This dump-and-bake summer pasta is loaded with all of the season’s best produce — zucchini, corn, tomatoes, and fresh basil, as well as tender chicken, pesto, and cheese. You don’t even have to boil the noodles for this fresh, flavorful, and easy dinner!
Table of Contents
If you’re looking for even more dump-and-bake recipes, be sure to try this dump-and-bake meatball casserole, this pesto alfredo chicken pasta, a hot dog casserole, this easy lemon chicken orzo, and our favorite dump-and-bake sesame chicken noodles, too!
This recipe is amazing! And also easy to change up with whatever veggies we have on hand. We tried it earlier in the week and the whole family loved it! So happy I found your site. It has helped make dinner-time easy and stress free!
– Chelsea
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Easy. The dump-and-bake method of cooking definitely isn’t fancy, but it sure is convenient on busy evenings when you just don’t have the time, energy, or desire to spend hours in the kitchen. This summer pasta cooks entirely in a single dish! Just stir everything together and your job is done.
- A great way to get kids to eat their veggies. Thanks to familiar flavors like pasta, chicken, and a creamy Alfredo sauce, this is one of those great meals that appeals to everyone at the table. Your kids might even be willing to try something new (like zucchini or cherry tomatoes?!), since it’s all mixed together in a delicious creamy pesto sauce and topped with plenty of cheese.
- Versatile. Use the ingredients that you have on hand. For instance, if you’ve got leftover grilled chicken from a previous meal, put it to good use in this summer pasta bake. You can also play around with the veggies, adding what you enjoy and omitting what you don’t. For instance, use yellow summer squash instead of zucchini, or skip the tomatoes and replace it with extra corn. Broccoli florets are another good option.
Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for our favorite dump-and-bake summer pasta recipe. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Penne pasta: just the uncooked pasta, since the noodles will bake in the sauce in the pan while it’s in the oven. If you’re using a different shape pasta, you may need to adjust to the total baking time.
- Chicken: keep it quick and easy with a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Of course, you can boil your own chicken at home to use in this recipe. To do so, start with1 pound of raw, boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs. This will equal about 2 cups of cooked, shredded meat.
- Tomatoes, zucchini, corn, and basil: fresh summer vegetables! Use fresh corn, thawed frozen corn, or canned corn.
- Chicken broth: adds flavor to the pasta and creamy sauce as the ingredients cook together in the pan. Chicken stock also works well.
- Alfredo sauce: you’ll need a total of about 2 ½ cups (one very large 22-oz jar or 1 ½ 15-oz jars). Homemade Alfredo is also fine!
- White wine: for even richer flavor. If you don’t want to cook with wine, just sub with extra broth or water.
- Basil pesto: pick a store-bought pesto for convenience, or make your own homemade pesto when fresh basil is in season.
- Italian seasoning: a convenient blend of marjoram, basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and other herbs.
- Crushed red pepper flakes: for a spicy kick. If you don’t want a spicy casserole, omit this ingredient altogether.
- Garlic powder and onion powder: even more savory flavor.
- Cheese: I use a shredded Italian cheese blend, but shredded mozzarella also pairs nicely with the tomatoes and basil. You can use just about any cheese that you like. Try sharp cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack, Colby, Colby Jack, Gruyere, or Pepper Jack. Some extra crumbled feta would also go well with the tomatoes.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper: to enhance the other flavors in the dish.
Directions
We all need more easy summer dinner recipes! This quick dump-and-bake summer pasta dish is a healthy meal that takes advantage of the season’s best produce. You’ll love that you can stir it together quickly (no need to boil the pasta in a pot first!) — then get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather!
- Toss together the uncooked pasta, chicken, vegetables, and basil in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Whisk together the broth, Alfredo, wine, pesto, and additional seasoning.
- Pour the sauce mixture over the pasta, chicken, and veggies. Make sure that everything is evenly distributed in the pan.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil.
- Bake the casserole in a 425°F oven for about 40 minutes, until the pasta is al dente.
- Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. It’s done when the cheese melts and starts to brown on top.
