Chicken Pasta Crinkle Cake (Printable)

Crispy phyllo layered with chicken, ditalini pasta, and creamy cheeses for a savory main.

# What You'll Need:

→ Filling

01 - 2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
02 - 1 cup cooked ditalini pasta (from about ⅓ cup dry)
03 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
04 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
05 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
07 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
08 - ½ teaspoon dried oregano
09 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Phyllo Layers

10 - 1 package (16 sheets) phyllo dough, thawed
11 - ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

→ Custard

12 - 3 large eggs
13 - 1 cup whole milk
14 - ½ cup heavy cream
15 - ½ teaspoon salt
16 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - In a large bowl, mix shredded chicken, cooked ditalini pasta, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper until well incorporated.
03 - Unroll phyllo dough, cover with a damp towel to prevent drying. Working quickly, brush one sheet with melted butter and scrunch accordion-style into loose folds.
04 - Place the scrunched phyllo into the prepared baking dish. Repeat with 7 more sheets, arranging side by side to cover the bottom evenly.
05 - Spread the combined chicken and pasta filling evenly over the phyllo base layers.
06 - Repeat scrunching and buttering with remaining 8 phyllo sheets, placing them over the filling to cover completely. Brush the top layer with any remaining melted butter.
07 - Whisk together eggs, whole milk, cream, salt, and pepper. Pour evenly over the phyllo and filling, allowing the custard to soak through.
08 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and crisp. Remove and cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
09 - Serve warm, optionally garnished with additional fresh parsley.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent all day cooking when you actually threw it together in under an hour.
  • The contrast between crispy phyllo and creamy, cheesy filling is pure comfort in every bite.
  • It feeds a crowd and tastes just as good the next day cold, straight from the fridge.
02 -
  • Phyllo dries out impossibly fast, so keep it covered and work with confidence; overthinking it leads to tears.
  • Don't skip the rest time after baking, no matter how hungry you are, or it'll fall apart when you cut into it.
  • The custard should soak all the way through, so pour it slowly and let it settle before baking.
03 -
  • If your phyllo tears while you're working, just keep going and patch it with another piece; nobody will see it once it's baked.
  • Brush the phyllo with butter while it's still warm so the butter actually soaks in and makes it crispy, not with cold or lukewarm butter.
Go Back