Chicken pasta bake Recipe

A pleasant change from the standard creamy variations, this chicken pasta bake is made with a tomato pasta sauce. Stuffed with bacon, scorching seasoned chicken and beneficiant on the cheese, it’s cosy and hearty and thrifty and simply so, so scrumptious! Glorious full meal for making forward and freezing.

In the event you can reduce a pasta bake like cake – I’m speaking straight vertical partitions with sharp edges – that isn’t factor. It simply screams dry pasta bake!

Nope. Not in my world. Pasta bakes ought to be saucy and juicy, molten and oozy! Generously loaded with add-ins, in the event you’re going for a dinner pasta bake (versus a aspect dish like Mac and Cheese).

This one ticks all these packing containers. Proof by image – juicy / saucy:

Tasty add-ins – scorching seasoned chicken! Love the scent when the chicken hits the pan.

So if that sounds good to you, learn on so you possibly can see methods to make your new favorite chicken pasta bake!

You’ll be capable of get every part out of your native grocery retailer. Nothing dear on the record!

Scorching seasoned chicken

The pasta bake begins with scorching chicken that’s been tossed in a easy, tasty seasoning. Right here’s what you want:

• Chicken – I like utilizing chicken thighs as they keep juicier in dishes like pasta bakes the place they’re twice cooked (ie earlier than including into sauce then within the oven with the pasta).

• Seasoning – Utilizing a retailer purchased Italian herb combine is a superb shortcut right here. I at all times like so as to add an additional spice, garlic on this paste, for further flavour oomph.

Tomato pasta sauce for the pasta bake

A very good tomato-based pasta bake wants tomato pasta sauce! No shortcuts right here – I attempted and simply discovered it too bland. So right here’s what we want:

• Pasta kind – I just like the substantialness of rigatoni, there’s one thing further cosy and satisfying about it in pasta bakes. Nevertheless, be happy to make use of different quick pastas like macaroni, penne, ziti, shells and many others.

• Tomato passata – for a thick, clean sauce with higher tomato flavour and crimson color, use passata as a substitute of crushed or diced tomato. It’s simply pureed plain tomato! Available right here in Australia within the pasta or canned tomato aisle and prices across the identical as canned tomato. Extra on passata right here.

• Tomato paste – for sauce thickening and further tomato flavour.

• Garlic and onion – important flavour base!

• Oregano – for earthy flavour.

• Chilli flakes / crimson pepper flakes – for a hum of heat!

• Wine – secret ingredient! Simmered quickly to scale back and prepare dinner out the alcohol and winey flavour, simply abandoning tasty flavour. My favorite white wine for cooking is chardonnay which provides superior flavour in comparison with extra impartial whites like sauvignon blanc. Substitute with low sodium chicken inventory/broth.

Chicken pasta bake add-ins & topping

A number of add-in choices, however right here’s what I’ve gone with!

• Bacon – cooked first till crisp, chopped, and tossed by way of the pasta bake. Then we use the bacon fats left within the pan to cooke the chicken. Free flavour to not be wasted! Substitute with ham bits or chopped ham.

• Tomato – provides beautiful juicy chunks of tomato within the pasta bake in addition to filling it out and growing the vegetable quota.

• Child spinach – for extra hidden greens in addition to including good streaks of inexperienced into the pasta bake.

• Cheese – mozzarella for stretch and melting qualities, parmesan for flavour! (As a result of mozzarella really doesn’t have a lot flavour).

Be at liberty to substitute the tomato and child spinach with different add-ins of selection.

There’s a time and a spot for fast, low-effort one-pot pasta bakes. Then there’s all these occasions whenever you desire a actually good pasta bake so that you’ll do it correctly. Crisp the bacon, sear the chicken, simmer the sauce, then carry all of it collectively into one large effervescent pasta bake.

At present is a type of days!

1. Crisp bacon (no oil)

1. First, prepare dinner the bacon in a non-stick pan till golden and crisp. You received’t want any oil to do that because the fats within the bacon will soften and launch fats into the pan. So it cooks in its personal fats!

2. Drain on paper towels, leaving the fats within the pan (we’ll use this to prepare dinner the chicken). The bacon will go crispy when it cools, then chop into items.

2. Making the pasta bake

1. Toss the chicken within the Italian herbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

2. Sear – Utilizing a really large pan or a big pot (as a result of we’re mixing the sauce with pasta on this pan), sear the chicken till mild golden within the reserved bacon fats.

   Don’t fear whether or not it’s cooked by way of inside, it can end cooking within the sauce and oven. Take away chicken with a slotted spoon and put aside in a bowl, leaving the tasty chicken/bacon fats within the pan (you see all this flavour constructing occurring, proper??!)

3. Sauté the onion and garlic with the chilli flakes and dried oregano – good trick for bringing out further flavour from dried herbs! Then add the wine and simmer quickly to largely cut back – this cooks out the alcohol and removes the winey flavour, simply abandoning tasty flavour which provides a bit something-something into the sauce.

4. Sauce – Subsequent, prepare dinner off the tomato paste. Much like toasting the herbs, this improves the flavour of tomato paste, taking off the bitter edge, intensifying the tomato flavour and sweetening it. Good Cheffy tip!

   Then we add all of the liquids – the tomato passata, water (use it to rinse out the bottle) – salt and pepper for seasoning.

5. Simmer – Then stir within the chicken – don’t neglect so as to add all of the juices pooled within the bowl! Simmer for five minutes to carry the flavours collectively – that is when the magic occurs so don’t skip or shortcut this step. I attempted – to hurry issues up – however the sauce simply lacked flavour.

