Baked Chicken Ricotta Pasta

Baked Chicken Ricotta Pasta

This juggernaut of a comfort dinner is mostly assembly, a cousin of baked ziti, lasagna and all the other divine baked pasta dishes in the Italian American culinary pantheon. Whip this up on a busy workweek or assemble and refrigerate it for a future date. The thing about baked pastas, especially here where saucy tomato sauce meets creamy ricotta, is that they taste just as good, if not better, reheated.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, patted dry

Salt and black pepper

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 pound short pasta, such as fusilli or wagon wheels

3 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil

2 (24-ounce) jars marinara sauce, such as Rao’s

2 cups/16 ounces whole-milk ricotta

8 ounces burrata or fresh mozzarella

2 ounces Parmesan, grated (about ½ cup)

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes, then, directly on the cutting board, season with salt and pepper and toss with the oregano. Set aside to dry-brine a little while you cook the pasta.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, set a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Melt the butter and wait for it to stop foaming, then add the chicken in a single layer. Cook the chicken without disturbing it until browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes, then stir-fry until no longer pink on the outside, about 1 minute. (Don’t overcook the chicken here; it will finish cooking in the oven later.)

Stir in the marinara sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the pasta and stir everything to combine.

Ladle half of the pasta into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and spread into an even layer. Dollop all of the ricotta on top, then sprinkle with half of the Parmesan. Ladle the remaining pasta over the ricotta. Tear the burrata into large pieces over the pasta, then top with the remaining Parmesan. (At this point, you can cover the pan with foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days.)

Bake the pasta uncovered until the sauce is bubbling at the edges and the cheese has melted, 20 to 25 minutes. (It may need to bake up to 15 minutes longer if it’s been refrigerated.) Serve immediately.