Are you looking for a quick but satisfying family dinner idea? Try Catherine Fulvio’s Chicken Pasta Bake. It has a secret ingredient the kids won’t know is in there but which adds extra flavour!

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I ask my kids what they would like for dinner and the reply is “chicken pasta bake” all the time, so I hope that your family enjoys this recipe as much as mine. It’s so easy to whizz it up, especially during term time, when everything is very hectic.

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Catherine Fulvio’s Chicken Pasta Bake

This recipe serves 4 hungry adults or 6 children.

Ingredients

• Extra virgin olive oil
• 400g / 14oz penne
• 3 chicken fillets, poached and roughly diced or shredded
• 120g / 4oz frozen peas
• 100g / 3.5oz tinned or frozen sweetcorn
• 5 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 4 tbsp grated parmesan
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Secret ingredient: I add 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard for a little extra zing, but I don’t tell the children!

For the sauce

• 75g / 2.5oz butter
• 75g / 2.5oz plain flour
• 1 litre / 2 pints milk
• 75g / 2.5oz grated mature white cheddar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/Gas 4/350°F. Grease a medium gratin or lasagne dish with a little olive oil.
2. Cook the penne according to the instructions on the packet. Once cooked, retain 100ml of the pasta cooking water and drain the pasta.
3. To make the sauce, combine the butter, flour and milk in a medium saucepan over a medium heat and just bring to the boil while whisking all the time to form a loose sauce. Stir in the cheese and add some of the pasta cooking liquid if the sauce is too thick. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Place the cooked pasta, cooked chicken, peas and sweetcorn in a large bowl. Pour over the sauce and mix well. Spoon the pasta into the gratin dish and sprinkle over the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and parsley. Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is golden.

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Have your say! Did you try this chicken pasta bake recipe? Tell us what you (and the kids!) thought in the comments below.