1-Step 1: Preheat & Prep Start by heating your oven to 375°F (190°C). While the oven is warming up, lightly coat a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish with cooking spray. This ensures your baked ziti won’t stick and makes cleanup much easier. Trust me, your future self will thank you for that bit of preparation!

2-Step 2: Cook the Pasta Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the ziti pasta and cook until just shy of al dente (about 8-9 minutes). Why slightly undercook? The pasta will continue to cook in the oven, and we want to avoid ending up with mushy noodles. Once done, drain the pasta well.

3-Step 3: Combine Everything Return the drained pasta to the pot. Add the shredded cooked chicken and marinara sauce. Using a large spoon or tongs, toss everything together gently until all the pasta is evenly coated with the sauce. This step helps ensure every bite will be packed with flavor.

4-Step 4: Layer the Components Now comes the fun part! Spread half of the pasta mixture in your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, ½ cup of the Parmesan cheese, and all of the fresh basil. These layers create that perfect distribution of flavors throughout the dish.
Top with the remaining pasta mixture, then scatter the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella and ¼ cup of Parmesan over the top. The layering technique used in this chicken parmesan baked ziti recipe ensures every serving gets plenty of that delicious cheesy goodness.

5-Step 5: Bake to Perfection Place your dish in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the cheese is melted and lightly golden around the edges. Once done, remove the dish from the oven and let it rest on a wire rack for 5 minutes before serving. This resting time helps the flavors settle and prevents (most of) the cheese from sliding right off when you serve it.

6-Step 6: Serve and Enjoy Dish out warm portions and add any optional garnishes if desired. Extra Parmesan, fresh basil leaves, or a sprinkle of crushed red-pepper flakes all make excellent finishing touches. Then, take that first delicious bite and enjoy the proud feeling of making something amazing!