Chicken & Bacon Pasta Bake

Ingredients

• 450g chicken breast, diced
• 300ml hot chicken stock
• 400g penne pasta
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 150ml double cream
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 150g smoked streaky bacon, chopped
• 150g mature cheddar, grated
• 10g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Method

1. If you haven't already, simmer 50g red lentils in plenty of water for 15-18 minutes until completely soft and collapsing, then drain well — you want around 100g cooked weight. Set aside.
2. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the penne for 1 minute less than packet time so it's firm to the bite; drain and set aside — it'll finish cooking in the oven.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the bacon until the edges crisp and the fat runs, about 3 minutes. Add the diced chicken and cook until sealed and no longer pink at the edges, 4-5 minutes.
4. Add the chopped onion, grated carrot and crushed garlic and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée and oregano and cook for another minute until fragrant and deepened in colour.
5. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, the cooked lentils and the hot chicken stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce has reduced and thickened to a glossy coating consistency. Taste and season generously with salt and pepper.
6. Stir the double cream through the sauce, then fold in the drained penne so every piece is coated. Tip the lot into a medium ovenproof dish and level the surface.
7. Scatter the grated cheddar evenly over the top and bake at 200°C (fan 180°C) for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbling and the sauce beneath is thick and glossy at the edges.
8. Rest for 5 minutes — this lets the sauce settle and cling to the pasta — then scatter over the chopped parsley.