Source: FOSS Cooking (community recipes)
Heat the oven to 200°C. This is a casserole built on the principle of controlled carryover cooking — the pasta finishes in the oven rather than on the stovetop, so you undercook it deliberately to prevent mushiness.
Season the diced chicken breast aggressively with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering, then cook the chicken until the surface is sealed and opaque throughout, roughly 6–8 minutes depending on piece size. The goal is cooked chicken, not golden-brown chicken — you're not looking for browning here because the casserole will finish in the oven. Transfer to a plate.
Cook the pasta to one minute under the packet's stated al dente time. This pasta will absorb liquid from the tomatoes and cheese as it bakes, and the residual heat of the oven will complete the cooking. Drain but do not rinse — the starch on the surface helps bind the casserole.
Combine the drained pasta, cooked chicken, diced tomatoes (with their juice), and 200g of the mozzarella in a large bowl. Season to taste. The tomato liquid is your binding agent; if the mixture looks dry, add 50ml of water. Transfer to a baking dish — a 2-litre capacity works well.
Toss the bread crumbs with the remaining 100g mozzarella and the parmesan. Scatter this mix evenly across the top. Dot with roughly 15g of butter distributed in small pieces — this prevents a dense crust and encourages browning through the fat. Bake for 22–25 minutes. The surface should be golden with some dark spots where cheese has caught; the filling should bubble slightly at the edges. If the top is still pale after 20 minutes, raise the oven shelf higher or increase heat to 220°C for the final few minutes.
Rest for 3 minutes before serving. This assembled-dishes approach works because the oven's dry heat evaporates excess moisture that would otherwise make the casserole soupy.
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