Chicken Alfredo Baked Ziti

Delicious chicken and ziti are tossed with a lighter alfredo sauce and baked up to cheesy perfection. Thank you Gimme Some Oven 

12 ounces ziti ..or any pasta shape
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken ..about 2 small chicken breasts
1 batch Alfredo sauce (see below)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 
optional toppings: additional shredded Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh parsley

Alfredo Sauce:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup low-fat milk (I used 1%)
3/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Cook the pasta al dente in a large stockpot of well-salted boiling water
• Drain.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. 
• Add garlic and saute one minute, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. 
• Sprinkle with flour, and stir to combine. 
• Saute for an additional minute to cook the flour, stirring occasionally.
• Slowly add chicken broth, whisking to combine until smooth. 
• Whisk in milk, and bring the mixture to a simmer. 
• Let cook for an additional minute until thickened 
• Stir in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until the cheese melted. 
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• Return pasta to the stockpot and add chicken and alfredo sauce. 
• Gently toss to combine until the pasta is evenly coated.
• Pour half of the pasta into a greased 11x7-inch or 9x13-inch baking dish. 
• Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of cheese. 
• Layer the remaining half of the pasta evenly on top. 
• Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and just barely starts to turn golden. 
• Remove and serve immediately, sprinkled with additional toppings if desired.