Easy Chicken Zucchini Pasta bake that's a great family recipe idea. Topped with cheese, this creamy pasta bake is the answer to the what's for dinner question.
Ingredients
500g dried farfalle pasta
2 tbsp olive oil
500g chicken breast strips
1 small (80g) onion, finely chopped
200g Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
1 medium (200g) zucchini, halved lengthways and sliced
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbs. plain flour
300ml cooking cream
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 ¾ cup (250g) Perfect Italiano™ Perfect Bakes cheese
Salt and pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan-forced
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook pasta according to packet instructions. Drain and reserve one cup of cooking water
Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 3 minutes or until browned. Remove and set aside
Add remaining oil to frying pan and add onion and cook for 2 minutes or until softened. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes
Add zucchini, thyme and garlic; cook for a further 2 minutes
Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Pour in cooking cream, mustard and return the cooked chicken. Mix well and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 3 minutes
Stir through half the Perfect Bakes cheese, ½ cup of the reserved cooking water and cooked drained pasta. Transfer to a large 10 cup (2.5 litre) ovenproof baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown
Tips & Hints
If sauce is too thick, add some more of the reserved cooking water to the combined pasta and sauce mixture before spooning into baking dish.
Freeze pasta bake in portions for workday lunches or quick midweek dinners. Reheat in microwave.