Cheesy pasta bake and roast chicken
A comforting pasta dish that's perfect for the colder months
- 90 minutes
- 0.5 of 5 A DAY
- Calories452
- Fat18
- Saturates7.5
- Sugar6.5
- Salt1.2
- Fibre3.2
- Protein39

Recipe by: Gopi Chandratheva
| Registered nutritionist
Ingredients
- 540g chicken thigh and drumsticks
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tsp chicken seasoning
- 125g white penne pasta
- 125g wholewheat penne pasta
- 2 tbsp plant-based spread
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- ½ tsp mustard
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 pint semi skimmed milk
- 160g half fat grated mature cheddar cheese
- 20g breadcrumbs
- 200g mange tout
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (gas mark 3).
- Season the chicken with black pepper and chicken seasoning. Lightly score the meat on both sides.
- Put the chicken in an oven dish and bake for 40–45 minutes until cooked through.
- While the chicken cooks, boil the pasta in a large pan of water. Follow the packet instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Once the chicken is done, take it out of the oven and set it aside. Turn the oven up to 180°C (gas mark 4).
- To make the sauce, melt the plant-based spread in a saucepan. Stir in the flour, mustard, pepper and paprika. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring all the time.
- Slowly pour in the milk, whisking as you go. Keep stirring for about 5–8 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in 100g of the cheese. Mix until smooth. Add a splash of milk if the sauce feels too thick.
- Put the pasta in an oven dish. Pour the sauce over and mix gently so everything’s coated.
- Sprinkle the rest of the cheese and the breadcrumbs on top.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbling.
- Steam the mange tout until tender.
- Serve the pasta bake with the roasted chicken and mange tout on the side.
Feel free to use any type of pasta and add extra vegetables to the pasta bake for more of your 5 A DAY. For more flavour, add chilli sauce to the chicken marinade. You can remove the chicken skin before or after cooking, or use chicken breast, turkey breast or a vegetarian protein like tofu. Plant-based milk, such as soy or oat, can also be used instead of regular cow’s milk.
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