I think that I managed to pack all of the season’s best fresh veggies and herbs into one cheesy casserole! This Dump-and-Bake Summer Pasta with Corn, Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Chicken is a quick, light, and easy dinner that your family will love. It’s so simple and so fast because you don’t even have to boil the pasta! Just stir the ingredients together in one dish and pop it in the oven!
Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean that I’ve totally given up on cozy comfort food! I’ve only shifted gears a little bit and turned our cool weather favorites into more seasonally appropriate dishes like this Summer Pasta! Because you can only eat so many salads…
But wait! Before you run off and assume that this is a heavy, calorie-laden meal that won’t jive with your bathing suit goals, hear me out! I’ve lightened up the dish with loads of fresh vegetables, lean protein, and a broth-based sauce for a dump-and-run summer pasta that has less than 300 calories per serving!
Over the past 7 or 8 years, I have found that the best way to encourage all of my boys to eat their veggies is to add the nutritious stuff to familiar meals that the kids already know and love. I’m not “disguising” or “hiding” the vegetables, but instead making them more palatable and mild by combining them with the flavors and textures that the boys enjoy.
So when you’re faced with a garden full of zucchini, fresh tomatoes from the farmer’s market, or leftover grilled chicken from your recent cookout, there’s no need to force-feed a grilled chicken salad to your toddler! Instead, you can bake a fresh and light summer pasta for an easy dinner that comes together in a matter of minutes (and it just happens to include zucchini). This is about as easy as cooking gets, since you don’t even have to boil the pasta!
Dump and Bake Summer Pasta with Corn, Zucchini, Tomatoes and Chicken
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 8 servings
I think that I managed to pack all of the season's best fresh veggies and herbs into one cheesy casserole! This Dump-and-Bake Summer Pasta with Corn, Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Chicken is a quick, light, and easy dinner that your family will love. It's so simple and so fast because you don't even have to boil the pasta! Just stir the ingredients together in one dish and pop it in the oven!
Ingredients
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2 cups diced, cooked chicken
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1 cup halved grape tomatoes (can substitute with a can of undrained diced tomatoes)
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1 small zucchini (about 1 cup), diced
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½ cup corn kernels (fresh, canned, or frozen is fine)
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12 ounces (about 3 cups uncooked) uncooked penne pasta
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3 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
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8 ounces (about 2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
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½ cup chopped or torn fresh basil leaves, divided
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2 teaspoons minced garlic
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½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In the prepared dish (or in a separate bowl), stir together cooked chicken, tomatoes, zucchini, corn, uncooked pasta, chicken broth, 1 ½ cups of mozzarella cheese, about half of the basil leaves, minced garlic, and salt.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Uncover; stir. At this point you should check the pasta to make sure that it is al dente (firm but just about finished cooking). If it’s still too hard, cover the dish and return to the oven until pasta is al dente. Then move on to the next step.
- Sprinkle remaining ½ cup of mozzarella over the top. Bake uncovered for 5-10 more minutes (or until cheese is melted and pasta is tender).
- Garnish with remaining basil leaves just before serving.
Notes
Cooking Just for Two? You can prepare a much smaller casserole by dividing the ingredients in half and baking the dish in an 8-inch square pan. The cooking process remains the same.
Want to Prep Ahead? You can dice the chicken and vegetables in advance. When you're ready to prepare dinner, just stir the ingredients together and bake!
Courses Dinner
Cuisine American
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1/8th of the recipe
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
Calories 278 | ||
% Daily Value | ||
Total Fat 5.8 g | 9% | |
Saturated Fat 3 g | 15% | |
Cholesterol 36 mg | 12% | |
Sodium 498 mg | 21% | |
Total Carbohydrates 36 g | 12% | |
Dietary Fiber 2.4 g | 10% | |
Sugars 2 g | ||
Protein 21 g | 42% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
What a pretty pasta, Blair! I love how you combined fresh produce and comfort food. You’re so right…summer doesn’t mean giving up comfort foods, and this looks like the perfect dish. I love all of your dump and bake meals!
Thanks, Gayle! Veggies are the best way to lighten up a cozy comfort food dish, and this one definitely delivers. 🙂
My family has loved all of the other Dump-and-Bake dishes that I’ve made, and it seems like you guys have too! What’s not to love, right? You don’t even have to boil the pasta or prep any ingredients, and the noodles come out tender and perfect every time!
Hi, Lisa! Thanks so much for stopping by! I agree — dump-and-bake dinners are life changing! Definitely the easiest way to “cook”! 🙂
These look yummy!! Thanks!!
Thanks, Brenda! I hope that you have a chance to try it!
