Welcome, lovely home cooks! Today, I’m absolutely thrilled to share a recipe that has become a true staple in my kitchen: the Easy Dump-and-Bake Chicken Parmesan Pasta. Imagine all the beloved flavours of a classic chicken parm, but transformed into a fuss-free, one-pan baked pasta dish that practically cooks itself.

This recipe came about during a particularly busy week when I was craving something hearty and Italian-inspired, but simply didn’t have the energy for multiple pots and pans. After testing this recipe five times, tweaking the ratios and baking times, I finally got it just right – a gloriously cheesy, tomato-rich pasta bake with tender chicken, all in one dish. My husband, who’s usually quite particular about his pasta, asked for seconds and even took a portion for lunch the next day, which is always a sign of a winner in our house!

What makes this Easy Dump-and-Bake Chicken Parmesan Pasta so special is its sheer simplicity without compromising on flavour. It’s designed for those evenings when you want to put a wholesome, satisfying meal on the table with minimal effort and even less washing up. Every spoonful promises tender pasta, succulent chicken, and a rich, bubbly cheese topping that will have everyone reaching for more.

Recipe Overview

• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 35-40 minutes
• Total time: 55-60 minutes
• Servings: 4-6
• Difficulty: Easy

Why You’ll Love This Easy Dump-and-Bake Chicken Parmesan Pasta

• Minimal Washing Up: True to its name, this is a one-pan wonder, drastically reducing your post-dinner clean-up.
• Unbeatable Flavour: All the classic Italian-American tastes you adore – rich tomato, aromatic herbs, and melted cheese – are baked right into the pasta.
• Effortless Preparation: Simply layer your ingredients in a baking dish, and let the oven do the hard work for you.
• Hearty & Wholesome: A complete meal in itself, providing protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables for a fulfilling dinner.
• Family-Friendly: A universally appealing dish that even the pickiest eaters will enjoy, making it ideal for busy weeknights.

Easy Dump-and-Bake Chicken Parmesan Pasta

15 min prep  ·  40 min cook  ·  4 servings

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Ingredients You’ll Need

• 400g dried penne or ziti pasta
• 450g boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced (about 100g)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 800g passata (tomato puree)
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 250ml chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon red chilli flakes (optional, for a little warmth)
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (to balance acidity)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 150g mozzarella cheese, grated
• 50g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (plus extra for serving)
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Tip: Using good quality passata makes a real difference to the depth of flavour in the sauce. Look for brands with a high tomato content and minimal additives.

How to Make Easy Dump-and-Bake Chicken Parmesan Pasta

1. Prepare the Chicken: Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan/Gas Mark 5). Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-safe frying pan or casserole dish over medium-high heat. Add the cubed chicken breast and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken cubes are lightly browned on all sides and no longer look raw, though they don’t need to be cooked through. You’ll notice a lovely golden crust forming. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
2. Sauté Aromatics: In the same pan, add the diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until it softens and becomes translucent, releasing a sweet aroma. Stir in the minced garlic and chilli flakes (if using) and cook for another minute until fragrant, being careful not to let the garlic burn. The kitchen will begin to smell wonderfully savoury.
3. Build the Sauce: Pour in the passata, chopped tomatoes, and chicken stock. Add the dried oregano, dried basil, and granulated sugar. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Stir everything together well until the sauce is uniform and gently bubbling, taking on a rich, deep red colour.
4. Combine & Bake: Stir the dried penne pasta directly into the sauce. Add the partially cooked chicken back into the pan, ensuring it’s submerged in the sauce. Cover the pan tightly with a lid or aluminium foil. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes.
5. Cheesy Topping: After 25 minutes, carefully remove the pan from the oven. The pasta should have absorbed most of the liquid and look slightly al dente, and the sauce will be thicker. Give it a gentle stir. Sprinkle the grated mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses evenly over the top of the pasta.
6. Final Bake & Rest: Return the uncovered pan to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and beautifully golden brown on top, with a satisfying sizzle. Let the dish rest for 5-10 minutes out of the oven before serving. This allows the sauce to settle and the pasta to absorb any remaining liquid, resulting in a perfectly tender texture.

Tips From My Kitchen

• Don’t Overcook the Chicken Initially: When browning the chicken in step 1, your goal is just to give it some colour and seal in the juices. It will finish cooking in the oven with the pasta, ensuring it remains tender and succulent, rather than drying out. Overcooking it at this stage would lead to tough chicken later.
• Ensure Pasta is Submerged: For even cooking, it’s crucial that the dried pasta is fully submerged in the liquid before baking. If any pasta pieces are sticking out, they won’t cook properly and will end up hard and crunchy. Add a splash more stock if needed to ensure everything is covered.
• Use an Oven-Safe Pan with a Lid: The success of this dump-and-bake method relies on having a tight-fitting lid or foil to trap steam during the initial bake. This steam is what cooks the pasta evenly and thoroughly. A good quality, heavy-bottomed oven-safe pan or casserole dish will distribute heat effectively.
• Adjust Sugar for Acidity: Tomatoes can vary in acidity. The teaspoon of sugar isn’t to make the sauce sweet, but rather to balance out any tartness from the tomatoes, creating a well-rounded and mellow flavour. Taste your sauce before adding the sugar and adjust to your preference – you might need a little more or less.
• Let it Rest: The resting period after baking is not just for cooling; it’s vital for the dish to fully set. During this time, the pasta continues to absorb any residual liquid, and the cheese topping firms up slightly, making for easier serving and a more cohesive dish. Skipping this step can result in a slightly watery or loose consistency.
• Freshly Grated Cheese is Best: While pre-shredded cheese is convenient, it often contains anti-caking agents that can prevent it from melting as smoothly. For the best, most gooey, and flavourful cheese topping, I always recommend grating your own mozzarella and Parmesan from a block.

