Italian Baked Chicken & Pastina

I've been debating with myself whether to post this recipe. It's somewhat similar to the Fusilli alla Caprese I posted a while ago. In the end, I decided it's different enough (and tasty enough) that it warrants it's own blog post. I like it because it's nice and light, but yet comforting.

Photo from FoodNetwork -
Mine was... not so photogenic

Italian Baked Chicken & Pastina

Recipe by Giada de Laurentiis
Serves 4
Total Cook & Prep Time - about 40 min

INGREDIENTS
1 cup dry pastina pasta (or any small pasta) (I used shells)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes) (I used about 1 cup)
1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.