Healthy Chicken Pasta Bake: A Nutritious Delight

Try this healthy chicken pasta bake with peppers, courgette and ricotta for a nutritious midweek dinner. It’s sure to be a hit with everyone

Preparation time:10 mins
Cooking time:50 mins
Difficulty: Easy
Serves 4

Ingredients
300g wholemeal penne
2 tsp olive oil
2 peppers (we used 1 yellow and 1 orange), deseeded and chopped
1 large courgette (160g), coarsely grated
3 large garlic cloves, finely grated
500g carton passata
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1½ tsp vegetable bouillon powder
1 tsp chilli powder (optional)
25g Kalamata olives (about 8), sliced
400g chicken breasts (2 large), cut into pieces
large handful of basil, chopped, plus extra to serve
100g ricotta
20g finely grated mature cheddar

Method
STEP 1
Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

STEP 2
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat and fry the peppers for 8 mins, stirring until they start to soften. Add the courgette and garlic, stir for a few minutes more, then tip in the passata and stir in the smoked paprika, bouillon, chilli, if using, and olives. Simmer for 3-4 mins.

STEP 3
Drain the pasta, reserving the pasta water. Tip the pasta into the passata mixture along with the chicken, half a mug of the pasta water and the basil. Stir together well, then tip into baking dish.

STEP 4
Mix the ricotta in a bowl with 5 tbsp of the pasta water and spread across the top of the pasta. Sprinkle over the cheddar, then bake for 35 mins. Scatter with a few extra basil leaves, if you like, and serve.