Enjoy this creamy, cheese-packed chicken Alfredo pasta bake with three kinds of cheese and plenty more to go around. There are tons of melty cheese strings in this fall casserole!
I don’t know about you, but I love a good Alfredo. It’s rich, it’s definitely not good for you, but it’s oh so yummy. And why shouldn’t we love it? It has all the goodness of butter, cream and Parmesan. Creamy. Cheesy. Yummy. So today we’re taking good old Alfredo sauce and making a chicken pasta bake. And we’ll add more cheese plus other stuff to make a great fall casserole.
So if you’re wanting cheese, I’ve got your back. This makes a HUGE serving to go around and it heats up well. It’ll make that wet squishy sound when you mix it all up, a sign of tons of creamy cheesy power. It’ll give you long strands of cheese when you dish a serving. The kind that you’ll want to run your finger along to break. And it’ll satisfy your cheese craving.
How To Make Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake (1 Min Video)
Ingredients in Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
CHICKEN ALFREDO PASTA BAKE RECIPE TIPS
The great thing about this recipe is how you can customize it to save you time. I made the Alfredo sauce from scratch but you can also use store-bought sauce Alfredo sauce. I used some rotisserie chicken but if you’re not a fan, any kind of leftover or cooked chicken works just as well. You can grill, pan-fry or poach about 2 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cube or shred them for the casserole.
You can also customize what kind of pasta you’re using. I used penne for this recipe but it works with all kinds of tube-type pasta like ziti, rigatoni, elbows, or other pasta shapes like shells, cavatappi, bowties, or fusilli.
One thing I did make sure to do was to cook the pasta until the point just before it turns al dente. Then I rinsed it under cold water to stop the cooking process. Because if it continues cooking in the cheese sauce in the oven, it’ll get slightly mushy.
I’m not a big fan of mushy pasta so I finish off the al dente process in the oven. Works for me. If you don’t mind or even like mushy stuff (and I’m not talking about romance), then keep on cooking that pasta until it’s al dente. The rest of you can join me in my anti-mush club.
Another thing I want to kind of throw in here is that there’s a lot of ricotta to go around, as you can see. So if you’re not big on it, you can halve the ricotta and egg portion before mixing it in with everything. Some people like it, and some people don’t. My preferred brand of ricotta is Galbani, so I’m a big fan.
The last time I made a casserole with tons of cheese was last year. My chicken, spinach and mushroom pasta bake are still rocking it. I was still using my iPhone back then to take pics and I didn’t have all the gadgets and gizmos I have now to take a good stringy cheese shot. So this year, I made up for it.
So really, if there’s just the two of you and you want leftovers that will reheat well for days, this recipe is perfect for you. Or if you’re a family of four and you want something for two days, here you go. And if you have a huge family, have at it. This can serve up to ten servings. The cheese is not stingy!
Enjoy and let me know how you liked it, what substitutions you made and what you paired it with in the comments below!
MORE ALFREDO RECIPES TO TRY
- Spinach and Artichoke Ravioli Bake
- Lemon Pepper Chicken Alfredo Pasta
- Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake
- Tortellini Alfredo Spinach Casserole
- Mushroom Alfredo
- Easy Alfredo Sauce
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Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 8–10 1x
Description
This creamy chicken Alfredo pasta bake is a comforting fall casserole with three kinds of cheese and lots of melty cheese strings.
Ingredients
- 16 oz. penne/ziti/rigatoni pasta
- 2 cups Alfredo sauce
- 8 oz. sour cream
- 3 cups cooked/rotisserie chicken, cubed
- 15 oz. ricotta cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Cook the pasta until just before al dente, about 2 minutes shy of the package directions. Drain and rinse pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- If you’re making Alfredo sauce from scratch, see notes.
- Mix cooked pasta with Alfredo sauce, sour cream and cooked chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine ricotta, garlic, eggs, Parmesan and parsley and mix well.
- Add the ricotta mixture to the pasta and stir to combine. Transfer everything to a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Top with a thick layer of mozzarella cheese and bake uncovered at 350°F for 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbly.
- Broil at 450°F for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown.
- Dish and serve hot.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Homemade Alfredo sauce (2 cups):
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt, or to taste (see note)
1/8 teaspoon pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
Melt butter in a large saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Slow stir in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add grated Parmesan cheese in batches, stirring constantly until the cheese melts smoothly into the sauce. Season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
Simmer gently until the sauce has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 3-4 minutes. Do a taste test and adjust seasonings, if needed.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
Comments & Reviews
Want to make this for my bunco group. There are 12 of us. Should I double the recipe to make sure?
Hi Barbara, I had to Google what bunco was. Interesting! I looked at the ingredients and think the recipe will scale well if doubled. If you have ambitious eaters, you might want to double it yes. Leftovers are always good!
Can’t wait to try this!! Can the Alfredo be made in advance and refrigerated for a day or two before assembling? I’m afraid the sauce might break while baking. Thanks so much!
