Chicken and Spinach Rigatoni Casserole

Submitted by heather in Ont

"Quick, easy and delicious. The recipe calls for 4 garlic cloves, but I only added 2 and should have added 3-4 cloves. I also added more parmesan because of preference. This is a hit with the kids. My friend Kathy sent me this recipe and now I am indebted to her forever."

 

• Ready In: 40mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 10 ounces rigatoni pasta (uncooked)
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped
• 1 (20 ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons dried basil
• 3⁄4 teaspoon oregano
• 1⁄4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, crushed
• 1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

directions

1. Cook pasta according to pkg directions and drain.
2. Place spinach on paper towel and squeeze until barely moist.
3. Add oil to a large non stick skillet and place over medium heat until hot.
4. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender.
5. Add chicken and cook until it loses its pink colour, stirring constantly.
6. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes.
7. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat.
8. Simmer 5 minutes, uncovered stirring occasionally.
9. Combine pasta, spinach, chicken mixture and 1/4 cup cheese in a bowl; stir well.
10. Spoon into 13 X 9 baking dish coated with cooking spray.
11. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese over the top.
12. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.
13. Makes 8 servings.

Reviews

[Janie]

I don't know what I did wrong. Maybe the tomatoes. I used chopped tomatoes in a box, from Italy, rather than canned. The recipe turned out dry, dry, dry! I was horrified! What would I tell my family at dinner time? But not to worry! I ran out and bought a jar of Mario Batali's Vodka sauce, re-mixed everything, a plate at a time, and and cooked each serving in the microwave for 1 minute. Voila! Delicious!! So not to worry. This is a no-fail recipe! Oh! Almost forgot: Texas toast and a salad rounded out the meal to the delight of all! Your recipe was a winner, in spite of me!

 

[mabunny]

Great flavor, but found it extremely dry. Will try Janie's solution of adding a jar of sauce. Thanks, Janie!

 

[katt3439]

This pasta was amazing. I followed the recipe rather closely but added more cheese at the end as a personal preference. I think I even enjoyed it more as leftovers. Will make again.

 

[limeandspoontt]

a simple to make and delicious casserole!

 

[mlightner2015]

Made this last night for dinner and overall am very pleased with how it turned out. I had a difficult time getting the sauce mixture to cover all of the rigatoni. I did not add the diced tomatoes, so I think this might have had something to do with it. I used 2 chicken breasts and what I had left of the frozen spinach I used earlier in the week--so tweaked the recipe slightly. Also added more cheese to taste. The chicken kind of threw off the overall "taste" of the dish. Next time I think I will leave the chicken out and just make the rigatoni and sauce mixture. My fiance and I enjoyed the kick of spices, as well. Will definitely make this again sometime in the future.