Food and Recipes Dish Casserole Baked Ziti with Chicken 5.0 (1) 1 Review We reimagined this family classic using store-bought rotisserie chicken. By Southern Living Test Kitchen Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on February 24, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Photographer: Will Dickey Prop Stylist: Missie Crawford Food Stylist: Erin Merhar Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hrs Servings: 8 When you're in the market for a comforting weeknight dinner recipe that feeds a hungry family and doesn't require a whole lot of cleanup, baked ziti is about as dependable as it gets. Cheesy, hearty, and customizable for when you want to use store-bought ingredients, the baked pasta casserole can make even leftovers sound exciting. This recipe chooses to forgo the usual ground beef or Italian sausage in favor of something even easier: rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Simply shred and throw into the dish for a filling protein that tends to appeal to even the pickiest of eaters. While the recipe chooses to use low-prep, store-bought options like rotisserie chicken and pre-shredded cheese, the homemade sauce makes all the difference. Simmering it down into a rich tomato sauce allows insanely savory flavor to be soaked into every noodle when baking later. Trust us on this one—and enjoy! Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup chopped yellow onion (from 1 [10-oz.] onion) 1 tablespoon 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 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon 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 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely shredded (about 2/3 cup), divided 8 ounces pre-shredded low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups), divided Directions Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add plum tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper; bring to a boil over medium. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld and sauce thickens, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add ziti, and boil until just al dente, according to package directions. Drain and return ziti to pot. Preheat oven to 375°F. Add tomato mixture, shredded chicken, and basil to ziti; stir to coat thoroughly. Pour half of ziti mixture into a 13- x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with 1/3 cup of the Parmesan and 1 cup of the mozzarella. Top with remaining ziti mixture, and sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and 1 cup mozzarella. Bake in preheated oven until cheese has melted, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and let rest 10 minutes. Garnish with additional basil before serving. Rate it Print