Chicken Alfredo Baked Ziti
A white, creamy ziti with no tomato in sight
Baked ziti in a garlicky Parmesan Alfredo sauce with tender chicken and a browned mozzarella top — a rich, white-sauce alternative to the tomato-based classic.
How it layers, top to bottom
Photography to come
- Browned mozzarellaUncovered, until it blisters
- Ziti + sauceUndercooked by two minutes
- Ricotta, egg, ParmigianoSet, so it slices clean
- Ziti + sauceGenerous — it drinks liquid
- Sauce, on the baseSo nothing catches
Bake at 375°F (190°C) until the centre reaches 165°F (74°C).
This is a different animal from red-sauce ziti: a homemade Alfredo of butter, cream, and Parmesan coats the pasta, with cooked chicken folded through. There's no ricotta or tomato — the creaminess comes entirely from the sauce, so getting it silky before baking is the key.
Ingredients
Ingredients now scaled for 8 servings.
Equipment
- 9×13-inch baking dish
- Saucepan
- Large pot
Directions
- 1
Heat oven to 400°F (205°C) and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- 2
Melt the butter in a saucepan and cook the garlic until fragrant, then pour in the cream and simmer gently.
⏲ Reduce cream: ~5 min
Look for: Cream should thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- 3
Off the heat, whisk in the Parmesan and nutmeg until the sauce is smooth; season with salt and pepper.
Look for: Sauce is glossy with no grainy clumps.
- 4
Boil the ziti two minutes short of al dente; drain and return to the pot.
⏲ Undercook pasta: ~8 min
Look for: Firm; it will soften in the sauce.
- 5
Fold the Alfredo and chicken through the pasta, then transfer to a greased dish.
Food safety: Use chicken already cooked to 165°F (74°C).
- 6
Top with the mozzarella.
- 7
Bake uncovered 20–25 minutes until bubbling at the edges and the cheese is golden.
⏲ Bake: ~25 min
Look for: Sauce bubbling; top browned.
Food safety: Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C).
- 8
Rest 10 minutes, scatter with parsley, and serve.
⏲ Rest: ~10 min
Troubleshooting & common mistakes
- Boiling the cream hard, which can break the sauce.
- Adding Parmesan over high heat, which makes it clumpy.
Make-ahead, storage & reheating
- Make ahead
- Cream sauces can break on reheating, so this is best assembled and baked the same day; keep the sauce loose if you must hold it.
- Storage
- Refrigerate up to 3 days.
- Freezer
- Freezing is not recommended — the Alfredo can separate and turn grainy when thawed.
- Reheating
- Reheat gently at 325°F (160°C) with a splash of cream or milk to bring the sauce back together.
Recipe notes
- Freshly grated Parmesan melts far more smoothly than pre-shredded.
FAQ
- Can I leave out the chicken?
- Yes — it becomes a plain Alfredo ziti; add sautéed mushrooms or broccoli for heft.
- Can I use jarred Alfredo?
- You can, but a quick homemade sauce tastes fresher and reheats better.
Nutrition (estimate)
Per 1 of 8 servings: ~640 kcal, 32 g protein, 46 g carbs, 37 g fat.
Estimated from listed quantities via a standard USDA-based database; approximate, not lab-verified.
Pantry · shelf-stable
Stock the pantry
Shelf-stable staples for this recipe. Fresh cheese, produce, and meat are best bought locally. As an Amazon Associate, ZitiRecipe earns from qualifying purchases.
Equipment · specification-based picks
Equipment for this recipe
Recommendations, not ingredients — chosen on documented specs, not hands-on testing. As an Amazon Associate, ZitiRecipe earns from qualifying purchases.
A fine rasp grates Parmigiano into a light, quick-melting fluff and turns garlic into a paste for sauce. It's a finishing tool, not a bulk shredder.
- Cut:
- Very fine — melts quickly into sauce or on top
Best for: A fluffy finish of hard cheese and grating garlic into sauce.
Skip if: Bulk shredding — it's a finishing tool.
A microplane for finely grating Parmesan into the sauce