Chicken Ricotta Pasta Bake | Market Basket Series Week 4

This recipe is part of our Market Basket Series — Week 4: Italian Comfort. It uses the pasta bake portion of shredded chicken set aside after Night 1, and the 1½ cups of sausage sauce reserved at the end of Night 3. Read the Week 4 post for the full shopping list, chicken allocation strategy, and all five dinners. A bubbling, golden baked pasta layered with shredded chicken, creamy ricotta, melted mozzarella, and rich sausage sauce — a crowd-pleasing dinner that practically assembles itself. About This Recipe Baked pasta is the Italian kitchen’s most forgiving dish — it absorbs whatever sauce you have, stretches a modest amount of protein into a full family meal, and rewards you with a golden, bubbling top that makes it look far more effortful than it is. Here, the reserved sausage sauce from Night 3 does the heavy lifting on flavour, while ricotta adds a quiet creaminess and golden zucchini brings texture and a vegetable element. This is the kind of dinner that disappears fast and reheats beautifully the next day. Ingredients 1 cup shredded chicken (from Night 1 pasta bake portion) 8 oz fresh ricotta 8 oz fresh or shredded mozzarella, divided ½ cup Parmesan, grated 2 medium zucchini, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1½ cups reserved sausage sauce from Night 3 (or remaining crushed tomatoes if needed) 12 oz rigatoni or penne Fresh basil to garnish Salt and black pepper to taste Instructions Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Cook pasta in well-salted boiling water until just al dente — it will finish cooking in the oven. Drain and set aside. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and cook for 5–6 minutes until golden at the edges. Add garlic and oregano and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, shredded chicken, cooked zucchini, ricotta, half the mozzarella, and the reserved sausage sauce. Mix well until everything is evenly coated. Transfer to a greased 9×13-inch baking dish and spread into an even layer. Top with the remaining mozzarella and all of the Parmesan. Bake for 20–25 minutes until the top is bubbling and golden. Rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil and serve directly from the dish. Recipe Details Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Servings: 4–6 Difficulty: Easy Dietary Info: Gluten-Free option (use GF pasta) Tips & Variations Baked pasta is the ultimate use-it-up dish — the reserved sausage sauce does the heavy lifting on flavour, and the ricotta adds creaminess without heaviness Cook the pasta slightly less than al dente — it will absorb sauce and continue cooking in the oven, so undercooking it slightly prevents mushiness Assemble the bake up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate unbaked — add 10 minutes to the bake time if going straight from the fridge Scatter leftover Italian sausage crumbles on top before baking for extra richness Use cottage cheese in place of ricotta for a lighter version Swap zucchini for roasted eggplant or diced bell pepper Leftovers reheat well — cover with foil and warm at 350°F for 15 minutes, or microwave individual portions

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