This is a handy little recipe I make when I don’t feel like a big production – it’s tasty and easy – perfect for the days when you just don’t have the energy!
If you want to make this in advance, just do steps 2 – 8 initially. When you want to heat it, I would cover the dish with tin foil and heat in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes, then remove the tin foil, sprinkle the parmesan on top and cook for another 5 minutes.
This recipe serves 1, just double up as needed.
Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake
Course: DinnerDifficulty: EasyServings
1
servingsPrep time
5
minutesCooking time
30
minutesIngredients
1 small chicken breast, diced
85g (3/4 cups) fusilli
1 clove of garlic
1 slice of streaky bacon, chopped
1/2 pint (1 cup) chicken stock
10g (3/4 tablespoon) butter
1 teaspoon plain flour
50g (3/4 cups) broccoli florets
Enough parmesan to sprinkle on top
Directions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius / 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Drizzle a little olive oil in a pan over medium – high heat. Add the chopped bacon and fry until nice and crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the chicken to the pan.
- While the chicken is cooking, bring a pot of water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Once done, drain the pasta reserving two tablespoons of the cooking water for later.
- Once the chicken is cooked through (5-10 minutes) and is starting to brown, remove it from the pan and set aside with the bacon.
- Add the broccoli florets to the pan and toss around for a minute or two to partially cook.
- Melt the butter in the pan with the broccoli and add the garlic, cooking for 30 seconds or so before adding the flour. Stir the flour around for a minute and then add the chicken stock and the reserved pasta water.
- Whisk the stock to incorporate the flour, making sure there are no lumps. Increase the heat to bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Add the chicken and bacon back to the pan, season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste and leave to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Pour the cooked pasta into the sauce and stir to make sure it’s completely coated. Then add the pasta to a small oven proof dish, sprinkle with the parmesan and cook in the oven for 5-10 minutes.
