Try this no-fuss recipe for chicken, spinach and mushroom pasta bake with tons of melty cheese. Serves 6 and heats up well.
Days are shorter and chillier now so casseroles, stews and one-pot meals have made a frequent appearance at my table for obvious reasons. They’re easy to make, they last longer and give me more time to enjoy the dwindling hours of daylight.
This chicken, spinach and mushroom pasta bake is really perfect for days like these. It has six servings so for the two of us, that means lots of leftovers. But just because it’s a casserole for a lazy day, it doesn’t mean it skimps on yummy goodness. Au contraire, it has a lot of yummy goodness! I really love the combination of spinach, mushrooms and cheese in this and the crusty broiled cheese on top. So let’s start cooking!
Let’s take a moment to drool over all that cheese.
Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese.
CHICKEN, SPINACH AND MUSHROOM PASTA BAKE RECIPE TIPS
Okay, let’s talk cooking method. With a previous unsatisfactory attempt at baked ziti (2015 update: finally got made a good one!), I’ve come to realize that pasta used in casseroles should be cooked to the point where it’s just before al dente, or it’ll end up a soggy mess.
This worked for me: If the instructions call for 12 minutes for rigatoni to al dente, cook it for 10 minutes instead. Then drain and rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process. It’ll finish getting to al dente in the oven. Since everything is already cooked, you won’t have to bake the casserole too long. Just enough to melt the cheese. You can also broil it for a few minutes to get the golden-brown crust. I went with that of course. I’m sure you didn’t miss the golden layer of cheese. It’s hard to miss!
The important thing about casseroles with pasta in them is to reach a good balance of moisture so it isn’t too dry but isn’t soggy either. There are three culprits here that can add too much moisture if not taken care of properly: the spinach, the mushrooms and the tomatoes.
So drain the spinach of water as best as you can and cook the chicken and mushroom mixture until all the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. The moisture needed for the entire dish can be borrowed from the liquid of the canned tomatoes. If there’s too much moisture it’ll be a soggy mess. So rely on those tomatoes and they should see you through!
And that’s it! Happy cooking and enjoy digging in 🙂
MORE PASTA BAKES TO TRY
- Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
- Spinach and Artichoke Ravioli Bake
- Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake
- Cheesy Hot Italian Sausage Pasta Bake
- Chipotle Chili Mac and Cheese
- Sour Cream Beef Noodle Casserole
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Chicken, Spinach and Mushroom Pasta Bake
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
Try this no-fuss recipe for chicken, spinach and mushroom pasta bake with tons of melty cheese. Serves 6 and heats up well.
Ingredients
- 8 oz. rigatoni
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 10 oz. frozen spinach, cooked and drained
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 8 oz. portobello mushrooms, sliced
- 1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes
- 1 tub (8 oz.) chive and onion cream cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rigatoni until just before al dente.
- Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil over medium-high heat until fragrant.
- Add chicken and cook until chicken is no longer pink.
- Season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning and toss to combine.
- Add mushrooms and simmer until the mushrooms cook down and liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes.
- Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the pasta, chicken mixture, tomatoes with their liquid, spinach, cream cheese and sugar. Mix thoroughly.
- Transfer to a 9×13 casserole dish and top with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake uncovered at 375°F for 15 minutes until cheese melts and is bubbly.
- Broil for 2-3 minutes to get a golden crust.
- Dish and serve hot.
- Enjoy!
Notes
To substitute fresh spinach for frozen, cook it down with the mushrooms until all liquid has evaporated.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
Comments & Reviews
I just made this casserole today . Followed and Used the recipe Exactly except What kind of Pasta I used, and I accidently dumped a ton of Italian seasoning on the chicken, but This Casserole WAS AMAZING. I had about 3 helpings. THANK YOU THANK YOU for this wonderful Recipe
I think you can get away with a little more Italian seasoning on the chicken. As long as there’s no salt in seasoning, there’s always a little wiggle room. I’m glad you enjoyed it and you are very welcome!
I usually just look at recipes online and never attempt to try them. But your picture caught my attention. My first time trying an online recipe and it was DELICIOUS!!! I will definitely look for more of your recipes. Thank you for sharing
Thanks for making me the FIRST recipe online you tried!!! I love it! I do hope the other recipes live up to this one. Happy cooking, Nicole 🙂
We loved it, even my picky 12 year old went back for seconds. I made a couple of small changes, I used fresh spinach and cooked it with the mushrooms and added tomatoes with green chilies and artichoke . Thank you for a do again recipe. 🙂
Artichoke will go really well with the spinach, that’s a great idea! I’m glad your family enjoyed this. The chilies weren’t too spicy for your 12 year old?
I don’t usually do this, but I wanted to leave you a comment saying that this recipe was AWESOME! My 13 month old, hubby, and I all loved it. I made a few minor changes. I used a regular block of cream cheese, fresh spinach, onion powder instead of fresh onion, omitted the sugar, added a splash of white wine when simmering the mushrooms, and drained most of the juice from the can of diced tomatoes. Turned out amazing and was super easy and fast. Thanks so much!
I really appreciate you coming back to let me know, Brit! Wonderful substitutions and that’s the beauty of cooking, you can tweak things a little and still get away with it. Thanks again for trying something new by leaving a comment. It makes a difference! 🙂
If I use fresh spinach, do I put it in raw at the same spot in the recipe?
Heya Shelley! Yup, I think it’ll work. The spinach will cook in the oven just fine while you’re melting the cheese. Happy cooking!
Left out mushrooms and onions (didn’t have any), but will add next time. Also left out sugar, and did part mozzarella and part fresh parm. Super tasty. Hubby and kids loved it.
Isn’t it great how you can adapt what you have (or don’t have) to a recipe and still have it turn out good? Can’t do that with baking! 😉 Thanks, Tricia!
If I need to serve 8, which ingredients would you suggest I add more of, other than the chicken?
I would say a little more pasta, cream cheese and mozzarella cheese. And of course, more chicken. The mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes should stretch well unless you have a mushroom loving crowd. Good luck!
Can this recipe be made the day before and baked the next day.
Good question, Melanie! I suppose it could although I’m unsure if the liquid from the tomatoes might make the pasta a little soggy if it sits overnight. That’s my only concern! Let me know how it went if you do try it?
I need to substitute the tomatoes for something.. any suggestions? 🙂
Maybe try some red bell peppers if you really want something in place of it? You can omit it though. But since the tomatoes lend moisture to the pasta bake, I suggest borrowing the moisture from the mushrooms. So don’t let them cook down and keep that mushroom juice!
Just made this recipe! Beautiful combination of flavors in the mouth 🙂
Thanks for saying that, Tahirah! And thanks for taking the time to cook my stuff and coming back to let me know how you liked it!
Just made this and it is delicious!!!! I hate to admit this but I’ve never cooked anything with spinach before. It’s one of those things I had a fear of but it was easy and sooooooo good! I will definitely be making this again. Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
I love hearing how people liked my recipes 🙂 Thanks for letting me know and I’m happy you got over your fear of cooking with spinach!
I love chicken and pasta, never thought about adding spinach before, sounds delicious, thanks for sharing.
Simon
You’re most welcome, Simon. I hope you like it.
Just did this recipe, it tastes amazing!
Thanks! Cheese makes everything wonderful.
did i miss the part in the directions when you added the spinach?
No you didn’t, it is fixed now. Thanks for letting me know and pointing it out so nicely, Andy!
Glad you like it! It’s good for leftovers as well as long as you microwave for 2 minutes or so.
I love baked pasta,sound and looks creamy and delicious !
Thank you Ridwan!