Bake My Day
Mediterranean-Style Shredded Chicken, Broccoli, and Pasta Casserole with Herbed Tomato Sauce and a Crispy Breadcrumb Crust
1 hour
Serves 4
DinnerMediterraneanDairy-free
Herb's take
This Mediterranean-inspired casserole transforms humble ingredients into a dinner with layers of flavor and texture, all without a drop of dairy. You'll master shredding chicken and building a crunchy, dairy-free crust that won't leave you missing cheese. Yes, science can be comfort food.
Ingredients
Yield
4
Instructions
- 01Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- 02Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the chicken breasts and simmer until cooked through, about 12 minutes. Remove, let rest 5 minutes, then shred with two forks.
- 03In the same water, cook the pasta until just shy of al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package. In the last 2 minutes of pasta cooking, add the broccoli florets. Drain and set aside.
- 04Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion until translucent, 5 minutes.
- 05Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- 06Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, 1 tsp salt, and black pepper. Simmer 8 minutes until thickened slightly.
- 07Remove from heat. Stir in lemon zest and half the parsley.
- 08Combine shredded chicken, cooked pasta and broccoli, and tomato sauce in a large bowl. Toss until everything is evenly coated.
- 09Transfer the mixture to a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Smooth the top.
- 10In a bowl, mix panko breadcrumbs with remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, the rest of the parsley, and 1/4 tsp salt. Sprinkle evenly over the casserole.
- 11Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden and crisp and the casserole is bubbling at the edges.
- 12Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.
Want your own batch?
I don't run a recipe search engine—I invent dishes from what you tell me. Toss me some ingredients on the home page.