Cheesy chicken, courgette and tomato pasta bake
A quick, family-friendly pasta bake: juicy chicken, courgette and a creamy tomato sauce finished with bubbling cheddar — midweek supper sorted.
This cheesy chicken, courgette and tomato pasta bake is the sort of midweek hero that gets everyone to the table on time. It’s forgiving, quick to assemble and happiest when left to bubble in the oven while you clear up.
Comforting without being fussy — juicy strips of chicken, a creamy tomato sauce studded with veg and a golden cheddar topping. Perfect for busy families and excellent for leftovers the next day.
Ingredients
- 350 g dried penne pasta
- 500 g chicken breast — boneless, skinless
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 brown onion — finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed
- 400 ml tomato passata
- 200 g cherry tomatoes — halved
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml dried oregano
- 1 courgette — medium, sliced into half-moons
- 100 g spinach — fresh
- 150 ml double cream
- 15 ml plain flour
- 300 ml chicken stock — low-salt
- 150 g grated cheddar
- sea salt — to taste
- black pepper — to taste
Equipment
- 20x30cm baking dish
- large saucepan
- colander
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional. Lightly oil a 20x30cm baking dish and set it to one side.
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add a generous pinch of sea salt and cook the dried penne pasta for 6 minutes — it should be just firm (parboiled). Reserve about 120 ml of the cooking water, then drain.
While the pasta cooks, slice the chicken breast thinly. Season with sea salt, black pepper and smoked paprika. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and cook the chicken in batches for 5–6 minutes until just cooked through and lightly browned. Transfer to a plate.
Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the same pan, then add the brown onion and garlic cloves. Sauté for 3–4 minutes until soft and translucent.
Stir in the courgette and cherry tomatoes and cook for a further 4 minutes until starting to soften.
Sprinkle the plain flour over the veg and cook for 1 minute. Gradually pour in the chicken stock, stirring to avoid lumps, then add the tomato passata and dried oregano. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 4 minutes to slightly reduce and thicken the sauce.
Reduce the heat, stir in the double cream and add the spinach, stirring until wilted. Return the cooked chicken and the drained pasta to the pan and fold everything together. Taste and adjust with sea salt and black pepper; add a splash of reserved pasta water if the sauce feels too thick.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, scatter the grated cheddar evenly over the top and bake for 18 minutes until bubbling and golden.
Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Tips
- Parboil the pasta rather than cooking fully — it prevents a stodgy bake. Six minutes is a good target for penne.
- Reserve some pasta water when you drain it; a splash later tames a sauce that’s gone too thick without diluting flavour.
- For even cooking, slice the chicken thinly and dry it on kitchen paper before seasoning so it browns quickly.
- To make ahead: assemble to the point of baking, cover and chill for up to 24 hours. Add 5–8 minutes to the bake time if baking from cold.
Substitutions
dried penne pasta → gluten-free pasta, same weight
Stays closegrated cheddar → mozzarella and a little mature cheddar mixed (same total weight)
Stays closechicken breast → Quorn pieces or firm tofu, same weight
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 910
- Calories
- 60 g
- Protein
- 70 g
- Carbs
- 43 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 800 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I freeze the pasta bake?
Yes — freeze before baking in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake for 25–30 minutes at 200°C fan/220°C conventional until piping hot.
How can I make this lighter?
Swap double cream for crème fraîche or half the cream for extra chicken stock; reduce the cheddar by 50 g and stir a little into the sauce instead of using it all on top.
Can I use a different pasta shape?
Absolutely — rigatoni, fusilli or penne all work. Keep the parboil time similar and ensure the pieces are all roughly the same size.
Will it reheat well?
Yes. Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 2–3 minutes or in a 180°C fan/200°C conventional oven for 15–20 minutes from chilled.
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