Equipment You’ll Need

• Large pot for boiling (for other recipes, not this one!)
• Colander (for other recipes, not this one!)
• Large oven-safe frying pan or casserole dish with a lid
• Tongs or pasta fork

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Overcrowding the pan: If your pan is too small, the ingredients will steam instead of brown, and the pasta won’t cook evenly. Ensure you use a pan large enough to comfortably hold all the ingredients in a single layer for optimal cooking and browning of the chicken.
• Wrong temperature: Baking at too high a temperature can cause the sauce to burn on the bottom before the pasta cooks through, while too low a temperature might result in undercooked pasta or a dry dish. Stick to the recommended 190°C (170°C fan/Gas Mark 5) for the best results.
• Skipping the rest time: While it’s tempting to dive straight in, allowing the dish to rest for 5-10 minutes after baking is crucial. This time allows the pasta to finish absorbing the sauce, thickening it slightly and preventing a watery consistency, and helps the cheese topping set beautifully.

Delicious Variations to Try

• Spicy Version: For those who love a bit more kick, increase the red chilli flakes to ¾ or 1 teaspoon. You could also add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the sauce for an even deeper warmth.
• Vegetarian/Vegan Option: To make this dish vegetarian, simply omit the chicken and replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock. For a vegan version, use a plant-based chicken alternative, vegetable stock, and dairy-free mozzarella and Parmesan-style cheeses. You could also add aubergine or courgette for extra substance.
• Different Protein: This recipe is wonderfully versatile! Instead of chicken, you could use turkey mince or beef mince, browned in the pan before adding the aromatics. For a quicker option, pre-cooked rotisserie chicken can be shredded and added directly to the sauce before baking. For another delicious chicken idea, you might enjoy our Creamy Spinach Chicken Casserole.

What to Serve With Easy Dump-and-Bake Chicken Parmesan Pasta

• A crisp green salad with a light vinaigrette
• Garlic bread or crusty artisan bread for soaking up the sauce
• Steamed green beans or broccoli

Frequently Asked Questions

Easy Dump-and-Bake Chicken Parmesan Pasta

This one-pan recipe features tender chicken and penne pasta baked in a rich tomato sauce, topped with melted mozzarella and Parmesan cheese for a convenient and comforting meal with minimal cleanup.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Calories: 350

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 400 g dried penne or ziti pasta
• 450 g boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion finely diced (about 100g)
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 800 g passata tomato puree
• 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
• 250 ml chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon red chilli flakes optional, for a little warmth
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar to balance acidity
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 150 g mozzarella cheese grated
• 50 g Parmesan cheese freshly grated (plus extra for serving)
• Fresh parsley chopped, for garnish

Method

 

1. Prepare the Chicken: Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan/Gas Mark 5). Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-safe frying pan or casserole dish over medium-high heat. Add the cubed chicken breast and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken cubes are lightly browned on all sides and no longer look raw, though they don't need to be cooked through. You'll notice a lovely golden crust forming. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
2. Sauté Aromatics: In the same pan, add the diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until it softens and becomes translucent, releasing a sweet aroma. Stir in the minced garlic and chilli flakes (if using) and cook for another minute until fragrant, being careful not to let the garlic burn. The kitchen will begin to smell wonderfully savoury.
3. Build the Sauce: Pour in the passata, chopped tomatoes, and chicken stock. Add the dried oregano, dried basil, and granulated sugar. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Stir everything together well until the sauce is uniform and gently bubbling, taking on a rich, deep red colour.
4. Combine & Bake: Stir the dried penne pasta directly into the sauce. Add the partially cooked chicken back into the pan, ensuring it's submerged in the sauce. Cover the pan tightly with a lid or aluminium foil. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes.
5. Cheesy Topping: After 25 minutes, carefully remove the pan from the oven. The pasta should have absorbed most of the liquid and look slightly al dente, and the sauce will be thicker. Give it a gentle stir. Sprinkle the grated mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses evenly over the top of the pasta.
6. Final Bake & Rest: Return the uncovered pan to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and beautifully golden brown on top, with a satisfying sizzle. Let the dish rest for 5-10 minutes out of the oven before serving. This allows the sauce to settle and the pasta to absorb any remaining liquid, resulting in a perfectly tender texture.

Notes

Ensure your pan is oven-safe and has a tight-fitting lid or use heavy-duty foil. The resting time is crucial for the sauce to set and the pasta to reach optimal tenderness. Feel free to adjust chilli flakes to your spice preference.

I genuinely hope you give this Easy Dump-and-Bake Chicken Parmesan Pasta a try. It’s a testament to how incredible meals can come from the simplest methods. It’s become a firm favourite in our home, bringing smiles and full tummies with minimal fuss. Do let me know in the comments below if you try it and what you think!