Ingredients
Method
- Bread the chicken while waiting for the pasta water to boil and the pasta to cook.
Prepare the Pasta
- Boil water and cook the rigatoni for one minute less than the package instructions for al dente.
- Drain the cooked pasta, return it to the pot, and toss with 32 ounces of sauce, 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, and 1 cup of mozzarella.
Prepare the chicken
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and cut into half-inch thick strips.
- Set up an assembly line for breading the chicken.
- Combine 3/4 cup flour, 2 teaspoons seasoned salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in the first bowl.
- Whisk two eggs in the second bowl.
- Place 1.5 cups of breadcrumbs in the third bowl.
- Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, dip into the whisked eggs, and coat thoroughly with breadcrumbs before gently flattening with your palms.
- Add 1/4 inch of oil and the butter to a pan and heat over medium-high.
- Fry the chicken strips in batches for approximately 4 minutes per side until golden brown, adding more oil if necessary.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
- Slice the chicken strips into bite-sized pieces.
Assemble the Casserole and Bake
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Lightly grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish and layer with half of the pasta mixture, half of the chicken, 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, and 1 cup of mozzarella.
- Top with the remaining pasta, chicken, Parmesan, and mozzarella.
- Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, or increase the heat to 425°F for an additional 5 minutes for a crispier top.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with cheesy garlic bread.
Nutrition
Notes
- Whole Milk, Low Moisture mozzarella cheese is best for this recipe. Shred it fresh from a block for best results.
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- This pasta also freezes well and reheats best if defrosted in the fridge overnight prior to microwaving or baking.
- You may want to spoon additional sauce on it before reheating to prevent the pasta from becoming dry.
Make-Ahead Method
- This casserole can be assembled up to 2 days ahead of time.
- Before baking, let it sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Cover and bake at 375°F for 15 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 25 more minutes.
Shortcuts:
Using Frozen Chicken Tenders- Frozen chicken tenders are a great way to make this recipe in a short amount of time.
- Let them sit out at room temperature for about 5 minutes and carefully slice them into smaller strips prior to adding to the casserole.
- No modifications to the baking temperature or cooking time should be required.
- This recipe is a perfect way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken and cut out the time it takes to bread the chicken cutlets.
- To add some crunch, combine 1 cup of breadcrumbs with 1/3 cup melted butter. Sprinkle it over the top of the casserole and bake at 375° F for the last 10 minutes of baking.
- Low-moisture, whole milk mozzarella shredded from a block will melt the best in this recipe!
Nutritional information shared is an estimate and is based on the ingredients in the recipe card. The information provided is per serving, there are 5 servings in this recipe.