A comforting pasta bake loaded with tender chicken, tomato sauce and plenty of melted mozzarella. Everything comes together in one bubbling, cheesy bake with golden edges and plenty of sauce throughout.
It’s an easy one to make in a bigger batch, making it just as useful for weeknight dinner as it is portioned out for lunches during the week.
Chicken, Tomato & Mozzarella Pasta Bake
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 400 g short pasta such as penne or rigatoni
- 600 g chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 brown onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 700 ml tomato passata
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp Italian herbs
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 200 g mozzarella, grated
- 50 g Parmesan, finely grated
Method
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the packet directions, then drain.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until lightly golden. Remove and set aside.
- Reduce to medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the passata, tomato paste, Italian herbs, sugar, salt and black pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the sauce and simmer for another 2–3 minutes.
- Combine the pasta with the chicken and tomato sauce, then transfer to a baking dish.
- Scatter mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes until bubbling and golden.
- Rest for 5 minutes before serving or dividing into meal-prep containers.
Tip: Undercooking the pasta slightly prevents it becoming too soft during baking.
Tip: For extra browning, finish under the grill for 1–2 minutes while watching closely.
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