- Serve in individual bowls and garnish with extra basil, fresh parsley, additional red pepper flakes, or grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the summer pasta with garlic bread, no-knead cast iron focaccia, a simple green salad with red wine vinaigrette, roasted broccoli, roasted asparagus, or this 3-ingredient roasted yellow squash.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: You can assemble the casserole a few hours in advance, or even leave it covered in the fridge overnight before baking. The pasta will start to soften and absorb some of the liquid as it sits, so you may need to decrease the baking time slightly. You don’t want to overcook the casserole or you’ll end up with gummy, mushy pasta.
- Storage: This casserole is best enjoyed immediately from the oven. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The pasta will dry out a bit as it sits, so you may need to stir in some additional Alfredo sauce or broth when you reheat the dish. Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes.
- I do not recommend freezing this casserole because pasta has a tendency to get gummy and mushy when thawed.
Tips for Success
- Total cooking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use and your individual oven. Glass or ceramic baking dishes will take longer than metal pans, for instance. To know when your casserole is done, taste a bite of the pasta. The noodles should be tender and much of the liquid should be absorbed.
- Be careful not to overbake the casserole or the pasta will become mushy.
- This pasta is great for using up any leftover veggies that you might have on hand. Feel free to add broccoli florets, green beans, red peppers, chopped asparagus, peas, yellow summer squash, and more.
- Don’t have chicken? You can omit the meat altogether for a vegetarian dish (use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth). You might like to substitute with another protein like a can of white beans, bacon, Italian sausage, shredded turkey, or cooked ground beef. You can stir cooked shrimp into the dish at the very end.
- If you’re cooking for a smaller family, cut all of the ingredients in half. Bake the casserole in an 8-inch square dish.
Yummy! Ran across this recipe and it is amazing. My picky little girl ate zucchini!!! My family of 4 ate the whole casserole. I didn’t use corn and replaced the penne pasta with colorful rotini noodles made from vegetables. Thanks so much for sharing.
– Heather
More Easy Summer Dinners
Tortellini Salad with Chicken
30 minutes mins
Boursin Cheese Pasta with Summer Veggies
25 minutes mins
One-Skillet Peach Chicken
40 minutes mins
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Summer Pasta (Dump-and-Bake!)
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 42 minutes
Total: 52 minutes
This dump-and-bake summer pasta with corn, zucchini, tomatoes, and chicken is a quick, flavorful, and easy meal that the whole family will love!
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked penne pasta
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (such as the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes (can substitute with a can of drained diced tomatoes)
- 1 small zucchini (about 1 cup), diced
- ½ cup corn kernels (fresh, canned, or frozen and thawed is fine)
- ¼ cup chopped or torn fresh basil leaves, plus extra for garnish
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 (22 ounce) jar Alfredo sauce (or 1 ½ 15-ounce jars) (approximately 2 ½ cups total)
- ¼ cup white wine (or sub with extra broth or water)
- ¼ cup prepared basil pesto
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (use less or omit entirely if you don't like it spicy)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup (about 4 ounces) shredded Italian cheese blend or shredded mozzarella cheese
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In the prepared dish, combine the uncooked pasta, chicken, tomatoes, zucchini, corn, and basil.
- In a large bowl, whisk together chicken broth, Alfredo sauce, wine, pesto, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and onion powder. Pour over the pasta mixture in the dish and stir so that all of the ingredients are evenly distributed. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Uncover; stir gently with a fork. At this point you should check the pasta to make sure that it is al dente (tender but with a firm bite). If it’s still too hard, cover the dish and return it to the oven until the pasta is al dente. Then move on to the next step.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the top.
- Place the dish under the broiler (uncovered) for 1-2 minutes, just until the cheese melts and starts to get crispy on top. Watch the dish the entire time since the food can burn quickly under the broiler. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Garnish with additional chopped fresh basil or other herbs and/or Parmesan cheese; serve.
Notes
The new and improved version of this recipe was updated in May, 2024. If you’re looking for the older version from 2017, you’ll find it below:
- 2 cups diced, cooked chicken
- 1 cup halved grape tomatoes (can substitute with a can of undrained diced tomatoes)
- 1 small zucchini (about 1 cup), diced
- ½ cup corn kernels (fresh, canned, or frozen is fine)
- 12 ounces (about 3 cups uncooked) uncooked penne pasta
- 3 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 8 ounces (about 2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- ½ cup chopped or torn fresh basil leaves, divided
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/8th of the recipeCalories: 501kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 26gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 1066mgPotassium: 355mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 405IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 157mgIron: 2mg
This recipe was originally published in July, 2017. It was updated in May, 2024.
