Pasta Bake with Chicken
A delicious lunch a great to use up left overs if you need. Serves 4 to 6 depending on the appetite.
Ingredients:
250g dried pasta shapes (fusilli works well)
2 or 3 cooked chicken breasts shredded or left over chicken also shredded
small chopped onion
small chopped red pepper
3 slices of bacon or 150g of pancetta or a couple of finely sliced chorizo
1 juicy clove of garlic chopped
1 or 2 red chillies to taste
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of dried mustard
50g plain flour
50g butter ( plus a knob for cooking)
Ball of mozzarella torn into shreds
50g finely grated Parmesan
2 slices of bread made into fine breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
750ml milk
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of chilli powder (optional)
Seasoning
Method:
If eating immediately turn on the oven to 180 celcius.
Mix together the breadcrumbs and parmesan in a bowl and set aside for later.
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook for 2/3 of the recommended cooking time. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
Place the knob of butter and oil in a small frying pan.When heated add the onion and peppers, fry gently for about 3 minutes then add the garlic and chillies. Fry for another 2 minutes before adding the bacon/pancetta/chorizo. Cook for another 3 or 4 minutes ensuring the vegetables do not brown. Set aside in a bowl.
Now we make the roux. Melt the butter in a sauce pan being careful not to brown it. Add the flour, paprika, mustard and chilli powder (optional), stir until if separates and cook gently for a couple of minutes. Then using a whisk add the milk constantly whisking so it does not go lumpy. It will eventually start to thicken simmer for a couple of minutes (we are aiming for a kind of cheese fondu thickness / gloopy) . Take off the heat, season to taste.
Now we get to the assembly.
Mix together the chicken, vegetables and pasta. Gradually mix in the roux so it evenly distributed. Now taking a lasagne style dish add a layer of the pasta mix, then distribute the shredded mozzarella. Do a second layer and add the rest of the mozzarella. The final layer should be topped generously with the breadcrumbs and parmesan mix.
Place in a hot oven at 180C for 20 to 25 mins until you have a golden crust.
