Creamy, cheesy and filling - this Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake with mushrooms makes a fantastic comforting dinner. We've got loads of flavour packed into this simple, hearty dish.
From the number of pasta bakes and other pasta recipes on our site, I think you can guess how much we love pasta.
I often make tomato-based pasta dishes, but today I felt like sharing a rich and creamy pasta bake. This one is definitely rich! Pasta smothered in a creamy sauce with a little garlic and a hint of white wine (optional) with parmesan, cheddar AND mozzarella! Not forgetting the shredded chicken (a great way to use up leftover chicken) and lots of lovely mushrooms.
Just talking about it makes me want to eat it all over again.
So what exactly is alfredo sauce?
It's a very simple white sauce, usually made with butter, cream and parmesan. It's most commonly seen with the Italian classic Fettucine alfredo.
I'm going with a similar flavour profile here, but with some added extras (such as garlic and more cheese!) to make it even more delicious.
What do we need to make this bake?
This recipe uses leftover cooked chicken from your Roast Chicken Dinner.
Full ingredient quantities and instructions are in the recipe card below.
Soften a chopped onion in a large frying pan with a little oil. Then add in mushrooms, salt, pepper and garlic, and cook for a few minutes, until the mushrooms are tender.
Next in goes the white wine that we bubble for a few minutes before adding in chicken stock, cream, shredded chicken and parmesan.
Heat through, while stirring, until the parmesan melts, then add cooked drained pasta and stir again.
Transfer to a large baking dish and sprinkle on parmesan, cheddar and mozzarella.
Then bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.
What would you like to see in a pasta bake? I'd love to make some more, but I want to make sure I get it just right for you guys. A veggie pasta bake, A meaty one, a fish pasta bake or something else? Please let me know in the comments below.
The video:
Whats our video on YouTube to see exactly how to make this delicious Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake
2cooked skinless chicken breasts - roughly chopped or shredded
1cup(100g) finely grated parmesan
1/2cup(50g) strong cheddar - grated/shredded
1/2cup(50g) mozzarella cheese - grated/shredded
1small bunch of parsley - roughly torn
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 190c/375f. Boil a large pan of water and cook the pasta for 1 minute less than recommended on the pack. Drain.
Whilst the pasta is cooking, heat the oil on a medium heat, in a large frying pan. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occassionally, until the onion softens.
Add the mushrooms, salt, pepper and garlic, and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender.
Add the white wine, turn up the heat to high and allow the wine to bubble for a few minutes until reduced by half, then turn the heat back down to medium.
Add the chicken stock, cream, shredded chicken and half of the parmesan and stir together until the cheese melts.
By now the pasta should be cooked. Add the drained pasta to the pan and stir together until the pasta is coated in the creamy sauce.
Transfer the contents of the pan to a large baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan and the cheddar and mozzarella on top, then place in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley before serving.
Video
✎ Notes
What type of pasta to use:
I use Fusilli for this, but you can use any larger-sized pasta you like - such as Spiralli (pasta spirals), Penne (tubes cut on the diagonal), Rigatoni (ribbed pasta tubes, square-cut on the ends) and Farfalle (pasta bows) all work particularly well, with no change in amounts or cooking times. You can also use Ziti - which is similar to Rigatoni, but a little smaller and not ribbed (unless you buy Ziti Rigati - which is ribbed). I was thinking of making this dish a baked alfredo ziti, but ziti pasta is very difficult to find in the UK.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes! You can make ahead up to the point where you have sprinkled the cheese on, then cool, cover with foil and refrigerate for up to a day. Take out of the fridge for an hour before cooking it, to take the chill off the dish (otherwise you mind find you get a cold spot in the middle when baking it). Keep the foil on and heat in the oven at 190C/375F for about 10 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to heat for a further 15 minutes, until hot throughout. Note: the dish will be a little less saucy if you make it ahead, as the pasta will absorb more of the liquid. You can a few tablespoons of stock or hot water before heating the pasta to ensure it’s still saucy if you like.