This recipe is amazing! And also easy to change up with whatever veggies we have on hand. We tried it earlier in the week and the whole family loved it! So happy I found your site. It has helped make dinner-time easy and stress free!
That’s awesome, Chelsea! Thank you!
Yummy! Ran across this recipe and it is amazing. My picky little girl ate zucchini !!! My family of 4 ate the whole casserole. I didn’t use corn and replaced the penn pasta with colorful rotini noodles made from vegetables. Thanks so much for sharing.
Thanks, Heather! I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂
Hi blair! Can this be made with shredded chicken? I am having friends over this weekend and cannot wait to serve this dish but I typically prefer shredded chicken . Thank you!
Absolutely! The shredded chicken would work perfectly!
Flavors were great and very easy! For some reason, I ended up with a ton of chicken stock still left in the pan.. 40 minutes cooked the pasta fine so I’m not sure what happened?
I’m so glad that the flavors were good! I like to have some broth left in the dish, which thickens from the starches released by the pasta and creates a “sauce” to keep the dish moist. While some broth/sauce in the dish is normal and intended, I’m not sure why there would have been a ton left at the end. Sorry I can’t be more helpful in that regard. 🙂
A great light summer dish! Loved It
Thanks, Tim! 🙂
Hey, thanks for this recipe! It has become a regular party of my rotation, good through the whole year!
Just wondering if I could freeze leftovers? Going to lose my oven to kitchen renovations soon and would love to pre-bake and store portions for microwaving in the coming few months!
Hi, Natasha! I’m so glad that you like it! 🙂
You can definitely freeze the leftovers — just beware that the texture of the dish may be slightly “off” after thawing. Just like any pasta casserole, the freezing and reheating process may make the pasta a bit mushy or gummy — not terrible — just not as good as when it’s straight out of the oven. Also, the frozen vegetables may be a bit mushier and release more liquid after thawing. Hope that helps!
When we had our kitchen renovated years ago, I relied heavily on slow cooker dinners. I could plug my Crock Pot into an outlet in the laundry room and just prepare dinner that way. You could even prepare slow cooker freezer meals so that you can just stash the prepped dinners in your freezer and then cook them as needed. Here are a few links to freezer meal prep sessions that you might find helpful: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/?s=freezer
Can you make this with uncooked chicken?
Hi, Jenny! Yes! I’ve made many other similar dump-and-bake casseroles with raw chicken and it works fine. Just make sure that you dice the chicken into small enough pieces so that it’s cooked through by the time the pasta is done. 🙂
WARNING!
I used the Banza chickpea pasta and it turned out TERRIBLE! The pasta was all mushy and doughy. It ruined everything for me. I imagine I would really love this dish, and will probably try in the future, but for now a little scared. If you are looking into a gluten free pasta, look elsewhere.
Hi, Katie! I’ve tried that chickpea pasta (not in this recipe) once before, and I thought it was pretty bad, too. 🙂
Any thoughts on how this would be without cheese? Similarly good?
Hey, Emily! It should still work without the cheese — it will just be missing that cheesy flavor and texture. 🙂 Enjoy!
My finnicky daughter really liked this meal! I would not call this “quick,” but it is definitely easy! I used canned chicken because I was too lazy to cook my own! 40 minutes is not enough to cook the pasta all the way, it needed 60 minutes, but that cooked it perfectly and there was no water left behind. I will be making this again, and using it as a meal to send to friends who need help (new parents and caregivers) with the ingredients for them to put it together themselves and feel like they are cooking! I’ve been on the receiving end of those kinds of meals and this would be perfect!
Thank you, Kristyn! I’m so glad that your daughter even approved. 🙂
This is one of our go to meals. It’s just tastes like summer, so fresh with produce right from the garden.
