Chicken Alfredo Bake

Chicken Alfredo Bake 10 oz. uncooked penne ziti 1 lb. thawed chicken breasts cut in bite size olive oil to grease the pan Salt and pepper to taste 1 ¼ cups shredded Mozzarella cheese 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese fresh parsley for garnish For Alfredo Sauce: 1/3 cup unsalted butter 1 Tbsp. flour 2 garlic cloves-minced 1 ¼ cups milk 1 cup heavy cream 6 oz. cream cheese 1 tsp. Italian seasoning (or more to taste) ½ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. pepper ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese pasta water-to thin the sauce if needed Preheat the oven to 400 F and spray baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. The pasta should be cooked al dente. Drain cooked pasta and RESERVE PASTA WATER if needed later to thin the Alfredo sauce. First, chop chicken breasts in bite sized pieces, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Grease the pan with about 1 Tbsp. olive oil and heat over medium heat and place copped chicken in the pan and cook about 10-15 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer cooked chicken onto cooked and drained pasta. To make Alfredo sauce, in a pan melt the butter over medium heat, then add flour and whisk to dissolve. Next, add minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes whisking constantly, until all gets nice golden color. And be careful, do not burn the flour and garlic!!! Then, gradually whisk in milk until smooth and free of lumps. Gently whisk in heavy cream. Add cream cheese and whisk until completely melted. Next, whisk in Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Finally, add ½ cup of grated Parmesan. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook 3-4 minutes until it starts to thicken (gently whisking all the time). If the sauce became too thick, you can thin it out using reserved pasta water. Add Alfredo sauce to cooked pasta and chicken and stir to combine. Spread about half of the mixture in the baking dish, sprinkle with about ¾ cup of shredded Mozzarella cheese, then spread remaining pasta mixture, sprinkle with remaining Mozzarella and 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan. Bake about 15-20 minutes until the top gets nice golden-brown color. Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.