Italian baked chicken and pasta

This was an easy dish to put together in the midst of Thanksgiving cooking week. I needed something tasty but not too much work. Not only did this recipe fit the bill, but it was very very good. I adapted it from this recipe by Giada DeLaurentiis, and subbed soy cheeses for mozzarella and parmesan, used margarine for butter, and utilized a package of already-grilled chicken that I had on hand. All in all, a quick and easy pasta dish that will have you helping yourself to seconds and thirds. Enjoy!

Italian baked chicken and pasta

1 pound small pasta (I used mini fusilli)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup leftover or pre-cooked chicken, cut into small pieces

2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, with liquid

1 cup shredded soy mozzarella

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup bread crumbs (I used panko)

1/4 cup grated soy parmesan

1 tablespoon margarine, plus more for coating baking dish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add pasta. Cook according to package instructions til al dente, then drain and place pasta in a large bowl.

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet, and add the onions and garlic. Saute until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cut-up chicken and toss everything together. Add the mixture to the pasta bowl. Then add the tomatoes, mozzarella, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. 

Place mixture into an 8×8″ baking dish, greased with a little margarine. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the parmesan, and sprinkle on top of the pasta. Dot the top with little slivers of margarine.

Bake until the top is golden, about 35-40 minutes.