My sister-in-law made this for us last weekend, and I could not believe how easy and creamy it was. Uses just 4 ingredients.

This oven baked 4-ingredient sheet pan chicken Alfredo is the kind of recipe you pull out on a weeknight when you’re tired but still want something cozy and satisfying. It bakes up right on a foil-lined sheet pan into a creamy, bubbly pasta bake with tender chicken and golden cheese spots on top. While classic Alfredo traces back to early 20th-century Rome and is usually made on the stovetop, this version leans into the American-style, ultra-creamy jarred sauce and lets the oven do all the work. My sister-in-law made this for us last weekend, and I couldn’t believe how easy it was: just toss, spread, and bake. Four ingredients, one pan, and you’re done.

Serve this chicken Alfredo straight from the sheet pan with a big green salad dressed in something bright and acidic—lemon vinaigrette or a simple red wine vinaigrette both cut through the richness nicely. Warm garlic bread or a crusty baguette is perfect for scooping up the extra sauce from the pan. If you’d like a vegetable on the side, quickly steam some broccoli or green beans while the pasta bakes, or toss cherry tomatoes with olive oil and salt and roast them on a separate pan alongside the Alfredo for an easy, hands-off pairing.

Servings: 6

12 ounces uncooked penne pasta

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet (about 18x13 inches) with heavy-duty aluminum foil, pressing it into the corners and up the sides to contain the sauce. Lightly grease the foil with a thin film of oil or nonstick spray to help with cleanup.

Par-cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook for 6–7 minutes, just until the pasta is barely al dente and still quite firm in the center. It will finish cooking in the oven. Drain the pasta well and return it to the warm pot.

Combine pasta with Alfredo sauce: Pour both jars of Alfredo sauce over the hot, drained pasta. Stir until every piece of penne is well coated. The mixture should look quite saucy—this is important so the pasta doesn’t dry out in the oven.

Assemble on the sheet pan: Spread the saucy penne evenly onto the prepared foil-lined baking sheet, making sure it’s in a mostly even layer from corner to corner. Scatter the chicken pieces evenly over the pasta, tucking some down into the sauce so they stay moist while baking.

Top with cheese: Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the entire surface of the chicken and pasta. You want a fairly even blanket of cheese so you get those nice golden, bubbly spots across the top.

Bake uncovered: Place the sheet pan on the center rack and bake for 22–28 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (165°F/74°C in the thickest pieces), the pasta is tender, and the Alfredo sauce is bubbling around the edges. The cheese should be melted with some browned spots on top.

Optional broil for extra color: If you’d like a deeper golden top, switch the oven to broil and broil the pan for 1–3 minutes, watching closely so the cheese doesn’t burn. Remove as soon as you see nicely browned, bubbly patches.

Rest and serve: Let the sheet pan rest for 5 minutes so the sauce thickens slightly and the pasta sets up a bit. Use a large spatula or serving spoon to scoop generous portions directly from the pan. Serve hot, making sure each portion gets some pasta, chicken, and plenty of creamy sauce from the bottom.

Because this recipe is intentionally built around just four ingredients, I like to think of variations in terms of technique and simple swaps rather than adding a long list of extras. You can trade penne for other short, sturdy shapes like rigatoni or rotini—just keep the weight about the same and par-cook to very firm so they don’t turn mushy. If you prefer dark meat, boneless, skinless chicken thighs work beautifully; trim and cut them the same size as the breast pieces and allow a few extra minutes of baking if needed. For a different flavor profile, use a roasted garlic or four-cheese Alfredo sauce instead of plain. You can also tweak texture by adjusting moisture: if you like an extra-saucy bake, stir in an additional 1/2 to 1 cup of Alfredo sauce or a splash of milk before baking; if you prefer it tighter and more casserole-like, bake on the longer end of the time range until the edges are deeply bubbly. To prep ahead, toss the par-cooked pasta with Alfredo, spread it on the foil-lined pan, and top with chicken and cheese, then cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours; add 5–10 minutes to the baking time and check that the center is hot and the chicken is fully cooked. Leftovers reheat well in a 350°F (175°C) oven, covered with foil, until warmed through, and a spoonful of water or milk stirred into the portion before reheating helps revive the creaminess.