# Chicken pasta bake

A tomato-based pasta bake with sizzling seasoned chicken, bacon, and plenty of cheese, offering a hearty and flavorful alternative to creamy pasta bakes.

- Servings: 6 servings
- Total time: 60 min
- Cuisine: Italian
- Category: Soup
- Language: en

## 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

## Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
2. Cook pasta according to package directions, using salted boiling water. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
3. Season chicken with Italian herbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
4. Cook bacon in a non-stick pan until crisp. Remove, leaving the bacon fat in the pan. Chop bacon once cool.
5. Sear chicken in the bacon fat until lightly golden. Remove and set aside.
6. Sauté onion and garlic, add chilli flakes and oregano. Cook until onion is translucent.
7. Add wine and simmer until mostly evaporated.
8. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
9. Add tomato passata and water (rinsing the bottle). Add salt, pepper, and chicken (including juices). Simmer for 5 minutes.
10. Add spinach, tomato, pasta, and bacon. Toss well.
11. Transfer to a baking pan, top with mozzarella and parmesan. Bake for 25 minutes.
12. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

## Equipment

- large non-stick pan
- oven
- 23 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

## Source

- Original video: https://www.recipetineats.com/chicken-pasta-bake/
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/b66d2214-e6ea-4e00-a167-6a76b2d087e3
- Extracted: 2025-04-24

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt