Description

This One Pot Creamy Tomato Chicken Pasta Bake is a comforting and delicious meal that combines creamy tomato sauce with tender chicken and pasta, all baked to perfection with melted cheese. Made without cream, it’s a lighter take on a classic pasta bake, using a homemade tomato béchamel sauce enriched with butter and cheese. This easy-to-make recipe comes together on the stovetop and finishes in the oven for a bubbling cheesy top, perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Sauce and Pasta:

4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 tbsp (1/2 cup) plain flour
2 cups (500ml) milk
2 cups (500ml) tomato passata
1 cup (250ml) water or chicken/vegetable broth
2 tsp salt
Black pepper, to taste
3 cups dried ziti or penne pasta (uncooked)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken

For the Cheese Topping:

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

To Garnish:

Fresh basil leaves
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

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Instructions

Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (180°C) to prepare it for baking the pasta later.
Sauté Aromatics: Melt the butter in a deep frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onion is translucent and fragrant.
Make the Roux: Stir in the plain flour and cook it for 2 minutes to combine and remove the raw flour taste, forming a roux that will thicken the sauce.
Add Liquids: Slowly whisk in the milk in small circular motions around the pan for about 1 minute until the sauce starts to thicken. Then add the tomato passata, water (or broth), salt, and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook for about 5 minutes, whisking occasionally for the first 3 minutes and constantly for the last 2, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Taste and Adjust: Taste the sauce and if it tastes a bit sour due to the tomato passata, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar to balance the acidity.
Add Pasta and Chicken: Mix in the uncooked ziti or penne, shredded cooked chicken, and cheddar cheese. Let it cook on the stovetop for about 1 minute to start softening the pasta and incorporate the cheese.
Prepare to Bake: Remove the pan from heat, scatter the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top, and cover the pan with a lid or foil to trap steam during baking.
Bake Covered: Place the covered pan in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes, allowing the pasta to cook through and the cheese to melt.
Bake Uncovered: Remove the lid or foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes to brown and crisp the top layer of cheese.
Rest and Serve: Let the pasta bake rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and freshly grated parmesan cheese to add aromatic freshness and extra flavor.

Notes

The choice of tomato passata affects the flavor; use a good-quality passata for best results. If too sour, add sugar to balance.
Use a deep frying pan or skillet that is oven-safe to avoid transferring the mixture to another dish for baking.
Covering the pasta bake while baking traps steam and helps cook the pasta evenly before finishing uncovered for a crispy cheese topping.