Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl, leaving the tasty chicken/bacon fat in the pan (you see all this flavour building going on, right?!) Sear – Using a very big pan or a large pot (because we’re mixing the sauce with pasta in this pan), sear the chicken until light golden in the reserved bacon fat.ĭon’t worry whether it’s cooked through inside, it will finish cooking in the sauce and oven. Toss the chicken in the Italian herbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper. The bacon will go crispy when it cools, then chop into pieces. So it cooks in its own fat!ĭrain on paper towels, leaving the fat in the pan (we will use this to cook the chicken). You won’t need any oil to do this as the fat in the bacon will melt and release fat into the pan. Crisp bacon (no oil)įirst, cook the bacon in a non-stick pan until golden and crisp. Crisp the bacon, sear the chicken, simmer the sauce, then bring it all together into one big bubbling pasta bake. Then there’s all those times when you want a really good pasta bake so you’ll do it properly. There’s a time and a place for quick, low-effort one-pot pasta bakes. Tomato – adds lovely juicy chunks of tomato in the pasta bake as well as filling it out and increasing the vegetable quota.īaby spinach – for more hidden greens as well as adding nice streaks of green into the pasta bake.Ĭheese – mozzarella for stretch and melting qualities, parmesan for flavour! (Because mozzarella actually does not have much flavour).įeel free to substitute the tomato and baby spinach with other add-ins of choice. Free flavour not to be wasted! Substitute with ham bits or chopped ham. Then we use the bacon fat left in the pan to cooke the chicken. Lots of add-in options, but here’s what I’ve gone with!īacon – cooked first until crisp, chopped, and tossed through the pasta bake. Substitute with low sodium chicken stock/broth. My favourite white wine for cooking is chardonnay which adds superior flavour compared to more neutral whites like sauvignon blanc. Wine – secret ingredient! Simmered rapidly to reduce and cook out the alcohol and winey flavour, just leaving behind tasty flavour. Garlic and onion – essential flavour base!Ĭhilli flakes / red pepper flakes – for a hum of warmth! Tomato paste – for sauce thickening and extra tomato flavour. It’s just pureed plain tomato! Readily available here in Australia in the pasta or canned tomato aisle and costs around the same as canned tomato. Tomato passata – for a thick, smooth sauce with better tomato flavour and red colour, use passata instead of crushed or diced tomato. However, feel free to use other short pastas like macaroni, penne, ziti, shells etc. Pasta type – I like the substantialness of rigatoni, there’s something extra cosy and satisfying about it in pasta bakes. I always like to add an extra spice, garlic in this paste, for extra flavour oomph.Ī good tomato-based pasta bake needs a good tomato pasta sauce! No shortcuts here – I tried and just found it too bland. Seasoning – Using a store bought Italian herb mix is a great shortcut here. Here’s what you need:Ĭhicken – I like using chicken thighs as they stay juicier in dishes like pasta bakes where they are twice cooked (ie before adding into sauce then in the oven with the pasta). The pasta bake starts with sizzling chicken that’s been tossed in a simple, tasty seasoning. Nothing pricey on the list! Sizzling seasoned chicken You’ll be able to get everything from your local grocery store. So if that sounds good to you, read on so you can see how to make your new favourite chicken pasta bake! Tasty add-ins – sizzling seasoned chicken! Love the smell when the chicken hits the pan. Pasta bakes should be saucy and juicy, molten and oozy! Generously loaded with add-ins, if you’re going for a dinner pasta bake (as opposed to a side dish like Mac and Cheese). If you can cut a pasta bake like cake – I’m talking straight vertical walls with sharp edges – that is not a good thing. Filled with bacon, sizzling seasoned chicken and generous on the cheese, it’s cosy and hearty and thrifty and just so, so delicious! Excellent complete meal for making ahead and freezing. A nice change from the usual creamy versions, this chicken pasta bake is made with a tomato pasta sauce.
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