Bites of chicken, rigatoni pasta and artichoke hearts come together with a creamy Parmesan white sauce to make this rich and comforting casserole.
Seasoned with Italian spices, onion and garlic then topped with mozzarella cheese, it’s baked until bubbly hot and golden brown. Mouth-watering, irresistibly delicious.
Confession time. While I usually prefer fresh vegetables over any other form. . . I hate working with fresh artichokes. They’re a pain and a half to clean and by the time I’m done there’s barely anything left. Instead, I use jarred artichokes packed in oil. They usually have seasoning added too giving them extra flavor compared to frozen, canned and even fresh.
Tip time. I have a new secret weapon for turning boneless chicken into juicy, tender morsels: buttermilk. I now marinate all my chicken beforehand, even if I only have an hour to spare. I also do it on frozen chicken and allow it to defrost in the buttermilk. It makes a world of difference. I buy the powdered buttermilk found in the baking aisle and always have it on hand. Cup for cup it’s cheaper than fresh and has the same active cultures.
This is the kind of comfort food I look forward to eating at this time of the year.
The kind of food that warms you from the inside out like a great big bear hug.
Food that makes you slow down and sit down. Food to savor.
Food for the soul.
Chicken, pasta, artichoke hearts and mozzarella come together with a creamy Parmesan sauce to make this rich and comforting casserole.
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large skillet heat a tablespoon or 2 of oil over medium heat and add the onions. Season with a dash of salt and pepper, cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Remove to a small bowl and set aside.
- Season the chicken well with salt and pepper. In the same skillet heat another tablespoon of oil over medium heat and add the chicken. Cook through, stirring every few minutes so all sides get browned. Remove from heat.
- Cook pasta to al dente in plenty of salted water. Meanwhile make the sauce and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 3 minutes, whisking often. Slowly whisk in milk, bring to a simmer for 3 minutes, whisking often. Turn heat to low, whisk in nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper and the parmesan cheese. Turn off heat.
- Generously butter a 9x13-inch casserole or baking pan. Drain pasta, add back to the pan and toss with the chicken and onion/garlic. Add about 3/4 of the sauce to the pasta and stir well. Pour into the casserole pan and spread out evenly.
- Scatter the artichokes evenly over top then spoon the remaining sauce over them. Sprinkle with the mozzarella.
- Bake 40 minutes until bubbly all over and golden on top. If the cheese starts to get too brown cover with aluminum foil. Allow to set 5 minutes before serving.
Can this be frozen before it is baked?
Hi Marci! I don’t recommend it because the sauce could “break” – meaning it could separate. You may be able to freeze it after cooking and just reheat it in a low oven but this kind of dish is really best eaten fresh.
Artichoke Chicken Dish Simply YUM! I am a spicey food lover, and was looking for a calmer pasta to make for my daughter in law (who just can not have spicey food) This was FANTASTIC! ” I” even loved it! Nothing blan about it. Now one of my GO TO… Recipes.
that I have tried and love file, in my computer.
Thank you so much Susan definetly a *****star
Thanks Susan! That makes me so happy! I’m glad it was a hit!