Only suggestion would be to mix the dish 1/2 to 2/3 the way through. The problem is the pasta on top (not submerged) doesn’t get cooked and remains a little too firm. But if you don’t do this, just poke all the hard pasta deep down when you take it out to add the extra cheese and it should be good.
Also, it may be a little brothy when you first take it out but that will soak in and evaporate if you take off the foil when it comes out to cool. Leftovers are even better!
Thanks, Jim!!
I’ve commented before but it was half query. I want to reiterate that this recipe is fantastic.
A few people have mentioned the crunchy pasta on top… We’ve had this too because I overload on veggies. Our solution is to put the pasta and stock in the bottom of the dish, then dump everything else on top and squash it down (not everything will be fully submerged but it doesn’t matter since the chicken is cooked already). The pasta cooks through and then you just stir everything together before you too with the last cheese.
This has made the dish SO versatile because I can just add as much extra veg I want, or use up the last of a bbq chook that’s a little too dry for lunches, no need to measure
We like to add parmesan on top in the last stage as well for an extra flavour twist. Thank you Blair, some variety of this recipe is in heavy rotation year round!!
Thank you for those great tips, Natasha! 🙂
This was so good! I was worried after reading reviews but took the advice of layering the pasta and broth on the bottom and everything else on top. Cooked for the recommended time and it turned out great. I did use 2tbsp of basil from a squeeze tube vs fresh and also did tomato basil chicken sausages. Both were great subs!
Awesome! Thanks for your note, Stacy. I’m so glad that it was a hit!
We love this casserole! I have made it 3 times now and it has always turned out perfect. I followed the recipe just as written and I have not had any problem with it being too juicy as mentioned by another reviewer. The only thing I would recommend is stirring after 20 minutes of baking, which was also mentioned by someone else.
I’m so happy to hear that, Diane! Thank you for taking the time to come back here and leave a note. I appreciate it!
Hi Blair, fabulous recipe – easy and tasty. I can see it being done often in our house. I was wondering about a crock-pot version. Any suggestion for cooking time if it was done dump and bake in the crock pot? Thanks, Ali.
Hi, Ali! I think it would work in the slow cooker, but I haven’t tested it to be able to give you a specific cooking time. I always worry about pasta in the Crock Pot, since it can easily become overcooked, gummy, and mushy if you’re not watching it closely to turn off the pot when it’s al dente. A quick Google search suggested about 1 hour on high for penne pasta, but again — that will vary depending on your individual slow cooker and its temperature. Hope that helps!
I tried this recipe last night and it turned out AMAZING! I did add a tablespoon of herbs de Provence and I’ll definitely be making it again 🙂
Thank you, Jamie!
I made this casserole last night for dinner. It is delicious. I took the advise from one reviewer and placed all of the penne in the bottom of my 13 x 9 inch pan. Then I poured half of the chicken broth over the penne which I heated in the microwave to almost boiling. Next layered 3 cups of chicken from a whole chicken I had baked. Layered on top were the vegetables and spices. I used more tomatoes, corn, and zucchini yellow squash (all from my garden) than recipe suggests. Then I poured the remaining very hot chicken broth over the entire surface of vegetables. I included Herbs de Province, as a reviewer suggested, because I had a jar that has been in the spice cupboard longer than I can remember and it needs to be used. The casserole was perfect and we enjoyed it so much. Thank you, Blair.
So glad that you liked it, Hetty. Thank you!
Could this be made in the instant pot? What cooking directions and time would you recommend?
Hi, Jeff! I think it might be possible, but I’ve never tried, so I wouldn’t be able to give you any specific cooking instructions. You might try to find other similar pasta recipes to gauge the general cooking time, but it will likely take some trial and error to get it just right.
Am I boiling the corn first before cutting off cob?
Hi, Heather! No, you don’t need to boil the corn first. It will “boil” in the dish along with the pasta and other ingredients so that it’s crisp-tender by the end. You can certainly parboil it first if you want to ensure a really soft corn in the end, but that’s an extra step that I’ve never bothered with. 🙂
This is amazing! I used a can of petite diced tomatoes.. my 8yo and 4yo love it as well. Great recipe. I can also see if being a great inexpensive recipe to take to a bbq or make for a party.
Thank you, Ashley! We definitely love this one for all occasions.