Chicken Primavera Pasta Bake

This chicken primavera pasta bake is full of fresh spring peas. asparagus, and spinach. With cavatappi pasta in a creamy cheese sauce, the casserole is topped with seasoned panko and Parmesan and bakes until bubbly and golden.

Author:

Meal Type: Eggs Free

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: MEDIUM

Prep. Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 262 kcal per serving

Ingredients

12 ounce - 12 ounces dried cavatappi pasta
2 cup - 2 cups fresh or frozen peas
1 pound - 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and coarsely chopped (2 cups)
2 tablespoon - 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 ½ pound - 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon - 1 teaspoon salt, divided
¾ teaspoon - 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
¼ cup - 1/4 cup butter
¼ cup - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cup - 2 cup milk
1 package - 1 (8-ounce) package) cream cheese, softened
¾ cup - 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cup - 2 cups coarsely chopped spinach
1 cup - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup - 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 tablespoon - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 tablespoon - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
⅔ cup - 2/3 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 3-quart rectangular baking dish.
Bring a 4 to 6-quart Dutch oven filled with salted water to a boil, and cook pasta until tender with a bite, 9 to 11 minutes, adding peas and asparagus for the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain, reserving 2/3 cup of the pasta water. Hold pasta in the strainer; set Dutch oven aside to use for making the sauce.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add chicken to hot oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is golden and fully cooked, 5 to 7 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove from heat.
For sauce, melt butter in the Dutch oven. Whisk in flour, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Whisk in milk, cream cheese, and chicken broth. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Whisk in reserved pasta water, 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, basil, and oregano.
Add pasta mixture to the Dutch oven with sauce; toss to coat. Stir in cooked chicken, spinach, and cherry tomatoes.
Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs.
Bake in the preheated oven until sauce is bubbly and topping is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

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