Italian chicken pasta bake

This is a fab easy one pot dinner, I love Italian flavours of tomato, garlic and basil but you can vary the herbs if you don’t like basil try oregano or even mixed herbs if you like them or if that’s what you have in the cupboard.

I used chicken thighs as I prefer the flavour but if you like you could use chicken breasts if you prefer them. I measured the pasta in mugs as I have always done this as I usually average one mug of pasta makes enough for two people.

Ingredients :

• 8 boneless chicken thighs ( skin and fat removed) cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 2 mugs dry pasta (I used penne but any shape will do)
• 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 x 500g pack passata
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 160g low fat grated cheese
• low cal spray oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water until just cooked then drain and set aside.

Spray a large frying pan or wok with the spray oil and place over a medium/high heat and add the chicken and onion cook for about ten minutes until the chicken is browned and cooked through and the onion is soft.

Add the garlic, basil, tomato puree, passata and salt and pepper.  Mix well and cook for another five minutes then add in the cooked pasta and mix again.

Place in a large ovenproof dish and sprinkle the cheese on top.

Bake at gas 6 /200/ 400 for about 20-30 minutes until the cheese is melted and browned.

Serves 4

Syn free on extra easy if using the cheese as a healthy extra

Credit : http://vicki-kitchen.blogspot.com/