Chicken olive pasta bake is an easy casserole dish to put together when you've got a hungry family. Made with penne pasta, baby spinach, olives, green bell pepper, and chicken breast. To save time, cook the pasta in advance and use pre-cooked chicken. Everything can be dumped in the dish and baked for an all-in-one dinner.
Chicken Olive Pasta Bake
What I love about this recipe is that it's filling for a hungry family, but also really healthy. If you have growing kids or teenagers then this would be a great recipe to try.
My husband said, "this smells just like all-dressed pizza!" He LOVED this recipe and has been eating the leftovers for lunch this week. He's a huge olive fan, so if your husband loves them also, then you'll have to try this one.
Chicken Olive Pasta Bake Ingredients
PENNE PASTA - This recipe uses penne-style pasta, but you can use any shape you have. To make this recipe gluten-free, I recommend trying brown rice pasta or chickpea pasta.
CUBED CHICKEN - I used two large chicken breasts and baked them in the oven. To save time, you can do this ahead of time, or buy pre-cooked chicken from the store. You'll need about 3 cups of cubed chicken for the recipe.
TOMATOES - Canned diced tomatoes and canned tomato sauce are used to keep things quick and simple. You can also use a jar of spaghetti or marinara sauce.
OLIVES - Canned sliced olives add so much flavor to this recipe! If you're not a fan of olives, these can be skipped.
BABY SPINACH - I used two cups of fresh baby spinach. You could also use frozen spinach, just be sure to squeeze out excess liquid from it before adding to the other ingredients.
SPICES - Dried oregano, dried basil, sea salt and pepper are used to give this dish flavor.
BELL PEPPER - I used one green bell pepper. You can use any color of bell pepper you have.
MOZZARELLA - Sprinkle the top of the casserole recipe with one cup of mozzarella. Feta cheese would also taste great.
Chicken Pasta Olive Bake Instructions
This recipe is brought together in three easy steps.
- BOIL THE PASTA - boil pasta according to package instructions. Drain, and set aside.
- COOK CHICKEN BREAST - Cook chicken at 400°F for 25-30 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the chicken breast. The chicken will be done when it reaches 165°F when poked in the center with a meat thermometer.
- ASSEMBLE CASSEROLE DISH - Add all ingredients (except cheese) to a large bowl and mix it up! Pour it into a casserole dish and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake for 25-30 minutes.
More Easy Dinners To Try
Excited to try more easy dinner ideas? Here are few of my favorites:
- Sweet and Sour Sausage Skillet - Everything is cooked in one frying pan.
- Slow Cooker Pineapple Orange Chicken - An easy dinner idea in the crockpot that's served with rice.
- Pizza Casserole - another easy and delicious pasta recipe created in a casserole dish.
- Sheet Pan Teriyaki Salmon with Roasted Vegetables - healthy and everything is cooked on a baking sheet.
Chicken Pasta Olive Bake
Ingredients
- 5 cups cooked penne pasta - I used brown rice pasta
- 3 cups cubed chicken breast
- 1 can tomato sauce - 15 oz
- 1 canned diced tomatoes - 15 oz
- 1 can sliced olives - 15 oz
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 green bell pepper - chopped
- ½ yellow onion - chopped
- ½ Tbsp dried oregano
- ½ Tbsp dried basil
- salt and pepper
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella
Instructions
Cook The Penna Pasta:
- In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the penne pasta according to package instructions. After cooking, drain and set aside.
Cook The Chicken Breast:
- Place raw chicken on a baking sheet. Generously season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle ¼ tsp basil and ¼ tsp oregano onto each one. Bake chicken breasts in oven at 400°F for 25-30 minutes or until chicken reaches 165°F when poked in the center with a meat thermometer. Once cooked and cooled, chop into small bite-size pieces.
Assembly Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large bowl, toss together cooked pasta, chicken cubes, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, baby spinach, sliced olives, green bell pepper, and onion.
- Sprinkle dried basil, dried oregano over top of everything. Season with sea salt and pepper. Mix everything together.
- Pour ingredients into a casserole dish and spread out evenly. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is warmed all the way through. Serve while still warm.
Recipe Notes:
- Pre-cooked chicken can be used instead of chicken breast. You'll need 3 cups of cubed chicken for this recipe.
- Any type of cheese can be sprinkled on top. Feta cheese would taste great!
Nutrition Info
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.
