Chicken Pasta Bake

What you need

Ingredients

Measured for 4 servings.

• 600 gChicken Breast, raw
• 300 gWhole-Wheat Pasta, dry
• 500 gTomato Passata
• 140 gMozzarella, part-skim
• 200 gSpinach
• 150 gOnion
• 10 gGarlic
• 10 gOlive Oil

Make it

Method

1. 01

   Weigh and prepare all ingredients for Chicken Pasta Bake: 600 g Chicken Breast, raw, 300 g Whole-Wheat Pasta, dry, 500 g Tomato Passata, 140 g Mozzarella, part-skim, 200 g Spinach, 150 g Onion, 10 g Garlic, 10 g Olive Oil. Wash produce and cut or grate it as the recipe requires. Keep raw animal products separate from ready-to-eat ingredients, and wash used bowls and knives promptly.

2. 02

   Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bring a large pot of salted water to a steady boil and cook the whole-wheat pasta 2 minutes less than al dente; it will continue cooking in the oven.

3. 03

   While the pasta cooks, heat the measured olive oil in a wide pan. Soften the onion for 3–4 minutes, add the chicken and brown it evenly; add the garlic only for the final 30–60 seconds.

4. 04

   Stir in the passata and spinach. Simmer 4–5 minutes until the spinach has wilted and the sauce lightly coats the chicken rather than pooling like soup.

5. 05

   Drain the pasta and fold it through the chicken-tomato sauce. Transfer to a baking dish and distribute the mozzarella evenly over the surface.

6. 06

   Bake for about 15 minutes, until bubbling at the edges and lightly browned on top. Rest 5 minutes before portioning so the sauce settles.

7. 07

   Check the thickest chicken piece with a clean instant-read thermometer; poultry must reach 74°C before serving.

8. 08

   Divide the finished recipe into 4 equal servings, preferably using the final cooked weight so portioning remains aligned with the nutrition calculation.