And it still has everything I want from a proper, cheesy pasta bake. You get the tomato sauce cooked right into the spaghetti, little pieces of chicken throughout, and that lovely layer of melted mozzarella on top (because what’s a pasta bake without some gooey cheese?!). It’s the kind of dinner you want to scoop straight from the baking dish.
Now, there is one thing I wouldn’t wing here… the liquid! Dry spaghetti needs enough sauce and broth around it to cook properly and the foil needs to be sealed nice and tight. When you uncover the dish, the pasta should be almost tender, with some sauce still sitting at the bottom. Nobody wants crunchy spaghetti hiding underneath all that cheese!
And one little thing before you start: the chicken needs to be cooked already. We’re adding it near the end, so this is a great way to use up some leftover cooked chicken if you have any in the fridge.
Getting The No-Boil Part Right
With no-boil spaghetti, the little things really do matter. Spread the dry strands out across the baking dish instead of leaving them in one big clump. Once the marinara, tomatoes and broth go in, give everything a gentle mix and nudge the spaghetti into the liquid as much as you can. It doesn’t have to look pretty yet (trust me, it won’t!).
And don’t eyeball the liquid! Use the diced tomatoes with all their juices, add 650 ml of the chicken broth, and keep the remaining 50 ml aside just in case the pasta needs a little extra later. Then cover the dish nice and tightly with foil so all that moisture stays where it belongs. And one more thing… keep those three garlic cloves whole! You’ll be fishing them out before stirring in the chicken and yogurt, and they’re much easier to find that way!!
High-Protein No-Boil Chicken Spaghetti Bake
Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.
Ingredients
- 15.9 oz dry spaghetti (450 g)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (30 ml), plus a little for greasing the dish
- 3 whole garlic cloves peeled
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4.2 oz onion (120 g), diced
- 5.3 oz bell peppers (150 g), diced
- 19.4 oz marinara sauce (550 g)
- 10.6 oz diced tomatoes (300 g), including their liquid
- 3 cups chicken broth approximately (700 ml); divided into about 2 3/4 cups (650 ml) for baking and 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (50 ml) reserved
- 5.3 oz full-fat Greek yogurt (150 g)
- 14.1 oz cooked chicken breast (400 g), cut into small pieces
- 7.8 oz shredded mozzarella (220 g), divided into 4.2 oz (120 g) for mixing in and 3.5 oz (100 g) for topping
- fresh parsley finely chopped, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a baking dish measuring about 9 × 13 inches (23 × 33 cm) with oil.
- Arrange the dry spaghetti directly in the baking dish, spreading it out evenly.
- Add the extra virgin olive oil, whole garlic cloves, oregano, salt, black pepper, onion, and bell peppers.
- Pour over the marinara sauce, diced tomatoes with their liquid, and about 2 3/4 cups (650 ml) of the chicken broth.
- Gently mix everything directly in the baking dish, distributing the vegetables evenly and making sure the spaghetti is as submerged in the liquid as possible.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil, sealing the edges well.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for about 30-35 minutes.
- After 35 minutes, remove the baking dish from the oven and take off the foil.
- Remove the garlic cloves and gently stir the spaghetti, separating any strands that may have stuck together.
- Check the texture of the pasta and sauce. The spaghetti should be almost al dente and there should still be enough sauce in the bottom of the dish to keep the pasta creamy. If the pasta is still too firm or the sauce looks too dry, gradually add some of the remaining 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (50 ml) of chicken broth.
- Place the Greek yogurt in a bowl and add 2-3 tablespoons of the hot sauce from the baking dish. Stir until smooth and evenly combined.
- Add the yogurt mixture to the baking dish, then add the cooked chicken and 4.2 oz (120 g) of the mozzarella.
- Gently stir until the chicken, yogurt, and cheese are evenly distributed and the spaghetti is coated in a creamy sauce.
- Level the surface and sprinkle the remaining 3.5 oz (100 g) of mozzarella over the top.
- Return the baking dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for about 10 more minutes, until the mozzarella is fully melted and the sauce begins to gently bubble around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for about 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to settle slightly.
- Finish with freshly chopped parsley and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
- Calories
- 650 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 71 g
- Protein
- 44 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Saturated fat
- 8 g
- Sodium
- 1410 mg
- Fiber
- 6.2 g
- Sugar
- 12 g
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate and should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make No-Boil Chicken Spaghetti Bake
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Gather all of your ingredients.
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Get everything into the baking dish.
Let’s get started! Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Then spread the dry spaghetti across the bottom and add the olive oil, whole garlic cloves, oregano, salt, pepper, onion and bell peppers.
Next, pour in the marinara, diced tomatoes (juices and all!) and about 2 3/4 cups (650 ml) of chicken broth. Give everything a gentle mix, making sure the spaghetti is sitting in as much liquid as possible. Cover tightly with foil, and that’s the first part done!
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Bake covered and check the spaghetti.
Pop the dish into the oven for about 30–35 minutes. When you remove the foil, watch out for the steam! Fish out those three garlic cloves and then gently stir the spaghetti to separate any strands that have stuck together.
Now, try a strand from the middle. It should be almost cooked, with just a little firmness left, and there should still be some sauce at the bottom of the dish. If the spaghetti is too firm or things are looking a little dry, add a splash of the reserved broth. Don’t pour it all in automatically… you might not need it!!
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Add the chicken and make it creamy.
While the spaghetti is baking, get your cooked chicken, Greek yogurt and mozzarella ready. Remember, the chicken needs to be fully cooked before it goes in!
And here’s a little trick with the yogurt: stir 2–3 tablespoons of hot sauce from the baking dish into it first, until smooth. This will help it blend into the hot pasta much more easily. Then add the yogurt mixture, chicken and 4.2 oz (120 g) of mozzarella to the dish. Gently stir everything together until the spaghetti is coated in that lovely creamy sauce.
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Add the cheesy topping and finish baking.
Spread everything out evenly and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the top. Back into the oven it goes, uncovered this time, for about 10 minutes, just until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling gently around the edges.
And don’t skip the little 5-minute rest! It gives the sauce a chance to settle and cling to the spaghetti instead of running straight to the bottom of the dish. Finish with some freshly chopped parsley and dinner is ready!!
Storing Leftovers
Want to get a head start on dinner? You can cook and chop the chicken, dice the onion and peppers, and get the cheese ready ahead of time. Keep everything covered in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. I wouldn’t assemble the whole dish the night before, though… the dry spaghetti would start soaking up the liquid before it even gets into the oven and we want that to happen while it’s baking!
Got leftovers? Lucky you haha! This chicken spaghetti bake keeps in the fridge for 3–4 days. Just let it cool slightly, transfer it to shallow, airtight containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. If you’re using chicken that’s already been in the fridge for a couple of days, remember to take that into account too.
The spaghetti will soak up more sauce as it sits, so leftovers might look a little drier the next day. Nothing a splash of chicken broth or water can’t help with! Add a little before reheating, then warm everything through to 165°F (74°C), stirring halfway if you’re using the microwave.
And freezing? I wouldn’t recommend it! The spaghetti can turn soft and the Greek yogurt sauce may lose some of its creaminess after thawing. This is definitely a pasta bake I’d rather enjoy fresh or keep in the fridge for leftovers!