Chicken Parmesan Casserole

Prepare

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Preheat air fryer to 390°F (or whatever the package of popcorn chicken says), and preheat oven to 350°F. **You can use your oven for the chicken instead of an air fryer, just follow the package directions.**
2. Lightly spray a 9x13 or 3 quart baking dish and set aside.

Boil pasta

1. Boil penne about 3 minutes less than the package directions for al dente.  Drain and toss with a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking.

Cook chicken

1. Add popcorn chicken in an an even, single layer to the basket of your air fryer (or on a baking sheet if using your oven). Air fry for 8-10 minutes, or bake for about 15 minutes (if using oven).

Make ricotta mixture

1. While the chicken is cooking and pasta is boiling, to a small mixing bowl add the ricotta, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, all of the Italian seasoning, and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Stir well to combine.

Combine and assemble

1. Add drained pasta to a separate large mixing bowl. Pour in half (one jar - 24 oz) of the marinara and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine well.
2. Add popcorn chicken to the bowl (cutting any larger pieces in half first), and stir.
3. Add half of the pasta mixture to prepared baking dish, then spread ricotta mixture over the top.
4. Top that with about 1 1/2 cups of the remaining marinara sauce, and the other half of the pasta.
5. Top with remaining marinara sauce, and remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Bake

1. Bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until cheese is fully melted and the pasta is hot and bubbly.

Serve

1. Serve hot, sprinkled with minced fresh parsley or basil if desired.