6. Add-ins – Add the infant spinach, tomato, cooked pasta and bacon in that order, so the heavier add-ins crush the appreciable quantity of child spinach.

   Oh! In the event you bear in mind, you possibly can maintain again a little bit of bacon for sprinkling on on the finish. However to be trustworthy, I often neglect.

7. Combine effectively – Give all of it stir to combine all of it collectively. You DID use an enormous pan, proper?? 🙂 In the event you didn’t, that is the half the place you’ll begin crying or cursing – been there, completed that!

8. Baking pan – Switch to a 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13″ pan and degree the floor.

9. Cheese it! Prime with mozzarella then parmesan cheese. Doing it on this order offers the floor a stunning golden crust because of the parmesan, however it’s not the top of the world in the event you do it the opposite approach.

10. Bake for simply 25 minutes till the cheese is melted with some beautiful golden spots. Relaxation for five minutes, simply to let it settle so the sauce clings to the pasta a bit higher. Then serve!

It’s not typically I get to let you know {that a} pasta dish is a whole meal, so let me benefit from the second. This one’s bought all of it! Starch, protein and loads of greens – the tomato passata (sure it’s a vegetable!), chunks of contemporary tomato and quantity of child spinach too.

Which implies – in contrast to most of my creamy pasta bakes – no have to make a salad for the aspect to spherical out the meal. All the time a bonus in relation to selecting what to make for dinner tonight, proper?? – Johnsat x

PS Having simply made that assertion, I simply realised the picture above has a aspect salad in it. 😂 It’s the rocket salad (arugula) with balsamic dressing minus the parmesan shavings (as a result of I figured there was sufficient cheese within the pasta bake!). It was already made for one more recipe I used to be taking pictures so I simply grabbed it as a background prop for the picture!

PPS Regardless of saying this can be a full meal, a aspect of garlic bread will surely take dinner to a different degree!

Chicken pasta bake Recipe

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Serves: 6 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 45 minutes 45 minutes

Nutrition facts: 567 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• 500g / 1 lb chicken thighs , cut into small bite size pieces (Note 1)
• 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp Italian herb mix , any store bought type
• 300g/10oz rigatoni (or penne, elbow macaroni, shells or similar)
• 2 tsp salt , for cooking pasta
• 5 slices streaky bacon
• 1/2 onion , finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes / red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup chardonnay or other dry white wine (Note 2)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 700g / 24oz tomato passata (Note 3)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 tomatoes , cut into 8 wedges then halved
• 2 big handfuls baby spinach (or bite size kale)
• 2 cups mozzarella, shredded
• 1/2 cup (tightly packed) parmesan, finely shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
2. Cook pasta per packet directions, using boiling water seasoned with the 2 teaspoons of salt. Drain, rinse briefly under tap water, then set aside to cool while making the sauce.
3. Season chicken – Toss together Seasoned Chicken ingredients in a bowl.
4. Crisp bacon – Put bacon in an unheated very large non-stick pan (Note 2). Turn stove on medium high. The fat will melt so the bacon cooks in its own fat. Cook until light golden, remove onto paper towels, leaving fat in the pan. Once cool, cut into 1cm / 1/3" pieces.
5. Sizzle chicken – Top up bacon fat with olive oil if you don’t have at least 1 tbsp. Increase heat to high. Cook chicken for 3 minutes until light golden on the outside but still raw inside. Remove into a bowl with a slotted spoon.
6. Sauce – In the same pan, cook garlic and onion for 1 minute, then add chilli flakes and oregano. Cook for 2 minutes until onion is translucent. Add wine and rapidly simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until mostly evaporated. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to concentrate and improve flavour. Add passata, then use the water to rinse out the bottle. Add salt, pepper, chicken (including all juices on the plate). Mix, then simmer for 5 minutes on medium.
7. Toss – Add baby spinach, tomato, pasta and bacon. Toss well.
8. Assemble – Transfer to 23 x 33cm/9 x 13" pan. Top with mozzarella then parmesan. Bake 25 minutes until melted with some golden spots.
9. Serve – Stand for 5 minutes then serve!

Notes

1. Chicken thighs hold up best in pasta bakes as they stay juicy through the double/triple cook. However, breast will also work though I’d cut it a little larger so it stays juicier.
2. Wine is a secret ingredient for tastier sauces – no winey flavour remaining, I promise! I like using chardonnay as it adds more flavour than neutral whites like sauvignon blanc. Sub low-sodium chicken stock/broth
3. Tomato passata – Pureed, strained pure tomatoes, sometimes labelled “tomato puree” in the US (here’s a photo of Mutti tomato passata sold at Walmart). It’s readily available in Australian supermarkets nowadays, alongside pasta sauces. Passata is excellent for making thick, smooth sauces. More on tomato passata here.
4. Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge or freezer for 3 months.
Make-ahead – Best way is to cool down the sauce and pasta before combining. Assemble pasta bake – including topping with cheese – wrap tightly in cling wrap then fridge 3 days or freezer 3 months (thaw completely). Bake covered for 20 minutes then uncovered 20 minutes.
Nutrition per serving, assuming 6 servings. It’s a pretty hearty pasta bake thanks to all the add-ins so it should be enough for 6 standard servings.

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Sarah Miller

Hi, I’m Sarah Millar!
I’m a food blogger who loves creating quick and easy recipes that bring big flavor without the fuss. Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated — and I’m here to share simple, fast food ideas that anyone can make at home. When I’m not in the kitchen, you’ll usually find me tasting new dishes, exploring cafés, or coming up with fresh food hacks to make everyday meals more fun.

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