This Six Cheese Chicken Pasta Bake is easy, comforting, and loaded with melty cheese.
Six Cheese Chicken Pasta Bake
This post includes a sponsored recipe featuring Sargento® Chef Blends™ Shredded 6 Cheese Italian. The opinions and recipe are my own.
I’m a fan of cooking challenges like Chopped — I love seeing how cooks transform the same ingredients into wildly different dishes. That spirit inspired this baked pasta recipe entered in the Chopped at Home contest, which calls for a few key elements: Sargento® Shredded 6 Cheese Italian, boneless skinless chicken breast, red bell pepper, and Greek yogurt. I focused on those ingredients and built a hearty, family-friendly pasta bake that’s simple to make and full of flavor.
About the cheese blend
Sargento® Chef Blends™ Shredded 6 Cheese Italian is made from blocks of 100% real cheese and blends classic Italian varieties: Mozzarella, Provolone, Parmesan, Fontina, Romano, and aged Asiago. The combination gives this casserole a rich, authentic Italian flavor that melts beautifully over the pasta.
The recipe below uses that six-cheese blend for a creamy, cheesy sauce and a browned topping. It’s an easy weeknight meal that also works well for potlucks or feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
- 16 oz pasta (I used Mezzi Rigatoni)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 4–6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup packed spinach, stems removed and leaves chopped
- 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 (5.3 oz) container plain Greek yogurt
- 2 cups Sargento® Chef Blends™ Shredded 6 Cheese Italian (8 oz), divided
- 1 cup reserved pasta water (save before draining)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish and set aside.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve one cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink.
- Add the chopped onion, red bell pepper, garlic, and spinach to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are softened and the spinach begins to wilt, about 3–5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Greek yogurt, 1 cup of the shredded cheese, the reserved pasta water, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and mix until combined.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat evenly.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and cover the dish with aluminum foil.
- Bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.
- Garnish with chopped parsley if desired and serve hot.
Notes
- For extra flavor, use garlic-basil diced tomatoes in place of regular diced tomatoes.
Nutrition (per serving)
Approximate values per serving: Calories: 461 kcal; Carbohydrates: 56 g; Protein: 31 g; Fat: 13 g; Sodium: 611 mg; Fiber: 5 g. Nutrition information is an estimate and should be used as a guideline only.
This Six Cheese Chicken Pasta Bake is a reliable, flavorful family dinner that showcases Sargento’s six-cheese blend. It’s easy to prepare, satisfying, and perfect for nights when you want comfort food without a lot of fuss. If you try it, leave a comment and let me know how it turned out!
