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This chicken broccoli pasta bake is a true dump and bake dinner. Everything goes into one pan, no boiling water, no browning anything on the stove first. The payoff is a creamy, cheesy, deeply comforting pasta bake that tastes like it took way more effort than it did. Ten minutes of prep, one dish to wash, and dinner practically makes itself.
Why You’ll Love this Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake
- One pan, zero pre-cooking: raw pasta, raw chicken, and raw broccoli all go in together
- No roux, no cream: the pasta’s own starch thickens the sauce as it bakes
- 10 minutes of hands-on prep, then the oven does the rest
- One dish to wash: genuinely easy weeknight cleanup
- Creamy, cheesy, and kid-approved without being bland
- Freezer-friendly for make-ahead meal prep
“Wow this was a huge hit with the whole family! My toddler and husband loved it. Thank you Min for another solid recipe!” – Christa
Dinner time is always so hectic, and after becoming a mom, one pot meals are just about the only type of cooking I do now!
Hungry for more? Here are more healthy and delicious kid-friendly dinner recipes!
And if you’ve got leftover chicken to use up, don’t miss this Southwest Chicken Salad. It’s fresh, flavorful, and comes together fast for an easy lunch or light dinner!
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Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
I am highlighting just the ones that need further explanation. The complete list is in the recipe card below.
- Pasta – Short pasta with ridges (rotini, cavatappi, shells) holds sauce best. My personal favorite is rotini. Regular or whole wheat both work. Skip legume-based pasta (chickpea, lentil) here, it turns mushy in a no-boil bake. For gluten-free, a rice-based pasta holds its texture best.
- Chicken – Breast or thigh, cut into bite-sized (roughly ¾-inch) pieces so it cooks through in the same time as the pasta. For more ideas, here are healthy toddler and kid-friendly chicken recipes!
- Broccoli – Be sure to chop into small florets. Small florets, fresh or frozen broccoli (no need to thaw frozen).
- Tomato sauce – Any canned or jarred sauce works. If some of this meal is going to a baby, choose a no-salt-added or low-sodium sauce. I’ve also tried this with plain tomato puree and it worked great too. Want to boost nutrition even more? Use this hidden veggie pasta sauce.
- Milk – I use whole milk rather than low-fat here on purpose. Fat isn’t something to minimize in early childhood. It’s essential for brain development in the first years of life, and this is an easy, unnoticed way to include it in a family meal.
- Ricotta – Whole-milk ricotta melts into the sauce for creaminess without the graininess low-fat ricotta can get when baked. Here are the best cheeses for babies and toddlers.
How to Make Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake
You’ll find the full recipe card with all the exact measurements at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9×13 inch baking dish with olive oil or cooking spray. Add pasta to the casserole dish along with bite-sized pieces of chicken, broccoli florets, and seasonings.
Step 2: Pour the tomato sauce and milk and stir to combine. Make sure all the pasta is completely submerged.
Step 3: Dollop ricotta cheese evenly over the mixture. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese. Cover the dish – I like to use a baking mat but aluminum foil works too.
Step 4: Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and uncover. There will be a lot of liquid don’t worry! Place back in the oven and cook, uncovered, for an additional 20 minutes. Top with fresh basil or parsley, if desired.
Substitutions
- Vegetarian: Swap chicken for any bean of choice.
- Dairy-free: Use a plant-based milk, dairy-free ricotta, and dairy-free mozzarella. A splash of canned coconut milk adds richness in place of the dairy fat.
- No broccoli: Cauliflower, chopped carrots, sweet potato, or a frozen corn-pea-carrot mix all work in the same quantity.
Expert Tips
- Do not use legume-based pasta. Chickpea or lentil pasta is great on the stovetop, but it turns mushy in this no-boil method.
- Submerge the pasta completely under the sauce before baking. Any pieces poking above the liquid line will stay hard and crunchy instead of cooking through.
