Chicken Parm Pasta Bake

Chicken parmesan, but in pasta form. Shredded chicken in a tomato sauce, loads of mozzarella and parmesan, fusilli, and some garlicky breadcrumbs to finish. Delicious!

Done in 1 hour

Serves 4

Dish by Spencer Lengsfield

Ingredients

Sauce:

600gboneless, skinless, chicken thighs

1onion, diced

4garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsptomato paste

400gtinned tomatoes

1 tspchilli (optional)

1/2 tspdried oregano

1 tbspbalsamic vinegar

Pinchsugar

Salt and pepper, to taste

Pasta bake:

400gfusilli, cooked (or your favourite short pasta shape)

200gmozzarella, shredded

Parmesan, grated

50gpanko

Extra virgin olive oil

1garlic clove, grated

Basil leaves, to garnish

It’s always pasta bake season (even when it’s hot outside), so if you’re sick of summer salads and cold soups on your feed, make this cheesy, comforting chicken parm pasta bake. It's a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

Method

Start by seasoning your chicken thighs. Add to an oiled pan over medium/high heat, and get a nice golden sear on both sides. Set aside once browned - don't worry about it being cooked through, it'll finish getting cooked in the sauce.

Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until soft and fragrant. If you've got some stubborn fond on the bottom of the pan, add some butter or a splash of water.

Once everything is soft, add tomato paste and chilli, then cook for a further few minutes. Add tinned tomatoes, then season with salt, sugar, pepper, oregano, and balsamic.

Nestle the chicken back in, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Once the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced slightly, shred up all the chicken. This is a good time to preheat your oven to 200 C.

Cook your pasta according to the package instructions, then add to the sauce with some grated parmesan.

Add half of the pasta to a baking dish, and top with a layer of cheese. Finish with the remaining pasta and even more cheese, then bake until it's golden and bubbly - around 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, add some olive oil to a pan with panko and grated garlic. Toast until golden brown, then sprinkle on top of the bake when it comes out of the oven. Allow to cool slightly, finish with fresh basil, and enjoy!

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Spencer Lengsfield

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Spencer has been cooking since she got her first Easy-Bake oven at four years old, and began recipe developing professionally whilst completing her Master’s degree in 2020. Born in Los Angeles, she has an inherent love for all things Mexican, Japanese, and Korean, but is also heavily influenced by her family's Louisiana heritage. Spencer loves bright flavours, spice and fusion food. If she were a food, she'd be kimchi - versatile, spicy and funky.