Baked Chicken & Pasta Casserole

I was at work today (yes, after 2 years of being a stay-at-home mom, I'm now a full-time working mom!) wondering what's for dinner tonight (it's not a terribly challenging job!), and I came across this one on my "other" blog. I got the original recipe from Everyday Pasta by Giada De Laurentiis. I had almost everything on-hand, so I decided to make it. I just needed to pick up the mozzarella and parsley. Probably could have used the cheddar I have in the house, but I'm never opposed to buying more cheese! The verdict? Super easy and delicious. Best thing I've made in quite a while, and I can't wait for tomorrow so I can have the leftovers!

• 1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta...I used shells because it's what I had)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
• 1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs (I used Panko, because I had it on hand)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.