Chicken Asparagus Pasta Bake

4.89 from 9 votes

Chicken asparagus pasta bake made with simple ingredients and no heavy sauce. An easy spring casserole with chicken, pasta, and fresh asparagus.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Course: Pasta and Rice

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 644kcal

Author: Adina

Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C.
Preparations: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While you wait for the water to cook, clean the asparagus and remove its lower part. Cut each stalk into 3-4 pieces.
1 lb asparagus
Cook pasta and asparagus in one pot: Once the water boils, add salt generously and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Add the asparagus to the pasta pot during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain well.
12 oz short pasta
Cut chicken: While the pasta cooks, chop the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces.
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
Cook chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan and cook the chicken until golden brown and cooked through for about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste.
1 tablespoon olive oil + chicken + ½ teaspoon garlic powder + fine sea salt and black pepper
Assemble the casserole: Place the drained pasta and asparagus into a casserole dish. Add the chicken cubes, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and half of the Parmesan. Mix well, adjust the taste with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the dish with the remaining Parmesan (Note 5).
Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Pasta: Any short pasta shapes are fine, for instance, fusilli, rigatoni, short ribbons, macaroni, etc.
Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken thighs are also great, but increase the cooking time slightly and ensure they are cooked through.
Parmesan: Always use freshly grated cheese. Pre-grated cheese contains additives that prevent it from melting nicely.
Olive oil: Choose a pleasant-tasting oil. If the olive oil is too bitter, you might be able to taste it in the dish.
Make in advance: Let the food cool completely, cover the dish, and refrigerate until ready to bake. Bake as instructed, adding 5-10 minutes to the baking time if cooking from chilled. Check that the food is heated through in the middle. If not, give it 5 more minutes and check again.