When you remain in the marketplace for a soothing weeknight supper recipe that feeds a starving household and does not require a great deal of cleanup, this baked ziti with chicken has to do with as trustworthy as it gets.

Cheesy, hearty, and customizable for when you wish to utilize store-bought active ingredients, the baked pasta casserole can make even leftovers sound amazing. This dish selects to forgo the normal hamburger or Italian sausage in favor of something even easier: rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Just shred and throw into the meal for a filling protein that tends to appeal to even the pickiest of eaters.

While the dish picks to utilize low-prep, store-bought choices like rotisserie chicken and pre-shredded cheese, the homemade sauce makes all the distinction. Simmering it down into an abundant tomato sauce permits remarkably savory flavor to be soaked into every noodle when baking later on. Trust us on this one– and take pleasure in!

Components
1 Tbsp. olive oil

10-oz.

1 Tbsp. minced garlic (about 3 medium garlic cloves).

1 (28-oz.) can whole peeled plum tomatoes, tomatoes coarsely crushed by hand and juices reserved.

2 (14.5-oz.) cans crushed tomatoes, undrained.

2 tsp. kosher salt.

1/2 tsp. black pepper.

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper.

1 pound. uncooked ziti.

3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (from 1 rotisserie chicken).

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, plus more for garnish.

Cooking spray.

1 1/2 oz. Parmesan cheese, finely shredded (about 2/3 cup), divided.

8 oz. pre-shredded low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups), divided.

Directions.
Prepare onion and garlic:.
Heat oil in a big skillet over medium. Include onion; cook, stirring periodically, till translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring sometimes, up until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Include tomatoes and flavoring for sauce:.
Include plum tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper; bring to a boil over medium. Lower heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring sometimes, until tastes meld and sauce thickens, about 30 minutes.

Cook pasta:.
Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. Include ziti, and boil until simply al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and return ziti to pot.

Add sauce and chicken to pasta:.
Preheat oven to 375 ° F. Add tomato mixture, shredded chicken, and basil to ziti; stir to coat completely.

Include ziti to baking meal:.
Pour half of ziti mixture into a 13- x 9-inch baking dish covered with cooking spray. Sprinkle equally with 1/3 cup of the Parmesan and 1 cup of the mozzarella. Leading with staying ziti mix, and sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and 1 cup mozzarella.

Bake:.
Bake in preheated oven up until cheese has actually melted, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and let rest 10 minutes. Garnish with additional basil before serving.