High‑Protein Chicken & Bean Pasta Bake
Hearty, protein-packed pasta bake with chicken, cannellini beans and cottage cheese — family supper that fills you up without flabbiness.
This is the kind of pasta bake that does the sensible thing: lots of protein, proper veg and a cheesy crown so no one complains. It’s bulked out with cannellini beans and cottage cheese to boost protein without turning the dish heavy.
Make it for a family supper, meal-prep for the week or when you want a filling one-dish dinner that reheats brilliantly. It’s straightforward but pay attention to the pasta and chicken timings — they make the difference between a soggy bake and a brilliant one.
Ingredients
- 320 g wholewheat penne
- 2 chicken breasts — skinless, about 400 g total
- 400 g tinned cannellini beans — drained and rinsed
- 200 g cottage cheese
- 150 g low-fat Greek yoghurt
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 30 g tomato purée — about 2 tbsp
- 100 g mature Cheddar, grated
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 red onion — finely sliced
- 1 courgette — cut into half-moons
- 150 g chestnut mushrooms — sliced
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed
- 5 ml dried oregano
- 5 ml sweet smoked paprika
- 200 ml chicken stock — low-salt
- sea salt — to taste
- black pepper — freshly ground, to taste
- 10 g fresh basil — roughly chopped, to garnish
Equipment
- large ovenproof baking dish (approx 20 x 30 cm)
- colander
Instructions
Heat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional.
Trim and cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces. In a bowl toss the chicken with 15 ml olive oil, the sweet smoked paprika, a pinch of sea salt and a grind of black pepper. Leave to marinate for 20 minutes.
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the wholewheat penne until just al dente according to pack instructions (about 8–10 minutes). Reserve 100 ml of the pasta water, then drain.
While the pasta cooks, heat the remaining 15 ml olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the red onion and fry for 3 minutes, then add the courgette, chestnut mushrooms and crushed garlic and cook until softened and starting to colour, about 5–6 minutes.
Push the veg to one side, increase the heat to medium‑high and add the marinated chicken pieces to the pan. Cook, turning occasionally, until sealed and just cooked through, 6–8 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together the cottage cheese, low-fat Greek yoghurt, tinned chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, dried oregano and the chicken stock. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
Add the cooked wholewheat penne, the cooked veg and chicken, and the drained tinned cannellini beans to the bowl. Toss everything together, using a little of the reserved pasta water to loosen if the mixture looks stiff.
Spoon the mixture into a large ovenproof baking dish (about 20 x 30 cm), level it, then scatter the grated mature Cheddar evenly over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling and the top is golden, 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Scatter the chopped fresh basil over the top and serve straight from the dish.
Tips
- Cook the pasta to just under al dente — it will finish cooking in the oven and stay pleasantly toothsome.
- Reserve a little pasta water when draining; the starchy water helps bind the sauce and keeps the bake moist.
- If you’re short on time, skip the 20-minute marinade and simply season the chicken well — the bake will still be tasty but slightly less seasoned inside.
- Make ahead: assemble and cover the unbaked dish, refrigerate up to 24 hours, then add 5–10 minutes to the bake time straight from cold.
- Leftovers freeze well: portion, cool completely, freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat covered at 160°C fan/180°C conventional until piping hot.
Substitutions
chicken breasts → turkey breast, same quantity
Stays closetinned cannellini beans → tinned chickpeas, same quantity
Stays closewholewheat penne → gluten-free pasta (use a brand suitable for baking), same weight
Noticeably differentcottage cheese → ricotta, same weight (slightly creamier, a touch richer)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 770
- Calories
- 64 g
- Protein
- 74 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 680 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes — omit the chicken and replace with an extra tin of beans (or 200 g cooked lentils) and add roasted aubergine or extra mushrooms to keep the texture satisfying.
How can I reduce the calories but keep the protein high?
Use reduced-fat Cheddar or cut the topping to 50 g and add 100 g extra cottage cheese; consider using chicken breast as written and reduce olive oil to 15 ml total.
How do I know the bake is properly heated through when reheating?
Reheat covered at 160°C fan/180°C conventional until piping hot in the centre (about 20–30 minutes from chilled). Check with a thermometer or pierce the middle and ensure it steams.
Can I freeze the baked dish?
Yes — cool completely, portion into suitable containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
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