This a keeper dish will be making this one real soon thanks for the lovely recipes you put out here for everyone to try
Hi, Kat! Thank you so much! I hope that you enjoy the dish, and I appreciate your note! 🙂
Yum, my whole family loved this, and my college age son asked me to put it in the recipe pile he is taking back to school next month. I used elbow macaroni, which is what I had. Next time, I think I will double the zucchini (or add a yellow squash). I also used fresh rosemary in lieu of basil, because again that’s what I had on hand. It was really delicious and very easy. Thanks!
Hi, Teresa! Thanks so much for letting me know. Your version sounds perfect, and it’s always high praise when the kids approve too! 🙂
Hi Blair: I made this dish for dinner last night, and it was FANTABULOUS! I used Whole Grain Penne Rigate’, and I also added in an 8 oz. can of (drained) mushroom stems & pieces,, since my family loves mushrooms. I served this dish with a tossed Italian salad, and I gotta tell ya….it received RAVE REVIEWS from my (fussy) family! It’s now on my ‘Rotation List’ . Thanks for yet another delicious recipe.
Hi, Angela! That’s so great! I’m glad to know that the whole grain pasta works as well, since I hadn’t tested it myself and I thought it might need a longer cooking time. I’m thrilled that your family enjoyed the meal too! 🙂
300 calories per serving is actually really impressing when it comes to a pasta dish. This will be a super dinner throughout the week!
I agree, Kelly! Thanks to so many healthy veggies and lean protein, this pasta dish isn’t one that will weigh you down! 🙂
If u don’t add the chicken , do you have to do anything different??? Sounds delicious but I don’t eat chicken
Hey, Tiffany! Nope, you don’t have to do anything differently. You can replace it with a can of drained, rinsed beans if you prefer, or just leave it out entirely. The cooking instructions should still be the same! 🙂
Has anyone tried no chicken? i’m wondering if i should just leave it out (vegetarian) , is there a type of bean you suggest?
I haven’t tried it, Kimberly, but it should work just fine! You could add a can of drained and rinsed garbanzo beans if you want some added protein, but I don’t think that it’s necessary. 🙂
What a terrific use of fresh ingredients! Mind if I distribute copies at a Farmer’s Market? I will highlight your website so everyone will be able to find your page.
That’s no problem. Thanks for checking, and thanks for sharing it with your friends!
This was a hit Round our table and we’re making it for a second time already. Any thoughts on how well this would freeze after being baked?
Awesome! I love that your family enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know, Melissa!
I honestly don’t know how it would freeze. It should be fine, but the texture of the pasta might be slightly off? I haven’t tried it myself. 🙂
Wow, can’t wait to try it! Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe. “Dump and Bake” is a great concept.
Thanks, Richard! It’s the best way to make a casserole! ENjoy. 🙂
I hope it would work well with gluten free pasta. I’ll post again if it is success.
Definitely let us know if it works with the gluten free pasta! That’s something that I have never tried! 🙂
Gluten free pasta was success! it was little bit hard on the top after cooking for 40 mins but adding the cheese afterwards was soft and delicious! Definitely would make it again!
That’s so good to know, Mariah! I’m sure that other readers will appreciate the feedback in the future, so thank you for taking the time to report back!
Love it!!! Thanks for these awesome ‘dump and bake’ recipes. Please keep them coming 😍
I’m so glad that you enjoy them, Dorianne! I have many, many more similar dump and bake recipes coming soon!
I admit I was a skeptic; would the pasta truly cook well, would it be watery, would it be bland. Oh, but there was no need to worry! This is an amazing dish I will be making again soon. And, the leftovers, I think will be good cold over salad greens, too. Very flavorful and easy. Love using my fresh veggies and herbs! Thanks!
Excellent! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Danielle!!! 🙂
Is it supposed to turn out watery?
Hi, Brittany! No, the pasta should absorb most of the liquid in the dish as it bakes in the oven. You want a little bit of thickened “sauce” in the dish so that it’s not too dry at the end, but it shouldn’t be soupy and watery.
Sounds delicious! Do you think this would work as a freezer meal?
Hi, Megan! Since you’re dealing with uncooked pasta, I think it’s best to throw it together just before baking. I’ve never tried it as a freezer meal, but I would worry that the pasta would start to absorb some of the liquid and might have a funny texture after thawing. Just a guess, though, since I haven’t actually experimented. 🙂
If you’re looking for some quick dump-and-bake freezer meals, definitely check out this post: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/5-dump-bake-freezer-meals/
Hope that helps!
Super good! I’m always looking for recipes that are fairly easy to make, somewhat healthy and something the whole family will eat. This hit the jackpot and everyone asked for seconds. Next time I think add some more chicken broth because some pasta on the top weren’t submerged & didn’t cook. Other than that, it was terrific!
Thanks, Katie! I’m so glad that it worked for your entire family! That’s when you know it’s a winner. 🙂