If you are into baking then you will enjoy cooking this baked chicken pasta. It's a complete meal and it will make you fuller when you have it for dinner. This meal is juicy and saucy and is loaded with different toppings.
Ingredients
Chicken
- Chicken thighs - 500 gm, cut into small pieces
- Salt – ½ teaspoon
- Garlic powder – ½ teaspoon
- Black pepper – ¼ teaspoon
- Italian herb – 2 teaspoon
Pasta bake
- Pasta (rigatoni, penne, macaroni, or shell) – 300 gm
- Salt - 2 teaspoon
- Bacon – 5 slices
- Onion – ½, finely chopped
- Garlic cloves -2, minced
- Dried oregano – ½ teaspoon
- Tomato paste – 2 tablespoon
- Chilli flakes – ½ teaspoon
- Tomato puree – 700 gm
- Water – ½ cup
- Salt – to taste
- Black pepper – ½ teaspoon
- Tomatoes – 3, cut in small wedges
- Baby spinach – 2 handfuls
- Mozzarella cheese – 2 cups, finely shredded
- Parmesan cheese – 2 cups, finely shredded
Cooking method
Prepare the chicken
- Take chicken thighs and season them with Italian herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper. Sear the chicken till it turns golden in color. Leave the fat in the pan.
- Saute garlic, onion, dried oregano, and chili flakes. This will bring out excellent flavor.
Cook pasta
You should cook pasta according to the packet instructions. Boil water and add some salt. After the pasta is done, drain and rinse with water. Let it cool while you make the sauce.
Make the tomato pasta sauce
You need to use tomato puree, garlic, onion, oregano, and chili. Put the chicken into the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Prepare the add-ins
- Cook the bacon until it is crispy and chop it into small pieces.
- Then add the tomato chunks to the pasta bake.
- Add baby spinach and cheese.
Prepare chicken pasta bake
Mix well and transfer to a baking pan (9 X 13 inches). Make sure to level the surface. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and then parmesan cheese. You will get a beautiful golden crust due to the parmesan cheese. Bake for 25 minutes at 180 degrees C. Take it out of the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then serve hot!
Storing
You can make the pasta and sauce beforehand and store it in the fridge by covering it with a plastic wrap. Just make sure that you don't mix them. Take them out the next day and put them in the oven to bake.
Cooking tips
- Put salt in the boiling water before adding the pasta. It will not only cook the pasta fast but will also add flavor to it.
- Do tasks simultaneously to save time. For example, while your pasta is cooking on one stove, prepare the chicken and bacon on the other stovetop. That way you will save a lot of time.
- Don't make your sauce watery by adding extra water.
- Add veggies of your choice, like bell peppers, broccoli, or mushrooms.
Health benefits
This pasta dish will give you a lot of energy. Your fiber intake will increase. It will lower the risk of high cholesterol levels. The recipe includes lots of vegetables, herbs, meat, and cheese giving you balanced nutrients like proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fat. You will feel energized after eating this delicious meal. Also, baking is a healthy cooking method that reduces the intake of oil which might have adverse effects on your heart.
Baked chicken pasta is a very healthy meal for the entire family. You can customize this meal with your preference for pasta, meat, vegetables, herbs, and cheese. As it requires a number of steps to make it, you can invite your family members to help you so that you can have a fun time preparing. After eating you can store the leftovers in the fridge.
