Baked Chicken Ricotta Pasta
Updated November 3, 2025
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Ready In
- 45 min
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
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)
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 to 8 servings)
61 grams carbs; 133 milligrams cholesterol; 646 calories; 7 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 25 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 1096 milligrams sodium; 43 grams protein; 10 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Step 2
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.
- Step 3
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Step 4
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.)
- Step 5
Stir in the marinara sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the pasta and stir everything to combine.
- Step 6
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.)
- Step 7
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.
Private Notes
Comments
"24 ounce" modifies "jars." "2" modifies the "24 ounce jars." Hence, a total of 48 ounces. Had he meant only 24 ounces, the instruction would have read "2 Jars (24 ounces)" I knew that one day all that diagraming of sentences we did in elementary school would prove useful. That day has come!
O, wondrous day: a beautiful way to make something that’s as delicious as lasagna in a fraction of the time. I believe adding some spinach or chopped steamed broccoli/cauliflower would be divine, and give it the veg edge.
Technique is a big factor with simple recipes like this one. If your 1-inch chicken pieces weren't cooked through after a 4-minute stir-fry and 25-minute bake, then I'm happy to troubleshoot this with you. All my best, Eric
This was quite good. We used a rotisserie chicken as a shortcut and it worked out well. Also made our own pasta sauce using a couple cans of tomatoes. We cut the recipe in half since it's only the two of us.
A hack for those of us who find ricotta too bland: sub it with a combo of Boursin and cottage cheese mixed together. I started doing this with lasagna two decades ago, and I've never looked back! :-)
Delicious! This is the perfect comfort, cold weather meal. I didn't have small pasta, so I used spaghetti. I added marinara to the spaghetti noodles and to the chicken and ended up layering them instead of mixing them together and it was still amazing.