Chicken Caesar Pasta Bake
A creamy pasta bake with all the flavors of chicken Caesar salad!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
Chicken Caesar Pasta Bake
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into cubes
- 1 pound penne pasta, whole wheat or regular
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
- Fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire
- 1 1/2 cups low fat milk
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese, Pecorino Romano may also be used
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach, or baby kale
- Salt and pepper to taste
Panko Parmesan Topping
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Cook the pasta just short of al dente, about 1-2 minutes, drain and set aside.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter and heat the oil over medium high heat. Add in the minced garlic, anchovy paste and black pepper, stirring together for about a minute.
- Add in the flour and whisk together. Slowly pour in the chicken broth and worcestershire whisking until it is smooth.
- Add in the milk and continue whisking until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Once thickened, add in the cup of shredded cheese and whisk until it melts into the sauce.
- Add in the spinach, pasta and cubed chicken and stir together in the sauce until everything is coated and the greens have wilted. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl combine the topping ingredients. Sprinkle the topping all over the pasta.
- Bake the pasta in the oven until bubbly and golden brown.
Nutrition
Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 718mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g