Creamy Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake

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5 from 2 votes

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 50

Calories: 611kcal

Servings: People

Metric - Imperial

Ingredients

Chicken & Seasoning

15 ml Olive Oil
600 g Chicken Breast Diced
2 tsp Dried Italian Herbs
10 g Dijon Mustard
Salt & Pepper

Alfredo Sauce & Pasta

400 g Penne or Rigatoni
42 g Unsalted Butter
4 Garlic Cloves Grated
45 g Plain Flour All Purpose
500 ml Whole Milk
30 g Cream Cheese
50 g Parmigianno Reggiano Grated
175 g Mozzarella Cheese Grated
0.2 g Nutmeg Grated
Salt & Pepper
Flat Leaf Parsley Garnish

Method

Boil salted water and cook the pasta 3 minutes less than the package says.
Mix the chicken with Italian herbs, Dijon, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Warm the milk gently in a saucepan — don't let it boil.
Heat a pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil, and sear the chicken for 4–5 minutes until golden. Set aside.
In the same pan, melt the butter, sauté the garlic for 30 seconds, stir in the flour, and cook for 1 ½ minutes.
Slowly whisk in the warm milk, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Add the cream cheese, parmesan, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and ¾ cup (75g) of the mozzarella — reserving the remaining 1 cup (100g) for the topping. Stir until smooth.
Combine the pasta, chicken, and sauce in a bowl. Transfer to a baking dish, top with the reserved mozzarella, and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 15–20 minutes. Grill/broil for the last 2 minutes for a crispy top.
Serve hot, garnished with cracked black pepper and flat-leaf parsley.

Chef's Tips

Whisk the warm milk into the roux gradually, a little at a time, as written — adding it too fast is what causes lumps instead of a smooth, silky sauce.

Cook the pasta the full 3 minutes under packet time, as written — it'll keep cooking in the oven while baking, so fully cooking it now would leave it mushy by the time it's done.

Watch the broiler closely during that final 2 minutes rather than stepping away — broiling browns fast, and it's an easy way to go from crispy to burnt in seconds.

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months, in an airtight container — baked pasta dishes like this generally hold up well frozen.

Reheat in the oven at 180°C (350°F) for 15–20 minutes to bring the cheese topping back to golden and bubbling, or in the microwave for 2–3 minutes if you're short on time. Thaw frozen portions in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Serving 370gCalories 611kcalCarbohydrates 55gProtein 43gFat 24gSaturated Fat 12gPolyunsaturated Fat 2gMonounsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 121mgSodium 288mgPotassium 476mgFiber 1gSugar 4gVitamin A 989IUVitamin C 1mgCalcium 360mgIron 1.1mg