You can never go wrong with a pasta bake dish as it’s so versatile you can add anything you like.
With more than 130 four-star ratings, Mary Berry’s chicken pasta bake recipe on BBC Good Food is loved by many.
The recipe notes said: “A wonderfully comforting chicken pasta bake, this can be made ahead and will go down really well with the family.”
Serving six to eight people, this recipe is perfect for a large family and it can even be made up to 24 hours ahead if you’re on a busy schedule.
What’s more, it can also be frozen for up to three months, perfect for meal planning ahead of time.
Ingredients:
Butter, for greasing
250g penne
One onion, roughly chopped
Three skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
One tablespoon of paprika
Two tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
50g butter
50g plain flour
750ml hot milk
One teaspoon of Dijon mustard
100g Parmesan cheese
Two large tomatoes deseeded and cut into small cubes
Method:
Start by preheating the oven to 220C or 200C Fan and butter a shallow 1.75 litre ovenproof dish.
Cook the penne pasta with the onion in boiling water until fully cooked, draining in a colander and leaving to the side.
Next, put the chicken strips in a resealable freezer bag with the paprika and a little salt and pepper, sealing the bag before shaking to coat it.
Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan and quickly fry the chicken over high heat for two minutes until just cooked through, transferring it to a plate and setting it aside.
To make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, adding the flour and whisking together to form a roux.
Cook for one minute before gradually adding in the hot milk, allowing it to boil together for four minutes before stirring in the mustard and half the cheese, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Add the pasta and onion into the sauce and stir together, spooning half of the mixture into the dish.
Arrange the chicken strips over the top and spoon the remaining pasta and sauce on top of the chicken.
Scatter over the tomatoes and then top it off with the remaining cheese, baking it in the oven for around 20 minutes.
