Italian rigatoni bakes didn't exist until 1960s when American convenience cooking merged with traditional pasta shapes.
Cheesy Chicken Rigatoni Bake
Indulge in a mouthwatering Cheesy Chicken Rigatoni Bake that brings comfort food to a whole new level! This delightful dish features tender rigatoni nestled in a rich, creamy sauce, bursting with succulent chicken and a melty blend of your favorite cheeses. Top it off with a crispy golden crust for a satisfying meal that's perfect for any occasion!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
This dish is pure Italian-American rebellion—when 1950s Italian immigrants hit New York's supermarkets and discovered processed cheddar, tilsit, and edam sitting next to proper mozzarella and parmesan, they said 'sod tradition' and created this five-cheese monster that would make nonna weep into her authentic carbonara while secretly admitting it's bloody brilliant comfort food.
Regional Twist
In Bologna, they ditch the cheddar and tilsit for aged parmigiano-reggiano and pecorino romano, using the same mozzarella base but adding prosciutto di Parma between the pasta layers for proper Emilian swagger.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 0.31 lb (141 g) cheddar
- 1.1 lb (499 g) chicken breast
- 3 cup (710 ml) cream
- 0.13 lb (59 g) edam
- 0.22 lb (100 g) mozzarella
- 0.11 lb (50 g) parmesan
- 0.77 lb (349 g) rigatoni
- 0.13 lb (59 g) tilsit
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- 1.3 cup (308 ml) beef broth
- butter (to taste)
- flour (to taste)
- garlic powder (to taste)
- paprika powder (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
- tomato salt (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare the chicken: Cut the chicken into pieces and season with paprika powder, tomato salt, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Sauté in a pan until golden brown, then remove from the pan.
- 2
Make the cheese sauce: Melt butter in the pan, add flour and sauté. Deglaze with cream and whisk until creamy. Add beef broth and bring to a boil. Stir in mozzarella, parmesan, cheddar, tilsit, and edam until melted.
- 3
Return the chicken to the sauce and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of broth.
- 4
Stir in the pre-cooked rigatoni and mix well.
- 5
Layer the bake: Place half of the pasta and chicken mixture in a baking dish, sprinkle with a handful of cheddar. Add the second half of the pasta and chicken, then top with mozzarella, edam, and tilsit.
- 6
Bake: Preheat the oven to 220 °C (428 °F) and bake for about 13 minutes until golden brown on top.
- 7
Let it rest for at least 15 minutes after baking to set.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook your roux (butter and flour) for exactly 2-3 minutes at medium heat to eliminate raw flour taste while maintaining thickening power - undercooking leaves a chalky flavor, overcooking reduces thickening ability by 30%.technique2-3 minutes
- ✓Add cream gradually while whisking continuously to prevent breaking - cream's fat globules need gentle incorporation or they'll separate when heated above 180°F.technique180°F threshold
- ✓Undercook your rigatoni by 2-3 minutes from package directions since it will continue cooking in the oven and absorb sauce - overcooked pasta becomes mushy and loses 40% of its structural integrity.timing2-3 minutes under
- ✓Let the bake rest for exactly 15 minutes after removing from oven so the cheese sauce thickens as it cools from 200°F to 140°F and proteins set properly for clean slicing.timing15 minutes, 200°F to 140°F
- ✓Use a 3:2:1 ratio of melting cheeses (mozzarella:cheddar:hard cheese) for optimal stretch and flavor - mozzarella provides stretch, cheddar adds sharpness, hard cheeses contribute umami depth.ingredient3:2:1 ratio
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Italian rigatoni bakes didn't exist until 1960s when American convenience cooking merged with traditional pasta shapes.
Cheesy Chicken Rigatoni Bake
Indulge in a mouthwatering Cheesy Chicken Rigatoni Bake that brings comfort food to a whole new level! This delightful dish features tender rigatoni nestled in a rich, creamy sauce, bursting with succulent chicken and a melty blend of your favorite cheeses. Top it off with a crispy golden crust for a satisfying meal that's perfect for any occasion!
The Story
This dish is pure Italian-American rebellion—when 1950s Italian immigrants hit New York's supermarkets and discovered processed cheddar, tilsit, and edam sitting next to proper mozzarella and parmesan, they said 'sod tradition' and created this five-cheese monster that would make nonna weep into her authentic carbonara while secretly admitting it's bloody brilliant comfort food.
Regional Twist
In Bologna, they ditch the cheddar and tilsit for aged parmigiano-reggiano and pecorino romano, using the same mozzarella base but adding prosciutto di Parma between the pasta layers for proper Emilian swagger.
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 0.31 lb (141 g) cheddar
- 1.1 lb (499 g) chicken breast
- 3 cup (710 ml) cream
- 0.13 lb (59 g) edam
- 0.22 lb (100 g) mozzarella
- 0.11 lb (50 g) parmesan
- 0.77 lb (349 g) rigatoni
- 0.13 lb (59 g) tilsit
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- 1.3 cup (308 ml) beef broth
- butter (to taste)
- flour (to taste)
- garlic powder (to taste)
- paprika powder (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
- tomato salt (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare the chicken: Cut the chicken into pieces and season with paprika powder, tomato salt, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Sauté in a pan until golden brown, then remove from the pan.
- 2
Make the cheese sauce: Melt butter in the pan, add flour and sauté. Deglaze with cream and whisk until creamy. Add beef broth and bring to a boil. Stir in mozzarella, parmesan, cheddar, tilsit, and edam until melted.
- 3
Return the chicken to the sauce and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of broth.
- 4
Stir in the pre-cooked rigatoni and mix well.
- 5
Layer the bake: Place half of the pasta and chicken mixture in a baking dish, sprinkle with a handful of cheddar. Add the second half of the pasta and chicken, then top with mozzarella, edam, and tilsit.
- 6
Bake: Preheat the oven to 220 °C (428 °F) and bake for about 13 minutes until golden brown on top.
- 7
Let it rest for at least 15 minutes after baking to set.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook your roux (butter and flour) for exactly 2-3 minutes at medium heat to eliminate raw flour taste while maintaining thickening power - undercooking leaves a chalky flavor, overcooking reduces thickening ability by 30%.technique2-3 minutes
- ✓Add cream gradually while whisking continuously to prevent breaking - cream's fat globules need gentle incorporation or they'll separate when heated above 180°F.technique180°F threshold
- ✓Undercook your rigatoni by 2-3 minutes from package directions since it will continue cooking in the oven and absorb sauce - overcooked pasta becomes mushy and loses 40% of its structural integrity.timing2-3 minutes under
- ✓Let the bake rest for exactly 15 minutes after removing from oven so the cheese sauce thickens as it cools from 200°F to 140°F and proteins set properly for clean slicing.timing15 minutes, 200°F to 140°F
- ✓Use a 3:2:1 ratio of melting cheeses (mozzarella:cheddar:hard cheese) for optimal stretch and flavor - mozzarella provides stretch, cheddar adds sharpness, hard cheeses contribute umami depth.ingredient3:2:1 ratio