Chicken & Cheese Veg-Packed Pasta Bake

Updated at: Wed, 16 Aug 2023 21:09:33 GMT

Step 1

Before you start cooking, take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air Preheat the oven to 240ºC/ 220ºC (fan)/ gas 9 Boil a kettle Peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic

Step 2

Add the wholewheat tortiglioni to a pot of boiled water with a pinch of salt, bring to the boil over a high heat and cook for 10-12 min or until cooked with a slight bite Once cooked, drain the cooked wholewheat tortiglioni and set aside until later Reboil half a kettle

Step 3

While the pasta is cooking, top, tail and chop the courgette[s] into quarters lengthways, then slice finely Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat Once hot, add the sliced courgette and the diced chicken thigh with a pinch of salt and cook for 7-8 min or until the chicken has browned and the courgette is beginning to soften

Step 4

Meanwhile, dissolve the vegetable stock mix, dried basil, balsamic vinegar, tomato paste and 1 tsp [2 tsp] sugar in 100ml [150ml] boiled water – this is your stock Chop the tomato[es] roughly

Step 5

Once the courgette is beginning to soften, add the chopped garlic to the pan and cook for 30 secs Add the stock with the chopped tomato and the finely chopped tomatoes and bring to the boil over a high heat Season with a generous grind of black pepper and cook for 4-5 min further – this is your sauce

Step 6

Grate the cheddar cheese Chop the parsley finely, including the stalks

Step 7

Add the drained wholewheat tortiglioni to the sauce with the chopped parsley (save some for garnish!) and mix it all up Add half the pasta to an oven-proof dish, then top with the grated cheese Top with the remaining pasta and grated Italian hard cheese and put the dish in the oven for 10-15 min or until all the cheese has melted and the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your chicken & cheese veg-packed pasta bake Serve the chicken & cheese veg-packed pasta bake topped with the reserved chopped parsley and a grind of black pepper Enjoy!

1 liked

0 disliked