Chicken and Veg Pasta Bake
Pasta, chicken and a variety of vegetables baked in a creamy tomato sauce with a tasty cheesy topping.
Servings: 6
Calories: 639kcal
Equipment
- Large Frying Pan (or large saucepan)
- Large Baking Dish
Ingredients
Chicken
- 500g / 1lb chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Pasta Bake
- 300g (10 oz) rigatoni pasta
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 700g (24oz) tomato passata (pureed, strained tomatoes sometimes known as tomato puree)
- 250ml (1 cup) chicken stock
- 125ml (½ cup) double cream (thicken cream / heavy cream)
- 120g (4.2 oz) spinach leaves
- 75g (½ cup) peas
- 80g (½ cup) mozzarella, grated
- 80g (½ cup) parmesan, grated
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 180℃/350F
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add pasta and cook per packet directions minus 1 minute. Drain and rinse under water and set aside.
- In a bowl toss the chicken thigh pieces together with the garlic powder and oregano.
- Heat a large saucepan/skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and cook the chicken for around 3 minutes, until lightly golden on the outside (will still be raw in the middle). Remove to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and bell pepper and saute gently until onion is soft and translucent (around 3 mins.) Stir in the the tomato paste and dried oregano and stir for a further minute.
- Add the passata and chicken stock (I usually pour the chicken stock into the empty passata bottle, give it a quick shake to catch any remaining sauce, and add that to the pan). Bring to a gentle simmer, return the chicken and allow to simmer for around 5 mins. Stir in the cream, spinach and peas, cooking until the spinach has wilted. Taste and season accordingly.
- Stir in the cooked pasta and gently stir to combine, then transfer the mixture to a large baking dish.
- Top with the grated mozzarella and parmesan. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes. The dish should be hot throughout and the cheese golden and bubbly.
Video
Notes
**Recipe first published in 2020, it has been updated in 2026 based on reader feedback. Changes include using chicken thigh to replace shredded chicken breast and reducing the pasta amount slightly for a saucier result. If you would like the original version, please email me and I'll happily send you it.
Stock: I used chicken stock but you can also use vegetable stock. If serving a baby make sure to use homemade stock to reduce sodium levels. Alternatively you can replace with a second can of chopped tomatoes.
Cheese: A mix of mozzarella and parmesan is used for the topping. Mozzarella melts really well and has that nice stretch and parmesan adds great flavour. You can replace with other gold melting cheeses such as Gruyere, Monterey Jack, Colby, Provolone & Cheddar.
Nutritional Information is a ROUGH guide only, calculated using an online nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
Calories: 639kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 476mg | Potassium: 1155mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 3853IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 326mg | Iron: 5mg