Chicken pasta bake
Directions
- 1Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
- 2Cook pasta according to package directions, using salted boiling water. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
- 3Season chicken with Italian herbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- 4Cook bacon in a non-stick pan until crisp. Remove, leaving the bacon fat in the pan. Chop bacon once cool.
- 5Sear chicken in the bacon fat until lightly golden. Remove and set aside.
- 6Sauté onion and garlic, add chilli flakes and oregano. Cook until onion is translucent.
- 7Add wine and simmer until mostly evaporated.
- 8Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- 9Add tomato passata and water (rinsing the bottle). Add salt, pepper, and chicken (including juices). Simmer for 5 minutes.
- 10Add spinach, tomato, pasta, and bacon. Toss well.
- 11Transfer to a baking pan, top with mozzarella and parmesan. Bake for 25 minutes.
- 12Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken thighs, cut into small bite size pieces
- 0.5 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 0.25 tsp black pepper
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp Italian herb mix
- 300 g rigatoni (or penne, elbow macaroni, shells or similar)
- 2 tsp salt, for cooking pasta
- 5 slices streaky bacon
- 0.5 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1.5 tsp dried oregano
- 0.5 tsp chilli flakes / red pepper flakes
- 0.5 cup chardonnay or other dry white wine
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 700 g tomato passata
- 0.5 cup water
- 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 3 tomatoes, cut into 8 wedges then halved
- 2 big handfuls baby spinach (or bite size kale)
- 2 cups mozzarella, shredded
- 0.5 cup parmesan, finely shredded
Equipment
large non-stick panoven23 x 33cm / 9 x 13" pan
Tips
- Use chicken thighs for juicier results.
- Wine adds depth of flavor to the sauce; substitute with chicken broth if needed.
- Tomato passata creates a thicker, smoother sauce.
- Don't skip the simmering step for best flavor.
- Make-ahead: cook sauce and pasta separately, assemble, and refrigerate or freeze before baking. Adjust baking time accordingly.
- A side salad is not needed as this dish is a complete meal, but garlic bread is a nice addition
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