Chicken pasta bake
If you can cut a pasta bake like cake – I’m talking straight vertical walls with sharp edges – that is not a good thing. It just screams dry pasta bake! Nope. Not in my world. Pasta bakes should be saucy and juicy, molten and oozy! Generously loaded with add-ins, if you’re going for a dinner pasta bake (as opposed to a side dish like Mac and Cheese). This one ticks all those boxes. Proof by picture – juicy / saucy: Tasty add-ins – sizzling seasoned chicken! Love the smell when the chicken hits the pan. So if that sounds good to you, read on so you can see how to make your new favourite chicken pasta bake!
Ingredients in chicken pasta bake
You’ll be able to get everything from your local grocery store. Nothing pricey on the list!
Sizzling seasoned chicken
The pasta bake starts with sizzling chicken that’s been tossed in a simple, tasty seasoning. Here’s what you need:
Chicken – I like using chicken thighs as they stay juicier in dishes like pasta bakes where they are twice cooked (ie before adding into sauce then in the oven with the pasta). Seasoning – Using a store bought Italian herb mix is a great shortcut here. I always like to add an extra spice, garlic in this paste, for extra flavour oomph.
Tomato pasta sauce for the pasta bake
A good tomato-based pasta bake needs a good tomato pasta sauce! No shortcuts here – I tried and just found it too bland. So here’s what we need:
Pasta type – I like the substantialness of rigatoni, there’s something extra cosy and satisfying about it in pasta bakes. However, feel free to use other short pastas like macaroni, penne, ziti, shells etc. Tomato passata – for a thick, smooth sauce with better tomato flavour and red colour, use passata instead of crushed or diced tomato. It’s just pureed plain tomato! Readily available here in Australia in the pasta or canned tomato aisle and costs around the same as canned tomato. More on passata here. Tomato paste – for sauce thickening and extra tomato flavour. Garlic and onion – essential flavour base! Oregano – for earthy flavour. Chilli flakes / red pepper flakes – for a hum of warmth! Wine – secret ingredient! Simmered rapidly to reduce and cook out the alcohol and winey flavour, just leaving behind tasty flavour. My favourite white wine for cooking is chardonnay which adds superior flavour compared to more neutral whites like sauvignon blanc. Substitute with low sodium chicken stock/broth.
Chicken pasta bake add-ins & topping
Lots of add-in options, but here’s what I’ve gone with!
Bacon – cooked first until crisp, chopped, and tossed through the pasta bake. Then we use the bacon fat left in the pan to cooke the chicken. Free flavour not to be wasted! Substitute with ham bits or chopped ham. Tomato – adds lovely juicy chunks of tomato in the pasta bake as well as filling it out and increasing the vegetable quota. Baby spinach – for more hidden greens as well as adding nice streaks of green into the pasta bake. Cheese – mozzarella for stretch and melting qualities, parmesan for flavour! (Because mozzarella actually does not have much flavour).
Feel free to substitute the tomato and baby spinach with other add-ins of choice.
How to make chicken pasta bake
There’s a time and a place for quick, low-effort one-pot pasta bakes. Then there’s all those times when you want a really good pasta bake so you’ll do it properly. Crisp the bacon, sear the chicken, simmer the sauce, then bring it all together into one big bubbling pasta bake. Today is one of those days!
1. Crisp bacon (no oil)
2. Making the pasta bake
Complete meal – veg, starch, protein!
It is not often I get to tell you that a pasta dish is a complete meal, so let me enjoy the moment. This one’s got it all! Starch, protein and plenty of vegetables – the tomato passata (yes it’s a vegetable!), chunks of fresh tomato and a good amount of baby spinach too. Don’t worry whether it’s cooked through inside, it will finish cooking in the sauce and oven. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl, leaving the tasty chicken/bacon fat in the pan (you see all this flavour building going on, right??!) Then we add all the liquids – the tomato passata, water (use it to rinse out the bottle) – salt and pepper for seasoning. Oh! If you remember, you can hold back a bit of bacon for sprinkling on at the end. But to be honest, I usually forget. The best way to make ahead is to cook the sauce and pasta separately, allow both to cool completely. Then toss together and assemble the pasta bake – including topping with cheese. Cover well with cling wrap and refrigerate 3 days or freeze up to 3 months (thaw thoroughly). Then bake covered for 20 minutes then uncovered for 20 minutes. It will take longer for the centre to get hot if you’re baking from fridge-cold but the cheese will get too brown if you leave it uncovered for this full baking time. Which means – unlike most of my creamy pasta bakes – no need to make a salad for the side to round out the meal. Always a bonus when it comes to choosing what to make for dinner tonight, right?? – Nagi x PS Having just made that statement, I just realised the photo above has a side salad in it. 😂 It’s the rocket salad (arugula) with balsamic dressing minus the parmesan shavings (because I figured there was enough cheese in the pasta bake!). It was already made for another recipe I was shooting so I just grabbed it as a background prop for the photo! PPS Despite saying this is a complete meal, a side of garlic bread would certainly take dinner to another level!
Watch how to make it
Life of Dozer
Sunset walk. Such a beautiful part of Sydney! (It’s Bayview dog park in Sydney’s northern beaches).
