese Chicken Rosa Pasta Bake

Three Cheese Chicken Rosa Bake – great make-ahead pasta dish. Penne pasta, four cheese Alfredo sauce, tomato paste, sour cream, ricotta, garlic, chicken, eggs, parmesan, and mozzarella cheese. SO good!! We make this at least once a month! Can freeze half for later. This is THE BEST pasta casserole we’ve ever eaten! Better than any dish at our favorite Italian restaurant!

Easy Chicken Pasta Casserole

This Three Cheese Chicken Rosa Pasta Bake might be my all-time favorite pasta casserole. Chicken and pasta baked in creamy rosa sauce, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. O-M-YUM! Super simple to make and it tastes great! We ate this for lunch and leftovers during the week. I just couldn’t get enough of it. Comfort food at its best. One bite and you will be blown away! Whip up some garlic bread and a salad for a meal that is better than any restaurant.

How to Make Three Cheese Chicken Rosa Pasta Bake

This is very easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. Boil the pasta in a large pot. Drain and set aside. Stir together chopped chicken, Four Cheese Alfredo sauce, tomato paste, sour cream, ricotta cheese, minced garlic cloves, eggs, grated parmesan cheese, parsley, and mozzarella cheese. Add cooked pasta and mix well. Transfer the pasta mixture to a baking dish. Sprinkle with more cheese and bake until bubbly. Garnish the pasta with some fresh basil.

Tips and Frequently Asked Questions

• To cut down on the prep time, I use a rotisserie chicken in this recipe. 
• Rotisserie chickens are my secret weapon in the kitchen. They are PERFECT for casseroles like this one. We buy our chickens at Costco and pull the meat off and store it in freezer bags. I put half a chicken in each freezer bag. Half of a chicken will get you 2-½ to 3 cups of chopped chicken.
• I used penne pasta. Rigatoni, or ziti also work well.
• Feel free to add some onion, peppers, baby spinach, broccoli, or mushrooms to the casserole.
• Can I Make Chicken Pasta Bake in Advance? Yes! You can make this ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to bake. You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time if baking it straight out of the refrigerator. I love to make this pasta casserole the night before baking. It makes dinner a breeze!
• Can I Freeze Chicken Pasta Casserole? Yes! Assemble the casserole and let it cool completely. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze. 
  • I typically freeze this casserole unbaked. When baking this casserole after freezing, thaw completely and bake as directed below. As with making this dish in advance, you may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time if baking it straight out of the refrigerator. 
  • If freezing this casserole baked, thaw completely and either reheat in the microwave or covered with aluminum foil in the oven until warm.
• This recipe makes A LOT of pasta. If you don’t need to feed a crowd, you can split the recipe between two pans. Bake one now and freeze one for later.

What to Serve with Chicken Rosa Pasta

I am still dreaming about how good this pasta casserole was. I am going to have to add it to the menu ASAP. It is just as good as the food at our favorite Italian restaurant. No joke! We love to serve this chicken casserole with a simple salad and some garlic bread. My stomach is growling thinking about eating this again! Here are a few of our favorite side dishes that go great with this easy pasta:

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Recipe Print Recipe

Three Cheese Chicken Rosa Bake

Author: Plain Chicken

Yield: 8 people

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Three Cheese Chicken Rosa Bake – great make-ahead pasta dish. Penne pasta, four cheese Alfredo sauce, tomato paste, sour cream, ricotta, garlic, chicken, eggs, parmesan and mozzarella cheese. SO good!! We make this at least once a month! Can freeze half for later. This is THE BEST pasta casserole we've ever eaten! Better than any dish at our favorite Italian restaurant!

Equipment:

• Glass Mixing Bowls
• 9×13-inch Baking Dish

Ingredients:

• 1 (16-oz) package penne pasta
• 1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat pulled and chopped (approximately 5 to 6 cups of chopped cooked chicken)
• 2 (15-oz) jars Four Cheese Alfredo sauce
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 (8-oz) container sour cream
• 1 (15-oz) container ricotta cheese
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray.
• Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain.
• Stir together chopped chicken, Four Cheese Alfredo sauce, tomato paste, sour cream, ricotta cheese, garlic, eggs, ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, parsley, and 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Add cooked pasta and mix well.
• Pour pasta mixture into prepared pan. Top with remaining ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese and 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese.
• Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes or until bubbly.

Notes:

• The original recipe used Bertolli Four Cheese Rosa Sauce.  The sauce has been discontinued. I changed the ingredients to use Four Cheese Alfredo Sauce and tomato paste.
• You can also use 3 packets of Knorr Parma Rosa Sauce made according to package directions.
• Can assemble casserole ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to bake. You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time if baking straight from the refrigerator.
• Can use elbow macaroni instead of penne pasta.
• Can assemble casserole and freeze for later. To bake from frozen, thaw completely and bake as directed above.

Plain Chicken

https://www.plainchicken.com/three-cheese-chicken-rosa-pasta-bake/

All images and text © Plain Chicken, Inc.

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Steph