Chicken & broccoli pasta bake

bake broccoli cheese chestnut mushroom chestnut mushrooms chicken easy make ahead mature cheddar olive oil oven pasta soft cheese student tomato paste

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Ingredients

350g pasta shells or quills

200g broccoli, cut into very small florets and the stems thinly sliced

2 tbsp olive oil

350g boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

175g chestnut mushrooms, quartered

4 tbsp sundried tomato paste

80g soft cheese with garlic and herbs (such as Boursin)

284ml carton single cream

bunch of spring onions, finely sliced

85g mature cheddar, grated

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

50g flaked almonds

Method

Heat the oven to 190C/ fan170C/ gas 5. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Throw in 350g pasta shells or quills, stir well and return to the boil.

Cook for 6 minutes, then add 200g broccoli, cut into very small florets and stems thinly sliced, and cook for 5-6 minutes more until the pasta is just cooked. Drain well, then return to the pan.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a wide pan, add 350g thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts and fry until lightly browned.

Tip in 175g quartered chestnut mushrooms and stir fry for 1 minute, then stir in 4 tbsp sundried tomato paste, 80g soft cheese with garlic and herbs and a 284ml carton single cream.

Gently simmer, stirring, until the cheese has melted to thicken the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the sauce over the pasta, stirring gently until coated, then tip into a shallow ovenproof dish (about 1.7 litre capacity) and level the top.

Mix a bunch of finely sliced spring onions, 85g grated mature cheddar, 1 finely chopped garlic clove and 50g flaked almonds for the topping and sprinkle over the pasta. Bake for 20 minutes until golden.