Chicken and Ricotta Pasta Bake
This chicken and ricotta pasta bake is the dinner I reach for when I want something that feels like comfort food but still hits my protein target for the day. Everything goes into one baking dish, the pasta cooks right in the tomatoes with no boiling, and a single serving lands at about 41 grams of protein for roughly 439 calories. It is creamy from the ricotta, hearty from the chicken and the kind of meal my whole family actually asks for again.
I have made a lot of versions of ricotta chicken over the years, and most of them follow the same template you see all over the internet. Chicken cutlets get a scoop of ricotta on top, bake in marinara, and the pasta cooks separately on the side. This one is different. Here the pasta, the chicken and the ricotta all bake together in a single dish, so you get a true chicken pasta bake with almost no hands on time and one pan to wash.
If you use this particular higher protein, high fiber pasta, this chicken and ricotta pasta bake can easily fit into a low carb diet, particularly if you use net carbs. The whole recipe serves six and works out to about 28 net carbs per serving.
Why You Will Love This Chicken and Ricotta Pasta Bake
Here is why this chicken and ricotta recipe has earned a permanent spot in my dinner rotation.
- One dish, no boiling. The pasta cooks right in the tomato liquid, so there is no separate pot to drain and one less thing to clean.
- 41 grams of protein per serving. Between the high protein pasta, a pound and a half of chicken breast and a full container of ricotta, this is a genuinely protein forward dinner.
- Creamy without a cream sauce. This is a creamy chicken pasta that gets its richness from ricotta melting into the tomatoes, with no heavy cream or flour.
- Family friendly. It reads as comfort food, so the people at my table who do not track macros are just as happy.
- Made for meal prep. It reheats beautifully, so I often bake it once and eat it across a couple of busy days.
The Secret Is the Pasta
What makes this work as a high protein dinner instead of a regular pasta night is the pasta itself. I used Rummo Maxima rigatoni, an organic pasta made in Italy that delivers 21 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber per 3.5 ounce serving. At the half cup serving listed on the box that works out to 12 grams of protein, compared with around 8 grams in a serving of classic pasta, so you pick up about 50 percent more protein for the same plate of noodles. Rummo says that extra protein comes from a blend of high protein durum wheat and organic pea flour, milled naturally with no chemical processing or added isolates to inflate the number. It is bronze cut, so the rougher, more porous surface grabs the tomato and ricotta beautifully.
One honest note on that pea flour. On its own, pea protein is what nutritionists call an incomplete protein, which simply means it runs a little short on the amino acid methionine. That matters very little here for two reasons. Wheat and peas are natural partners, since wheat is low in the amino acid lysine while peas are rich in it, and peas are low in methionine while wheat helps cover that gap, so the blend is better balanced than either flour on its own. More important, you are eating this pasta with chicken and ricotta, which are both complete proteins that easily supply anything the peas are short on. In a mixed meal like this one the number that matters is the total, and the total here is high.
This baked chicken pasta skips the boiling step because the pasta has plenty of liquid to drink up as it bakes. Two cans of diced tomatoes plus a can of water give the dry rigatoni exactly what it needs, so it turns tender in the oven while it soaks up all that tomato flavor. No draining, no extra pot.
Why a High Protein Dinner Matters in Midlife
If you are anywhere near the menopausal transition like I am, protein moves from nice to have over to non negotiable. Holding on to lean muscle gets harder, and the food on your plate is half of the equation. A 2022 meta analysis in Nutrients found that extra protein helps postmenopausal women build strength and lower body lean mass specifically when it is paired with resistance training, and not when protein goes up on its own. A separate review in Nutrients reached a similar conclusion for weight loss, where eating protein above the old 0.8 gram per kilogram guideline alongside resistance exercise helped protect skeletal muscle, with postmenopausal women among those most at risk of losing it.
Your food choices bring the protein and your training brings the stimulus. For more on why protein and training matter more in midlife than ever, check out our How Much Protein for Women and Strength Training After 40 articles.
A dinner like this one makes the food side easy, because 41 grams of protein in a meal you actually want to eat is most of the way to a solid daily total.
Macros Per Serving
These numbers are estimated from the Rummo Maxima package label and standard values for the chicken, ricotta and tomatoes, with the dish divided into six servings.
| Nutrient | Per serving | Whole dish |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 439 | 2,634 |
| Protein | 41 g | 246g |
| Carbohydrate | 33 g | 198g |
| Fiber | 5 g | 30 g |
| Net carbs | 28 g | 168 g |
| Fat | 16 g | 144 g |
Tips for the Best Chicken and Ricotta Pasta Bake
- Keep the pasta under the liquid. For a no boil bake, the dry pasta needs to be mostly covered before it goes in the oven, so press it down into the tomatoes and water.
