Chicken Pasta Bake
Paprika coated chicken with pasta in a cheesy mustard sauce - delicious and comforting!
Ingredients
- butter for greasing
- 250g dried pasta of your choice eg: rigatoni, penne, fusilli or orecchiette
- 1 onion roughly chopped
- 3 chicken breasts cut into thin strips roughly the size of your little finger
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
- 50g butter
- 50g plain flour
- 750ml hot milk (see Notes)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 100g parmesan cheese coarsely grated
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large tomatoes deseeded and cut into small cubes
Instructions
- See Notes for making ahead. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Grease a shallow ovenproof dish (approx. 25cm x 20cm) with butter and set aside.
- Cook the pasta with the onion in boiling, salted water according to the packet instructions. Drain, refresh in cold water and leave to drain again in the colander.
- Put the chicken strips in a resealable freezer bag with the paprika and a little salt and pepper. Seal the bag and shake to coat.
- Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan and quickly fry the chicken over a high heat for about 2 minutes until golden brown and just cooked through (you may need to do this in batches). Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried chicken to a plate and set aside.
- To make the sauce, melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium to low heat. Add the flour and whisk together to form a roux. Cook for 1 minute, then gradually add the hot milk, whisking over a high heat until the sauce is smooth and thickened, and allow to boil for 4 minutes. Stir in the mustard and half the cheese and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Add the pasta and onion to the sauce in the pan and stir together. Spoon half this mixture into the dish, arrange the chicken strips over the top and spoon the remaining pasta and sauce on top of the chicken. Scatter over the tomatoes and then top with the remaining cheese. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until piping hot and golden brown on top.
Notes
- Make ahead - the pasta can be cooked up to 24 hours ahead, following the instructions in step 2, then kept in the fridge. The dish can be assembled fully and chilled overnight in the fridge, then cooked at 200C/180C fan/gas 6 for 30 minutes.
- The milk can be heated in a microwave proof jug on high for 1 to 2 minutes – saves dirtying another pan!
- This chicken pasta bake recipe is easily adapted if you’re cooking for less or more people – the photos are half the recipe for 2 (I used a square dish – 20cm x 20cm).