- Top with fresh herbs, cracked black pepper, or parmesan once it’s out of the oven, whatever toppings you like.
- Use a dish close to 9×13 inches. A deeper or narrower dish changes how quickly the liquid reduces, so you may need extra covered bake time.
- Let it rest 5 minutes before serving. The sauce continues to thicken slightly as it sits, and it’s easier to portion.
- Check for doneness by tasting a piece of pasta, not just by how the top looks. Ovens vary, and a golden top doesn’t always mean the pasta underneath is fully tender.
- Freeze leftovers in individual portions rather than one large container, so you can reheat only what you need.
Serving Suggestions
- A complete, balanced meal on its own, with protein, dairy, vegetables, and carbohydrate all in one bowl.
- A simple side salad rounds it out nicely, if you want something extra.
- Feeding a picky eater or toddler?
- Pair it with one food you already know they’ll eat.
- This gives them a reliable option on the plate while they get repeated, low-pressure exposure to the new dish.
- It also keeps you from becoming a short-order cook, since there’s always something on the plate they’ll eat.
Here are some more toddler dinner ideas and serving tips.
Is your toddler becoming picky?
Arm yourself with these strategies that will transform your mealtimes!
Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake FAQs
Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. If you want to freeze, I recommend doing so in individual portions.
To reheat, you can microwave individual portions or cover the pasta and bake at 350°F until warm, about 20 minutes.
Yes, with two adjustments: use a no-salt-added or low-sodium tomato sauce, and cut the chicken and broccoli into age-appropriate sizes for your baby’s stage of eating.
No. This is a true no-boil recipe. Raw pasta goes straight into the dish along with the raw chicken and broccoli, and it cooks fully during the bake as it absorbs the milk and tomato sauce. The only thing that matters is making sure every piece of pasta is fully submerged in liquid before it goes in the oven, since anything poking above the surface will stay hard.
Yes. Blend it briefly first if you want a smoother texture, or use it as is if you don’t mind more curd texture. It works well, though the flavor will be slightly tangier than ricotta.
More EASY Pasta Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating below and let me know how you liked the recipe! Your feedback means so much to me!
Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounce rotini or other small shaped pasta
- 1 pound chicken (breast or thigh), cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets (about 3 cups)
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce (or favorite jarred tomato sauce)
- 2 cups whole milk
- 15 ounce whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9×13 inch baking dish with olive oil or cookig spray.
- Add pasta to the dish along with chicken, broccoli, and seasonings. Pour the tomato sauce and milk and stir to combine. Make sure all the pasta is completely submerged.
- Dollop ricotta cheese evenly over the mixture. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese. Cover the dish – I like to use a baking mat but aluminum foil works too.
- Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and uncover. There will be a lot of liquid don't worry! Place back in the oven and cook, uncovered, for an additional 20 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Top with fresh basil or parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Do not use a legume-based pasta. While they’re great when cooked on the stovetop, they will get way too mushy in a no boil pasta bake like this recipe.
- Be sure to submerge the pasta completely under the sauce.
- Enjoy with fresh herbs, freshly cracked black pepper, parmesan cheese, or whatever toppings you wish!
Can we use fresh tomatoes pureed at home? I avoid using canned tomatoes as i assume fresh is healthier?
You absolutely can!
Can you use cottage cheese instead of ricotta?
I haven’t tried but I imagine it would work! Let me know if you try it!
Any thoughts on a dairy free substitute for ricotta? I was thinking nutritional yeast for the mozzarella…
Can you use cooked chicken for this recipe?
Sure! I would stir it in at the end so it doesn’t get overcooked
Wow this was a huge hit with the whole family! My toddler and husband loved it. Thank you Min for another solid recipe!
So happy to hear!!!
Can we use frozen broccoli ?
I had the same question – can frozen broccoli be used? If so, does it need to be defrosted first? Thanks!
You can! I would thaw slightly so you can break up any large chunks and spread it out