Name: Chicken fajita pasta bake
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 300g fusilli or penne pasta; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 chicken breasts, sliced; 1 onion, sliced thinly; 2 red peppers, sliced thinly; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground coriander; ½ smoked paprika; 1 tsp jalapeno peppers, finely chopped plus 2 tsp vinegar from the jar of jalapeno peppers (optional); 450ml tomato passata; Salt and pepper; 100g mozzarella cheese, grated

Midweek Meals: Try this 30-minute Mexican chicken fajita pasta bake tonight — A Mexican-inspired pasta bake that promises clean plates all round.

Mon, 24 Jan, 2022 - 12:00

Ciara McDonnell

Chicken fajita pasta bake

recipe by:Ciara McDonnell

A guaranteed hit with the whole family, serve with a green salad and some garlic bread

Servings

Preparation Time

5 mins

Cooking Time

25 mins

Total Time

30 mins

Course

Main

Cuisine

Italian

Ingredients

300g fusilli or penne pasta
2 tbsp olive oil
2 chicken breasts, sliced
1 onion, sliced thinly
2 red peppers, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
½ smoked paprika
1 tsp jalapeno peppers, finely chopped plus 2 tsp vinegar from the jar of jalapeno peppers (optional)
450ml tomato passata
Salt and pepper
100g mozzarella cheese, grated

Method

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook your pasta for five minutes. Drain, reserving half a mug of cooking water and toss with olive oil to prevent sticking.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
While the pasta is cooking, in a large pan, fry the chicken, onion and peppers until the vegetables are soft and the chicken is almost cooked through. Add the spices and cook for a minute until they are fragrant.
Add the garlic, and if using, the jalapeno peppers and vinegar. Stir in the passata and bring to a simmer before seasoning with salt and pepper.
Pour the pasta into the sauce along with the cooking water and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into an ovenproof dish, sprinkle over the cheese and bake for twenty minutes until the pasta is cooked through and the cheese is golden and bubbling.