You can't beat a pasta bake, perfect for a busy weeknight. Chicken thighs are full of flavour and we use classic herbs to enhance the flavour of the sauce, you can create your own combination to fit your palate. Swap cheddar for creamy mozarella or add in some sharp Parmesan for even more oomph.
Prep
5 min
Cook
25 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
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Ingredients
penne pasta 300 g
chicken thighs 600 g (chopped)
onion granules 1 tsp
paprika 1 tsp
dried oregano 1 tsp
tomato passata 500 ml
cream cheese 80 g
mature cheddar 100 g (grated)
mixed leaf salad to serve
Method
Preheat the oven & cook the pasta
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan.
Cook the penne in boiling salted water for around 7 minutes, and it still has a bite to it. Drain when cooked.
Cook the pasta bake sauce
Meanwhile, chop the chicken thighs into small pieces.
To cook the sauce: heat a dash of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chicken and fry for 7-8 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. If you can use an ovenproof pan for this step, you won’t need another dish for the oven.
Add the onion granules, paprika and oregano, fry for a minute. Stir in the passata, cream cheese and the drained penne. Season with salt and pepper.
Finish the pasta bake
To finish the pasta bake: grate the cheddar directly on top of the pasta bake and place the pan in the oven for 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbling.
Plate up
Plate up - serve the chicken pasta bake with the mixed leaf salad. Enjoy!
