Creamy Chicken, Bacon & Pea Pasta Bake

• 500 gboneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3cm chunks
• 3garlic cloves, minced
• 300 mlchicken stock
• 1 tbspplain flour
• 200 gfrozen peas
• 1large onion, finely diced
• ½ tspsmoked paprika
• 300 mldouble cream
• 1 tbspolive oil
• 200 gsmoked bacon lardons
• 400 grigatoni
• 1 tbspDijon mustard
• 150 gmature cheddar, coarsely grated
• 50 gparmesan, finely grated
• Fine salt and black pepper

Method

1. 1Heat the oven to 200°C fan and bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Cook the rigatoni for 2 minutes less than the packet says. Drain and set aside, ready to fold into the sauce.
2. 2While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof casserole or wide stainless or cast-iron pan over a high heat. Pat the chicken dry and season generously with salt, pepper, and the smoked paprika. Add the bacon lardons first and fry for 4 minutes until golden and the fat has rendered out.
3. 3Add the chicken in two batches; don't crowd the pan. All at once and the temperature drops, water comes out, and you've boiled the chicken instead of searing it. Sear each batch for 4–5 minutes until properly coloured on the outside, then lift everything out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Leave the rendered fat and brown stuck bits in the pan.
4. 4Drop the heat to medium. Add the onion to the pan and cook in the bacon fat for 6 minutes until softened, translucent, and just starting to catch at the edges. Add the grated garlic and cook for 30 seconds, no more; just until fragrant. Sprinkle over the flour and stir for a full minute to cook out the raw taste.
5. 5Gradually whisk in the chicken stock; a splash at a time at first to prevent lumps; then the double cream, lifting all those brown stuck bits off the base of the pan as you go. Whisk in the Dijon mustard until completely smooth and glossy. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 4 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
6. 6Stir the chicken, bacon, frozen peas, and drained rigatoni back into the sauce. Fold gently until every tube is properly coated; any naked pasta will dry out in the oven. If your pan isn't ovenproof, tip everything into a large baking dish now.
7. 7Mix the cheddar and Parmesan and scatter over the pasta. Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden and bubbling and the thickest chicken piece reaches 75°C for 30 seconds. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Per serving

kcal

875

protein

44.8g

fibre

4.6g

carbs

59.8g

fat

48.9g