CHICKEN & SPINACH PASTA BAKE RECIPE - (4.3/5)

Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake Recipe - (4.3/5) image

Provided by Tabatha

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients:
Yields 6 - 8 servings.
10 ounces dry pasta (I used a combination of rotini, farfalle and penne. Any similar size would work.)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces chive and onion cream cheese
1 cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
1 cup whole milk, heavy cream or half-and-half (I used half-and-half)
1/2 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 - 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 cups cooked chicken (cubed or shredded)
1/2 cup fresh tomatoes, cut into large chunks (I used grape tomatoes sliced in half)
Fresh basil or parsley, for garnish

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a medium casserole dish with non-stick spray. (Mine was a 10" round, but a 9 x 13 would work fine.) Cook pasta in salted, boiling water to al dente. Drain and set aside. While pasta is cooking, heat butter in a medium saute pan set to medium heat. Add in the onion and garlic. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes to slightly soften veggies. Do not brown. Add in cream cheese and stir to melt. Reduce heat to low. Stir in sour cream, milk, Parmesan cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir until everything is well-combined and melted. Turn off heat. Combine the pasta, chicken, spinach and tomatoes in a large bowl. Add in the sauce and gently stir to coat. Pour into the prepared baking dish. (I drizzled in a little more half-and-half over the mixture once it was in the baking dish because it looked a little dry to me.) Top with the remaining mozzarella. Bake uncovered for about 20 -25 minutes ... or until casserole is bubbly and beginning to brown. Top with basil or parsley for garnish.