Will it freeze?
Yes, once cooked: Cool quickly, cover and freeze. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then take out of the fridge for an hour before cooking it. Reheat in the oven (covered in foil) at 190C/375F for about 20-25 minutes until hot throughout. Add a few tablespoons of stock or hot water when reheating the pasta to ensure it’s still saucy.Nutritional information is per serving (this recipe contains 6 servings)
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Hi I’m Nicky
I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.
I love pasta bakes made with gnocchi - real comfort food! I've found and made a few recipes from other sites, but they need too much tweaking and are often full of annoying American style units, like cups of chopped onions. It would be great to have a recipe for one on KS because your recipes are so easy to follow, and I can rely on the final product tasting great. 🙂 We're also trying to eat a bit less meat, so a pasta bake with salmon would also be great. (Tuna doesn't go down as well with my youngest.)
Thank you - I love your kitchen and your recipies. I lived on lamb byriani when I was living in India for a year. Food of Gods, and me too. Do you know a recipe - I've looked and it is so hard!!
Hello ... I love all of your recipes and though I have to make adjustments due to severe food allergies I have managed to enjoy many of your recipes that I receive in my email. I also recommend and forward your recipes to my daughter who have enjoyed recreating them without any changes. 🙂 ... what I would like to see, but it may not be of interest, are pasta bakes that do no need regular cream or sour cream ( I sub with a blend of goat yogurt and goat cream cheese combo) , milk (sub almond or soy milk), regular cheese (sub goat or sheep cheese), or eggs (no real sub for that 🙁 ... but that may only be a dream. As I said, I love your recipes and will continue to enjoy them in the future, but thank you for asking. 🙂 ps .. I am also allergic to poultry, but pork tenderloin works in place of that 🙂
Chels says
Excellent recipe! It's hard to not go back for seconds. Thank you
Glenda Dibley says
So good. Nice change not having to tweak a recipe
Chris Corbishley says
Thanks Glenda,
So happy that you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Thanks
Chris & Nicky
Rachael says
Yum!! 😀
To answer your question about other pasta dishes I would love to see a fish pasta dish… Something besides shrimp that is 🙂
Lesley says
Made this on Sunday. So good it's made the lamination stage! Thanks Nicky x
Julie Brazier says
I love pasta bakes made with gnocchi - real comfort food! I've found and made a few recipes from other sites, but they need too much tweaking and are often full of annoying American style units, like cups of chopped onions. It would be great to have a recipe for one on KS because your recipes are so easy to follow, and I can rely on the final product tasting great. 🙂
We're also trying to eat a bit less meat, so a pasta bake with salmon would also be great. (Tuna doesn't go down as well with my youngest.)
mohan kumar says
Nice blog to follow while preparing recipes.
Thank you so much for sharing with us.
mohan kumar says
Thank you so much for sharing with us.
This look so fresh and delecious.
Alle Coulson says
Thank you - I love your kitchen and your recipies. I lived on lamb byriani when I was living in India for a year. Food of Gods, and me too. Do you know a recipe - I've looked and it is so hard!!
Darlene Anisimowicz says
Hello ... I love all of your recipes and though I have to make adjustments due to severe food allergies I have managed to enjoy many of your recipes that I receive in my email. I also recommend and forward your recipes to my daughter who have enjoyed recreating them without any changes. 🙂 ... what I would like to see, but it may not be of interest, are pasta bakes that do no need regular cream or sour cream ( I sub with a blend of goat yogurt and goat cream cheese combo) , milk (sub almond or soy milk), regular cheese (sub goat or sheep cheese), or eggs (no real sub for that 🙁 ... but that may only be a dream. As I said, I love your recipes and will continue to enjoy them in the future, but thank you for asking. 🙂 ps .. I am also allergic to poultry, but pork tenderloin works in place of that 🙂