What is it about these shorter days, darker evenings and wholesome cosy food!!
Cosy or comfort food means so many different things to each and everyone of us. For me it means something you can get messy with, dig into, scoop out a little or a lot, get seconds of, contains cheese most definitely and crispiness…(think of the crunch of a gratin or lasagne topping)!!
This Cheesy Chicken & Leek Pasta Bake combines nearly all of the above so get cosy with this recipe.
For more “bake” style savoury dishes, try my Root Vegetable & Lentil Gratin, Creamy Fish Pie on page 148 of my cookbook or this Sweet Potato & Aubergine Crumble.
Serves 4.
- 200g raw pasta
- 150g spinach or kale
- 100g fresh herbs – coriander, mint or parsley
- 200g cottage cheese, ricotta or plain yoghurt
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 4 tbsp water
- oil
- 1 leek, thinly sliced
- 4 chicken breasts, cut into strips
- 100g hard cheese, grated
- 1 egg
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F.
- Boil the pasta in a pan of salted water, strain once cooked and leave to the side.
- Blend the spinach, herbs, 100g of cottage cheese, lemon juice and water until a smooth vibrant green sauce is formed.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leek and cook for 5 minutes until beginning to soften. Stir in the chicken pieces and brown on all sides.
- Place the cooked pasta into the base of a large ovenproof dish. Stir through the spinach sauce, leek and chicken until well coated in the sauce.
- Whisk the remaining 100g of cottage cheese, grated cheese and egg together and spread over the top of the chicken and pasta.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden crisp on top.