- Cover first, then uncover. The foil traps steam so the pasta cooks through and the uncovered finish lets the top set and the cheese turn golden. I have done the whole back uncovered as well though and it works just fine too.
- Use a thermometer. Pull the chicken at 165 degrees so it stays juicy rather than drying out.
- Add mozzarella for a cheesy top. A handful of shredded mozzarella in the last 10 minutes gives you a bubbly, browned finish.
- Let it rest. Five to ten minutes out of the oven lets the sauce thicken so it is not soupy on the plate.
Variations
- Lemon ricotta version. Stir lemon zest into the ricotta and finish the dish with fresh lemon juice for a brighter, fresher take. I have a dedicated lemon version of this recipe coming soon.
- Add greens. A few big handfuls of fresh spinach tucked under the chicken wilt right into the bake and add color and nutrients.
- Go lower carb. Use a chickpea, lentil or edamame pasta to cut the net carbs, or try my keto lasagna when you want a pasta free, ricotta rich dinner. The low carb pastas are a lot better than they use to be, lately I've really been enjoying Carbe Diem.
- Make your own sauce. Swap the canned tomatoes for my homemade keto marinara when you have time.
- Push the protein higher. Fold a cup of cottage cheese into the ricotta layer for an extra protein boost without changing the flavor much.
What to Serve With Chicken and Ricotta Pasta Bake
This is a complete meal on its own, but a crisp green salad, roasted broccoli or green beans round out the plate nicely. For more dinner ideas built the same protein first way, see my high protein meals for weight loss.
Make Ahead and Meal Prep
This is one of my favorite dishes to fold into a Sunday prep session, because it makes six portions from one pan and reheats better than almost anything. I divide it into glass containers (be sure to check out this link for the best non toxic glass containers with glass lids) once it cools and it becomes the grab and go lunch or fast dinner.
Stored airtight, it holds in the fridge for up to four days. It also freezes for up to three months, though the pasta softens a little after thawing. To reheat, add a splash of water and warm it gently in the microwave or a low oven so the sauce loosens back up.
If you want a whole system rather than a single dish, a bake like this slots right into the way I prep for the week. I cook two or three protein sources on a Sunday, and this counts as one of them while covering several meals at once. My meal prep ideas article walks through how I batch cook and portion protein so the week runs on autopilot, and my 7-day high protein meal plan for women drops dishes like this into a full week with a grocery list. For more recipes built the same protein first way, browse the high protein recipe hub or check out Protein Foundations, where I teach you the whole system.
Chicken and Ricotta Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 7 ounces high protein pasta, Rummo Maxima rigatoni
- 32 ounces diced tomatoes
- 2 cups water
- 1.5 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 16 ounces ricotta
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, optional
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F.
- Drizzle the olive oil across the bottom of a large baking dish.
- Add the dry pasta in an even layer, pour over the 32 ounce can of diced tomatoes, then add the 16 ounces of water. Stir so the pasta is submerged.
- Nestle the chicken breasts on top of the pasta.
- Spoon the ricotta over the chicken in dollops and scatter the basil on top.
- Pour the 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes over everything, then sprinkle the garlic salt, onion powder and Italian seasoning evenly across the top.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165 degrees and the pasta is tender.
- Rest 5 to 10 minutes, slice or shred the chicken back into the pasta, finish with lemon if using and stir everything. Serve when slightly cooled.
Video
Equipment
Nutrition
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can you bake pasta without boiling it first?
Yes. As long as there is enough liquid in the dish for the pasta to absorb, it cooks through in the oven. In this bake the two cans of diced tomatoes plus the added water give the dry pasta exactly what it needs, so there is no separate pot to boil.
Do you cook the chicken before adding it to the bake?
No. The raw chicken breast goes in on top of the pasta and bakes through with everything else. Pull it when it reaches 165 degrees, then slice or shred it back into the pasta.
What ricotta is best for a chicken pasta bake?
Whole milk ricotta gives the creamiest, richest result. Part skim works well too and trims the fat and calories if that is your goal.
How much protein is in this chicken and ricotta pasta bake?
About 43 grams of protein per serving when the dish is divided into six, for roughly 450 calories. The high protein pasta, chicken breast and ricotta all contribute.
Can I make chicken and ricotta pasta bake ahead of time?
Yes. You can assemble the whole dish, cover it and refrigerate for up to a day before baking, then add a few extra minutes in the oven. Baked leftovers keep for four days.
Can I use a different pasta?
Any short pasta shape works, such as penne, rigatoni or rotini. For lower carbs, a chickpea, lentil or edamame pasta swaps in nicely and adds even more protein.