That’s a really good question, Andrea. I’ve only had bad experiences with reheated Alfredo sauce and they always break. Then again, I was always lazy and did it in the microwave. A tip I once got from an Italian restaurant was to heat up my leftover Alfredo over the stove and not in the microwave. I assume this is so you can heat it up slowly to avoid it breaking and having the butter separate. So if you do want to try out making it ahead, I suggest reheating the Alfredo sauce over medium low heat before adding it to the bake so as to not ‘shock’ it, for lack of a better word. Hope this helps and good luck!
OMG!!! i love this CHICKEN ALFREDO PASTA BAKE recipe i have never had anything like it i made it today just missed the parsley thought i had it, but over all it was delicious you have a new follower in me cant wait to try another amazing recipe
Yaaaay! It’s a fun thing to make and lasts awhile. Thanks for trying out the recipe and letting me know you liked it! Good luck with the other recipes, and let me know if you have any questions 🙂
This recipe turned out great. So rich and creamy.
Happy it worked out for you, Toru! Thanks for dropping a note 🙂
My wife has been craving italian food and/or pasta but didnt want anything with tomato based sauce. I’m tired of chicken fettucini alfredo myself, but this recipe looks delicious! I can’t wait to try making it. Do you think it’ll be ok if I add some veggies into the mix? ie: Broccoli, Zucchini/Yellow Squash, or Spinach… or will it take away from the flavor? I’m so glad to have stumbled across this site and am looking forward to seeing what else I can try my hand at making.
It should be fine I think! Just make sure to drain the veggies well after rinsing so it does not dilute the sauce too much. Stuff with lots of water content like spinach, I’d advise to pre-cook it first then drain out all water. Spinach is a huge culprit to water content! Broccoli should be fine to just chuck in there raw. I’m not too well versed with zucchini or squash to comment on the water content though. Good luck! 😉
Making this for the second time tonight. Absolutely my favorite baked pasta dish ever! My family loves it and we are small but mighty so our leftovers go on and on!
Hooray to it being your favorite baked pasta! And thanks for cooking it a second time! With all that cheese, it has all the makings of a family favorite. Cheers for letting me know, LaKara!
I just did all of this and threw it in a crockpot on low. Hopefully it turns out good!
I hope so too! Never tried it in the slow cooker before. My only concern would be the dairy curdling if your slow cooker runs a little hot. Good luck, Bob!!!
Looks amazing and I want to try. Curious have you tried substituting sour cream with Greek yogurt and ricotta with cottage cheese!
Can’t say that I have but I think it’ll work…although the yogurt might curdle a little with the heat from baking. If you do try it, let me know?!
Made this for dinner last night, it was a hit. I have never made alfredo sauce from scratch before, I was so happy how it turned out. Super easy.
As long as you have the patience for it! I’m usually very fidgety haha 🙂 Thanks for letting me know you liked it, Kristy!
I made this tonight for dinner and used pregos bacon flavored alfredo and added cooked bacon and it turned out amazing
Bacon flavored Alfredo?! With bacon in the casserole? What a baconsplosion! You’ve definitely perked my interest with these tweaks!
This looks absolutely delicious! This is going on my “Try It Out Thursday” list! Love me a pasta bake!
Thanks, Leslie! All that cheese doesn’t hurt too 😉
Oh yum! I made this last night and it is absolutely the best! While eating, I couldn’t help thinking that tuna or leftover turkey would also taste great as a replacement for the chicken.
I’m not sure about the tuna (never had tuna with cheese before but hey tuna melt…maybe?) but turkey would work! Great to hear it was a success!
you’re definitely right, it will be like a tuna bake, would taste yum!
I wish I was adventurous enough to try it!
Looks absolutely awesome, those photos really pop. Nice work, as always!
Appreciate it, Nicole. Especially coming from you 🙂
This looks so dreamy, perfect comfort food!!
Thanks, Ami! We just finished up the last bowl. Still good a couple days later!
Words cannot describe how much I am craving a bowl of this alfredo right now. It looks so cheesey, creamy and of course delicious! Great recipe and photography!
Make sure you have company if you do end up making it, it’s a LOT of food! We’re still working through the leftovers!
Do you think if I am using a good jarred sauce, I can put this together in the morning and bake it in the evening? Or will the noodles soak up the sauce in the fridge, leaving it dry? But then there is all the ricotta and sour cream….have you successfully made it in advance (same day) before?
Thanks!
I haven’t personally done it before but my theory is the pasta might end up being a bit soggy. I don’t think it’ll be dry, just a little soggy.
Do let us know your results, if you try it!
I just put this in the oven. I will say you need a big bowl to mix all of this. Prep time was about an hour for one person doing it all. I made my own Alfredo sauce and added sauteed onions and mushrooms. I will let you know how it turned out after I eat some.
This is very good and very filling. A rich and satisfying dish. Will make again!
Thank you for coming back to let me know, Barb!
Nice! You’ve got plenty of the 3 essential “C’s” in this – cream, cheese and carbs! I never would have thought to use ricotta in a bake, great tip, thanks! I can feel the waistband of my jeans tightening just looking at this – cause I know I won’t be able to stick to a sensible size serving!!
Once in awhile is justifiable, right? 😉