You know those nights when pasta just sounds right, but the thought of another bowl of spaghetti with red sauce makes you want to nap instead of eat? This Pesto Ranch Rotini Casserole is the cure for pasta boredom. It’s cozy and cheesy, but it’s also bright and herby from the pesto and lightened up with veggies, so it doesn’t feel like a food coma waiting to happen.
This recipe is one of my favorite “oops, I bought a bunch of squash and now I have to do something with it” meals. It is also an “oops, I bought a bunch of pesto from a wholesale club and I’m too lazy to freeze it” meal. Even if you’re not usually on team zucchini (or yellow squash), the way they cook in with the pasta and soak up all the herby, cheesy goodness makes them surprisingly lovable. And if you still want to pick them out, well… more for me.
The flavor here is kind of like if a ranch-dipped chicken sandwich and a pesto pasta decided to team up and throw a party. You get the tangy creaminess from the ranch, the brightness from the pesto, and melty mozzarella tying it all together. It’s not fancy. It’s not complicated. It’s just really, really good.
Why This Dish Works
Honestly, this casserole hits a lot of sweet spots:
- It’s filling, but not so heavy that you need a nap afterward.
- It sneaks in some veggies without feeling like “a veggie dish.”
- It tastes like you put in way more effort than you did.
- And best of all, the hardest step is remembering to toss in the zucchini and yellow squash before the pasta finishes cooking. If you can do that, you’re golden.
I usually make this with rotini because those little spirals are perfect for catching the sauce, but penne or farfalle work too if that’s what you’ve got in the pantry. And while I almost always use shredded canned chicken (because lazy), any cooked chicken will do.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what goes in the magic mix:
- 16 oz rotini pasta
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 medium yellow squash, diced
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (or more if you’re feeling it)
- 1 cup tomatoes, diced
- 3/2 cup prepared pesto
- 1 cup ranch dressing
That’s it. No long ingredient list, no obscure spices you’ll never use again. If you can boil water and stir things together, you can make this dish.
How to Make It (Spoiler: It’s Easy)
- Boil the pasta. Cook your rotini in a big pot of salted water according to the package instructions. About 2 minutes before the pasta is done, toss in the diced zucchini and yellow squash so they can soften up a bit.
- Make the Sauce. In a bowl or liquid measuring cup, mix together the ranch and pesto.
- Drain and mix. Drain the pasta and veggies, then put them back in the pot. Add the shredded chicken, diced tomatoes, pesto ranch, and half of the mozzarella. Stir it all together until everything is coated in that creamy, herby sauce.
- Cheese it up. Pour everything into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle more mozzarella over the top (be generous—this is your gooey, golden moment).
- Bake. Pop it in a 350°F oven for about 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and bubbly.
- Eat. Pull it out, let it cool for a few minutes, and then dig in.
And that’s it! There’s no fancy layering, no standing over a stove for an hour. It’s pasta, it’s casserole, it’s done.
Make It Your Own
This recipe is super flexible, so feel free to tweak it:
- Swap the veggies. Hate zucchini? Sub in broccoli florets (just know they’ll be a bit firmer), spinach, or even bell peppers.
- Change the pasta. Whatever short pasta shape you have on hand will work.
- Use leftover turkey. Post-holiday fridge full of turkey? It works just as well as chicken.
- Add a little spice. A pinch of red pepper flakes or a drizzle of hot sauce is a nice touch if you like a little kick.
Basically, the pasta/ranch/pesto combo is your blank canvas.
Eat Now, Save for Later
Fresh out of the oven, this casserole is gooey, cheesy, and everything you want it to be. Leftovers the next day? They might be even better, because all those flavors get a chance to mingle. I like to reheat a serving in the microwave, but you can also pop the whole dish covered in tin foil back in the oven if you’ve got time.
This dish keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days, and you can even portion it out and freeze it if you want a ready-made dinner waiting for Future You. It’s the kind of meal that’s just as good for a weeknight as it is for meal prep.
Final Thoughts
There’s something magical about a simple pasta bake that tastes like more than the sum of its parts. This Pesto Ranch Rotini Casserole has become a staple in my house because it hits all the right notes: comforting, flavorful, a little cheesy, and totally unfussy. It’s the kind of thing you can throw together on a Sunday night and enjoy for days, or make for friends without stressing about it. Also, it’s actually my go-to meal when a friend is having a hard time and I want something easy to take to them.
So next time you find yourself staring at a box of pasta and feeling uninspired, give this a try. It’s a little herby, a little creamy, a lot cozy, and a whole lot better than just another plate of spaghetti.
Chicken Pesto Rotini Bake
Equipment
- 1 9 x 13 in casserole dish
- tin foil
Ingredients
- 1 box rotini pasta (16 oz)
- 2 cups chicken, shredded *See recipe notes
- 1 zucchini squash
- 1 yellow squash
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- ¾ cup pesto
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Prep Work
- Preheat the oven to 350 ℉. Fill a large pot with enough water to cook the whole box of pasta and start heating it on high heat.
- Dice the tomatoes, zucchini, and yellow squash into small, bite size pieces, placing the cut zucchini and squash in a bowl separate from the tomatoes.
Cook
- Once the water is boiling, cook the pasta according to box instructions.
- While the pasta is boiling, make the pesto ranch sauce by combining 1 cup of ranch dressing with ¾ cup of pesto in a bowl or liquid measuring cup.
- Just before the pasta is finished boiling (about a minute or two if you set timers), dump the squash into the water to cook the contents slightly.
- Once the pasta is finished cooking, pour the contents of the pot into a colander. Then, once the water has drained, put your pasta and squash back in the pot.
- Quickly add the tomatoes, shredded chicken, pesto ranch sauce, and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese to the pot. Stir until the contents are well mixed so the sauce and vegetables are evenly distributed.
Bake
- Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 in baking dish and top with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Cover the dish with tin foil and bake for 15 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.
Notes
- I usually just use a can of chicken of whatever size that I have on hand.
- If you do not love all the squash, the recipe can also be done with broccoli florets instead of yellow squash.
- I tend to top the casserole with more than just 1 cup of cheese because I really love cheese. If 1 cup seems a little stingy, definitely sprinkle more!
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