Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake

Simple, nutritious, delicious—this Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake has it all! It should be called ALLfredo…

chicken alfredo pasta bake

This healthier chicken alfredo pasta bake is the BEST. It’s creamy, easy to make, and totally delicious. It’s more nutritious than standard pasta bakes, with 39 g of protein and less than 400 calories per serving. On top of that, it’s quick and easy to make. This will be your new favorite dinner recipe!

WHY CHICKEN ALFREDO?

Let’s be real, chicken alfredo is SO good. In an effort to create a lightened up version of chicken alfredo, I present to you this healthy chicken alfredo pasta bake! It’s got all the delicious flavors of regular chicken alfredo but is family-friendly, nutritious, and ready in 30 minutes.

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO I NEED?

• Chicken – Adding shredded chicken into the pasta will give off total chicken alfredo vibes (let’s be real, we love those vibes). Plus it will add quite a bit of protein! There are a few options for how to get shredded chicken. You can buy a cooked rotisserie chicken and shred it, cook chicken breasts and shred them, or use canned shredded chicken. Each of these options will work great!
• Banza penne pasta – The recipe calls for 8 oz (one box) of Banza pasta. Really you can use any kind of protein or regular pasta that you want!
• Alfredo sauce – The alfredo sauce is KEY for this recipe. You can use any kind of alfredo sauce you like best to create a creamy, cheesy pasta bake.
• Parmesan – Adding some shredded parmesan to melt as the pasta cooks will create an extra cheesy pasta bake (which we want!)
• Spinach – We will mix in some spinach for some leafy greens! You could leave this out and the recipe would still turn out great.
• Red pepper flakes – Sprinkling red pepper flakes on the top of the casserole is totally optional, but will really add the perfect extra kick!

CAN I MAKE SUBSTITUTIONS TO THE RECIPE?

• Chicken – I use canned chicken because it’s it’s easier, quicker, and cheaper. However, if you have some leftover chicken breast you can shred yourself or want to use a rotisserie chicken, you can totally use those options instead!
• Cheese – Adding more cheese will make this better. I like to add alfredo and parmesan, but you can use only one of them or another favorite to make this cheesier.
• Pasta – This recipe can be made with any kind of pasta.
• Spinach – If spinach isn’t your thing, you can opt out.

WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED FOR THIS RECIPE?

The only equipment you’ll need for this recipe is an oven and a casserole dish. A 9 x 13 dish will work great!

WHAT IS THE PROCESS?

This pasta bake is so quick and easy! Here’s how to make it:

• Prepare the chicken (with salt and pepper) and pasta.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the pasta, shredded chicken, ½ the parmesan, and alfredo sauce. Stir until chicken and pasta are coated. Toss in spinach to mix.
• Pour the pasta mixture into the casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly across the top of the pasta.
• Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
• After cooking, top with red pepper flakes.
• Enjoy!

HOW DO I STORE IT?

This buffalo chicken pasta bake is so tasty right when it comes out of the oven! If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container. Keep it in the fridge and use between 4-5 days.

CAN I REHEAT IT?

You can reheat this pasta bake in the microwave or oven.

• For the microwave: Cook 2-3 minutes.
• For the oven: Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

I like to add some extra cheese when I’m reheating this dish.

LOOKING FOR MORE RECIPES?

Here are some more family-friendly casseroles:

• Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake
• Cheeseburger Casserole
• Easy Taco Casserole