Bake Off legend Mary Berry has cooked up a yummy chicken pasta bake recipe that is perfect for feeding the family – and it can be whipped up in just 30 minutes flat
Mary Berry’s quick and easy chicken pasta bake recipe
Struggling to decide on tonight’s dinner as the weekend inches closer? Mary Berry has the perfect solution – a mouth-watering chicken pasta bake that’s a doddle to whip up. The dish, full of gooey cheese, perfectly seasoned chicken and a lush creamy sauce with onions and tomatoes, is a true crowd-pleaser.
Mary Berry herself praises the dish on the BBC website, saying: “A wonderfully comforting chicken pasta bake, this can be made ahead and will go down really well with the family.”
READ MORE: ‘I’m a beauty writer – the new ghd curling wand gave me perfect waves in 15 mins’
With only minutes needed for preparation and a swift 20 minutes in the oven, it’s an ideal meal for any night of the week, reports the Express. Whether for youngsters, teenagers or grown-ups, this quintessential comfort food dinner is guaranteed to delight all.
Mary Berry’s scrumptious chicken pasta bake
Ingredients
- 250g of penne pasta
- 100g of parmesan cheese
- 50g plain flour
- 50g of butter (plus extra for greasing)
- 750ml of hot milk
- Three skinless boneless chicken breasts
- Two large tomatoes
- One onion
- One tablespoon of Dijon mustard
- One tablespoon of paprika
- Two tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Kitchen kit you’ll need
- A shallow ovenproof dish
- Pot
- Large frying pan
- Sandwich bag
- Slotted spoon
Method
Start by finely chopping the onion, then toss it into boiling salted water with the penne pasta. Stick to the instructions on the pasta packet, then drain, rinse with cool water and set it aside for the moment.
Next, slice the chicken breasts into slender strips and pop them into a sandwich bag with paprika, salt, and pepper. Give it a good shake to ensure the chicken is well coated.
Grab your frying pan, drizzle in a tablespoon of olive oil and give the chicken strips a quick fry. Over a high flame, cook for two minutes until they’re nicely golden and just cooked.
Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and put them on a plate to rest. To whip up the pasta sauce, melt the butter in a frying pan, then add the flour and give it a good stir for about a minute on high heat.
Gradually pour in the hot milk, stirring continuously until you have a smooth, thick sauce. Let the sauce bubble away for four minutes, then stir in the mustard, half of the parmesan cheese and season with a bit of salt and pepper.
Next, toss in the pasta and onion into the sauce and give everything a good mix. Spoon this mixture into your oven dish, then sprinkle the remaining cheese and tomato pieces on top.
Pop it in the oven for roughly 20 minutes until the pasta bake is piping hot and has a crispy golden brown topping, then remove from the oven and your scrumptious dish is ready to be served.
