Chicken Ratatouille Pasta Bake

Twisted’s chicken ratatouille and pasta bake recipe is so good, Disney actually made a movie about it (well, maybe).

Done in 30 minutes

Dish by Hugh Woodward

Ingredients

What you'll need:

2 tsp vegetable oil

3chicken breast, diced

1 aubergine, diced

1onion, diced

1 red chilli, diced

2 garlic cloves, diced

1 tbspfresh oregano

1red pepper, diced

1 yellow pepper, diced

1green courgette, diced

1yellow courgette, diced

2 tbsptomato paste

1 x 400g canchopped tomatoes

350gdried penne

50gbutter

50gflour

500ml whole milk

1/2 tspnutmeg

75gparmesan cheese, grated

150gmixed cheddar and mozzarella

1Japanese eggplant, thinly sliced

1green courgette thinly sliced

1yellow squash thinly sliced

4Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

2 tbspvegetable oil

2 tspfresh thyme

2 tspfresh oregano

This wonderfully layered chicken ratatouille is chock full of diced vegetable goodness and a beautiful grilled chicken breast. Layer on top a thick and creamy cheese sauce and then add even more grilled veggies to finish it off. It's dinner time and this chicken ratatouille recipe will set tongues wagging.

Method

Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper to season. Sear the chicken until golden brown on both sides, remove and set aside.

Add a little bit more oil, and the chopped eggplant. Saute the eggplant until just soft and light caramelized, remove and set aside.

In the same pan, add the onion and red chilli and cook until softened. Add the garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant.

Add the peppers and courgettes. Cook for a couple of minutes then add eggplant, tomato paste and stir to coat. Add the crushed tomato and simmer for another 20 minutes until slightly thickened.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dent. Keep a ½-1 cup of pasta cooking water.

Once the pasta is cooked, add it to the sauce with the chicken and stir to coat well, pour into a baking dish.

Pre-heat oven to 200ºC.

In a pan melt the butter. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk to make a smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Add nutmeg and parmesan cheese. Continue cooking until bubbling and thick.

Stir through the cheddar and mozzarella mix in batches until smooth. Pour over the pasta.

In a large bowl, mix together the sliced vegetables, oil and spices. Gently toss to coat evenly. Arrange the vegetables in a repetitive pattern on top of the bechamel.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the vegetables have softened and lightly browned. Then grill for about 5 minutes until bubbling and a slight char on the vegetables.

Serve garnished with fresh basil, enjoy!

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Hugh Woodward

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Hugh's culinary life began aged 14 when he cooked spaghetti hoop burritos to impress girls. Since then his colourful career has taken him to performing in Skegness, making cheese in Peckham, running a wine bar on Columbia Road and reluctantly working in a (briefly) Michelin Starred restaurant. He likes fish, things cooked on charcoal, cheap dinners and London's rich cultural tapestry of food shops. When he's not cooking or eating he can be found mudlarking by the river Thames, buying bits in flea markets and hanging out with his cat Keith.