This Chicken Parmesan Casserole is everything you love about chicken Parmesan but in a casserole dish that you basically just assemble and put in the oven.

Uncooked pasta, marinara, chicken broth, and raw chicken all go in together, get covered with foil, and bake until the pasta is tender and the chicken is cooked through. Then the panko Parmesan topping goes on, the mozzarella goes over that, and back in the oven it goes until the top is golden and bubbly. One dish. Minimal prep.

A white baking dish filled with penne pasta in tomato sauce, topped with melted cheese and herb-crusted chicken breasts, garnished with fresh basil leaves.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

Recipe Name: Chicken Parmesan Casserole with Pasta
Main Ingredients: penne or rigatoni, marinara sauce, 2½ cups chicken broth, heavy cream, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, Salt + pepper, 1½ lbs chicken tenderloins or thin-sliced chicken breasts
Why You'll Love It: This dump-and-bake chicken Parmesan pasta casserole adds raw pasta, marinara, chicken broth, and raw chicken to one dish, tops it with a crispy panko Parmesan crust and mozzarella, and bakes everything together for an easy weeknight dinner.

This is the recipe I reach for when I want something comforting and crowd-pleasing without standing over the stove. The pasta cooks right in the marinara and broth and absorbs all that flavor as it bakes so every bite is seasoned all the way through rather than just coated on the outside.

Ingredients Needed To Make Chicken Parmesan Casserole With Pasta

The Casserole Base

Uncooked penne or rigatoni go into the base – they cook in the liquid during the bake. Marinara sauce is the primary flavor base. Chicken broth provides the additional cooking liquid the pasta needs to cook through. Heavy cream adds a slight richness to the sauce. Garlic powder and Italian seasoning season throughout.

The Chicken

Chicken tenderloins or thin-sliced chicken breasts are laid raw over the pasta. They cook through during the covered bake and stay juicy from all the steam and liquid underneath them. Seasoned simply with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.

The Topping

Panko breadcrumbs mixed with Parmesan, melted butter, and Italian seasoning produce the crispy, golden, slightly cheesy crust that makes this feel specifically like chicken Parmesan. Shredded mozzarella scattered over the panko melts down through it and adds the classic gooey cheese layer.

How to Make Dump-and-Bake Chicken Parmesan Pasta Casserole

1

Preheat the oven to 375°F and spray a 9×13 baking dish. Add the dry pasta, marinara, chicken broth, heavy cream, garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning to the dish. Stir until well combined and check that the pasta is mostly submerged in liquid.

2

Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and the remaining tablespoon of Italian seasoning. Lay the pieces directly over the pasta mixture in a single even layer.

3

Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes. The foil traps steam and ensures both the pasta and chicken cook through evenly.

4

Remove the foil and give the pasta around the chicken a gentle stir. If it looks dry or the noodles are still quite firm, add a splash of chicken broth. This is the moment to course correct before the topping goes on.

5

Mix the panko, Parmesan, melted butter, and Italian seasoning in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the chicken and pasta. Scatter the shredded mozzarella over the panko layer. Cover again and return to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the chicken reaches 165°F and the pasta is tender and the cheese is fully melted.

6

Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before scooping. Serve directly from the dish.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole with Pasta

This dump-and-bake chicken Parmesan pasta casserole adds raw pasta, marinara, chicken broth, and raw chicken to one dish, tops it with a crispy panko Parmesan crust and mozzarella, and bakes everything together for an easy weeknight dinner.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: casserole, chicken, parmesan

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 50

Servings:

Ingredients

12 oz penne or rigatoni uncooked
1 jar marinara sauce 24 oz
2½ cups chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp Italian seasoning divided
Salt + pepper
1½ lbs chicken tenderloins or thin-sliced chicken breasts
1½ cups mozzarella shredded
½ cup Parmesan grated

Crispy Parmesan Topping

¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
¼ cup Parmesan grated
3 tbsp butter melted
½ tsp Italian seasoning

Instructions

Heat oven to 375°F and spray a 9×13 baking dish.
Add the uncooked pasta, marinara, chicken broth, heavy cream, garlic powder and 1 tbsp of the Italian seasoning directly to the dish. Stir everything together, making sure the noodles are mostly submerged.
Season the chicken with salt, pepper and the remaining 1 tbsp Italian seasoning. Lay the raw chicken right over the pasta.
Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 35 minutes.
Remove the foil and check the pasta. Give the noodles around the chicken a little stir. If they’re still pretty firm or the dish looks dry, add a splash of broth.
Mix the panko, Parmesan, melted butter and Italian seasoning. Sprinkle it over the chicken and pasta.
Sprinkle the mozzarella on top of the panko mixture.
Cover again and return to the oven for 10–15 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F and the pasta is tender.

Notes

Make sure the pasta is mostly submerged in the liquid before the foil goes on. Any dry pasta sticking out of the liquid won’t cook through properly.
Check the pasta at the 35-minute mark and give it a stir. Every oven is different and you may need that splash of extra broth to keep things moving.
Add the mozzarella over the panko topping rather than under it. The panko stays crunchier that way and the cheese melts down through it beautifully.
Let it rest for 5 minutes after it comes out. The sauce tightens up slightly and everything scoops much more cleanly.