This pasta dish is very easy to make and can easily make everyone’s favourites. Not many ingredients are needed for this dish. A bowl of pasta, chicken and vegetables dipped in a creamy white sauce is perfect for a night in. White sauce, also known as Bachamel sauce, is used in this pasta dish. It can be prepared at home easily. I am going to share a very simple method for this fantastic dish.
This recipe is perfect for weekend brunches, kids’ sleepovers and potluck parties.
Table of contents
1. About the recipe
2. Ingredients
3. Step-by-step method
4. Tips
1. About the recipe
This pasta dish combined with chicken, vegetables, and cheese in a white sauce makes the perfect Italian dish at home. Use any pasta, long or short; you can also use your choice of vegetables ( mushroom, broccoli, capsicum). This dish came out amazingly beautiful from your oven. In Ramadan, I prepare this baked pasta for Iftar and believe me, it is pretty filling and delicious. My kids very much love to eat this pasta dish. Layering of white sauce, pasta, vegetables and cheese came out amazingly delicious 😋. It is an excellent option for school or college lunch boxes. I am not a big fan of pasta dishes, but this recipe is my go-to dish for a party because of its light spice and creamy, flavourful sauce.
Usually, I prepare this pasta dish with penne pasta, but you can use elbow, ziti, rigatoni, shell or even macaroni. Basically, these types of shapes of pasta absorb more sauce, and this is the reason for great pasta. I am using roughly chopped boneless chicken in this recipe. You can use minced or small pieces, too.
Serving Suggestions: 2 to 3 people
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Let’s Start Cooking!
2. Ingredients
- 200gm pasta
- 1 cup boneless chicken cut into small pieces (or minced)
- 1 cup capsicum cut into small pieces
- 1 cup onion chopped into small pieces
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes into small pieces
- 2 tbsp tomato puree or paste
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
- 1 tbsp chopped ginger
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp black pepper powder
- Olive oil
- Chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning
- 1/2 tbsp oregano powder
- Cheddar cheese and Mozzarella cheese
For White sauce
- 50gm Butter
- 500ml milk
- 50 gm flour
- 1 nutmeg
- salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper powder
- 1 tbsp red chilli flakes ( optional)
3. Step-by-step method
Boil Pasta in hot water with adding Salt.
Pasta cooking Tip: Cook pasta until it is al dente in salted water according to the package instructions.
Cut chicken into small pieces. In another bowl, Chopped onion, tomato and capsicum in the same size (small size)
In a thick bottom pan, put some olive oil, add chopped garlic and chopped ginger, and fry for a few seconds.
Now add chopped onion and stir until onion becomes soft. At this stage, add chicken, salt, cumin powder, black pepper powder, and tomato puree and cook on a medium flame. Cook until the chicken becomes tender. Now add chopped tomatoes and cook for a few minutes.
Add chopped capsicum, oregano and seasoning powder and stir.,
Now add boiled pasta to this chicken-vegetable mixture. Mix it very well. Taste the pasta and add more salt or pepper according to your taste.
In a separate pan, put some butter and add flour. Stir nicely for a few seconds on a medium flame.
Now, gradually add milk while stirring consistently to avoid any lumps.
Add salt, red chilli flakes, oregano, and grated nutmeg powder. You will notice the creamy texture of the sauce.
Remove the pan away from heat and add a little cheddar cheese. Mix it very well.
Assembling
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
In an oven-proof dish, spread the layer of white sauce, then the pasta layer. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese. Again, spread the layer of pasta and chicken mixture, then the white sauce layer. Repeat the same process until the pasta mixture and white sauce is brought to an end.
Sprinkle-grated mozzarella and cheddar cheese on the final layer.
Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes until it turns golden.
Serve warm.
4. Tips
- You can use any pasta of your choice. Here, I am using penne pasta.
- This dish can also be made with only vegetables like mushrooms, carrots, sweet corn and broccoli.
- Reserve boiled pasta water; it can be used to make a consistency of white sauce.
- You can use different types of cheese also. Cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan are excellent options for this recipe.
- This can be stored and used the next day as well.
