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Chicken & pasta bake with tomato, cheese & basil pesto recipe

Chicken & spinach pasta bake with tomato, cheese & basil pesto

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Resting time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 33 minutes
Servings 4 people
Appliance/Function:

Equipment

  • 1 Large pot
  • 1 Box grater
  • 1 Medium-deep frypan
  • 1 Medium frypan
  • 1 Ovenproof dish

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 1 onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 400 g diced tomatoes
  • 2 tsp Italian herbs
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Pasta & spinach

  • 200 g penne pasta
  • 1 cup baby spinach

Chicken

  • 500 g chicken breast skinless, boneless
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

To finish

  • ½ cup cheese grated
  • 80 g basil pesto

Instructions

Before you start

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil for the pasta.

Make sauce

  • Peel and finely chop 1 onion. Grate 1 carrot. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium-deep frypan over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and carrot, stirring regularly, for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add 400 g diced tomatoes, 2 tsp Italian herbs, 1 tsp honey and 1 tsp balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Cook pasta & spinach

  • Meanwhile, cook 200 g penne pasta in the pot of boiling water according to packet directions. Drain and return the pasta to the pot, add 1 cup baby spinach and toss to wilt. Set aside with a lid on to keep warm.

Cook chicken

  • While the pasta is cooking, put 500 g chicken breast flat on a board, put your hand on top and halve it horizontally into equal-thickness fillets. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium frypan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 2-4 minutes each side until golden and cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside to rest for 3 minutes.

To finish

  • Heat the oven grill to high for the pasta bake. Shred or dice the chicken into bite-sized chunks. Add the sauce, chicken, and any resting juices to the pasta and spinach and stir to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper. Transfer to an ovenproof dish. Grate over ½ cup cheese, add dollops of the pesto over top and grill for 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

To serve

  • Divide the chicken and spinach penne pasta with tomato, cheese and basil pesto between plates.

Nutrition

Calories: 538kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 582mg | Potassium: 945mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Calcium: 209mg | Iron: 3mg