- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 courgette cut into chunky pieces
- 2 chicken breasts cut into strips
- 1 large clove garlic thinly sliced
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- a pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
- 800 g (28 oz) tinned chopped tomatoes blitzed until smooth
- 200 ml (⅞ cup) hot vegetable stock
- 80 g (2.8 oz) pitted green olives
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 400 g (14.1 oz) penne pasta
- 150 ml (½ cup) pasta cooking water
- 100 g (3.5 oz) cheese grated (see Notes)
- half of a small bunch of parsley finely chopped – to garnish (optional)
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and courgette and fry for 10 minutes.
Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika and chilli flakes (if using) and fry for a further minute. Next, pour in the tomatoes, hot stock and olives. Add the sugar, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir to combine. Simmer uncovered for a further 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain, reserving about 150ml of the starchy cooking water. Add this water to the sauce, with the pasta, and toss. Tip into a baking dish. Top with the cheese and bake for 15 minutes.
Garnish with the chopped parsley (if using) and serve with a punchy green salad and some crusty bread!
- Cheese – the original recipe states to use 100g of Asda Grated Four Cheese Blend which contains mozzarella, mild coloured cheddar, double Gloucester and Monterey Jack cheeses…feel free to use whatever cheeses you like – I like mozzarella, red leicester and extra mature cheddar.
- Make it vegetarian - replace the chicken with roasted peppers, tinned artichokes and extra olives.
- This paprika chicken pasta bake recipe is easily adapted if you’re cooking for less or more people.
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Calories: 507kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 750mg | Potassium: 855mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1269IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 202mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
KEYWORDS chicken pasta bake, comfort food, pasta bake, penne pasta, vegetarian option, winter warmer