Chicken Parm Vodka Bake

Our Story

This one is two cozy classics in one dish: chicken parm and vodka pasta. Gab air fries seasoned chicken bites, tosses rigatoni in a homemade vodka sauce (with a store-bought shortcut she fully endorses), then bakes it all under mozzarella and Parmesan before finishing with torn burrata and a pesto drizzle. It comes out bubbly with a golden top, and it is exactly as comforting as it sounds. Extra parm at the table is not optional in this house.

Quick Stats

• Serves: 4 to 6

• Prep: 15 min

• Cook: 45 min

• Total: about 1 hour

• Difficulty: 2 / 5

• Cost: $$

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 1 lb organic chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

• Salt and pepper

For the pasta

• 12 oz thick rigatoni

For the vodka sauce (or use store-bought for ease)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 small shallot or 1/2 onion, finely diced

• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• Pinch of dried thyme, optional

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

• 1/4 cup vodka

• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

• Salt and pepper (shortcut: swap this whole section for about 2 cups of your favorite vodka sauce, like Primal Kitchen or Rao's)

For the cheese and topping

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

• 1/2 cup burrata, torn

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 to 2 tablespoons pesto

Instructions

1. Toss the chicken with olive oil and the seasonings. Air fry at 400F for 10 to 12 minutes, shaking halfway, until golden and cooked through.

2. Cook the rigatoni in salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.

3. For the sauce: heat the olive oil and butter in a large pan over medium. Cook the shallot until soft, then stir in the garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes for 1 minute.

4. Add the vodka and simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Lower the heat and mix in the heavy cream, then the Parmesan. Season to taste. (Or just heat your store-bought vodka sauce.)

5. Add the cooked rigatoni to the sauce and toss to coat, with a splash of pasta water if needed.

6. Preheat the oven to 375F. Add the pasta to a baking dish, then layer in the air-fried chicken. Lightly mix or keep layered.

7. Top with the mozzarella and Parmesan.

8. Mix the olive oil and pesto, drizzle over the top, then add the torn burrata across the dish.

9. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly, then broil 2 to 3 minutes at the end for a golden top.

Brands We Used and Love

• Primal Kitchen No Dairy Vodka Sauce, the shortcut option

• Bionaturae Organic Crushed Tomatoes

• Stonewall Kitchen Basil Pesto

• Appolia Rectangular Ceramic Baking Dish

Shop the full kit here: https://shopmy.us/shop/collections/6263646

Browse everything in our cooking shop: https://shopmy.us/ajdillon/cooking

The Dillon Scorecard

• AJ: 5 / 5

• Gab: 5 / 5

• Trey: 5 / 5

What We'd Change Next Time

The store-bought vodka sauce shortcut makes this a true weeknight dinner, so do not feel guilty about it. Keep the chicken layered on top rather than mixed in if you want it to stay crispier, and do not skip the broil at the end; those golden cheese edges are the best part.

Estimated Nutrition

Per serving (1 of 6): roughly 700 to 750 calories, 42g protein, 55g carbohydrate, 35g fat. This is an estimate based on standard ingredient values and will shift with your sauce and how much cheese and burrata you pile on.

This post contains affiliate links. We only share ingredients and gear we actually use.

Follow along on Pinterest for more Dillon dinners here.