This chicken pasta vegetable bake is absolutely packed with vegetables! Even the creamy cheesy sauce is made with cauliflower. It's a delicious way to get more veggies onto the dinner table, because if you don't tell them the sauce is made with cauliflower, they'll never know!
I based the recipe for this delicious chicken and vegetable pasta bake on my parmesan cauliflower sauce - a creamy white sauce made with cauliflower instead of a traditional butter and flour roux. It's an amazingly economical recipe. With all the vegetables and pasta, you can easily make 2 large chicken breasts stretch to feed a family of 4.
And I absolutely love the Parmesan cauliflower sauce! It's quick and easy to make, and is a great alternative to a traditional cheese sauce. You can keep portions in the freezer until you need them. Having a batch on hand means you're never far from a delicious homemade meal.
Take this chicken and vegetable pasta bake, for example.
Simply brown some seasoned chicken pieces, cook the pasta, soften a few vegetables, then combine everything with the creamy cauliflower sauce. Add a topping of grated cheese and bake for about 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.
The result is a rich, creamy pasta bake that's packed with vegetables and guaranteed to have everyone coming back for seconds.
And you don't have to mention the cauliflower! That can be our little secret!
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Why I love this recipe
I love this recipe because it's proof that a few simple ingredients can be turned into a creamy, satisfying family meal that's packed with goodness, is economical to make and delicious enough that nobody realises just how good it is for them!
- It's a brilliant way to get more vegetables into a family meal. There are vegetables in every mouthful, and even the creamy sauce is made with cauliflower.
- It makes 2 chicken breasts go a long way. Combined with pasta, plenty of vegetables and a rich, creamy sauce, it's an economical meal that easily feeds 4 people.
- It doesn't taste like a 'healthy' recipe. It's proper comfort food with a golden cheesy topping, so nobody realises they're eating an extra portion of vegetables.
- It's ideal for busy evenings. With a portion of Parmesan cauliflower sauce in the freezer, the rest of the meal comes together with very little effort.
- It's endlessly adaptable. You can use whatever vegetables you happen to have in the fridge, so it's a great way to use up veggies that are on their last legs and reduce waste!
What you will need for a chicken and vegetable pasta bake
**This is just an overview to explain why I used a particular ingredient. The complete list of ingredients and the exact measurements are on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.**
- Chicken. For this recipe, I used chicken breasts, which I cut into bite-sized pieces and coated in a mixture of salt, black pepper, paprika and cornflour. Skinless chicken thigh fillets would also be suitable.
- Parmesan cauliflower sauce. This is my Parmesan cauliflower sauce, which is a white sauce made with blended cauliflower rather than the traditional butter, flour and milk white sauce. I freeze it in one-cup (240ml) portions. For this recipe, you will need 2 portions. If you prefer, you can swap this for 2 cups (480 ml) of your favourite bechamel sauce. If the cauliflower sauce is very thick (this depends on how you made it initially), you can thin it down with a splash of milk or cream.
- Pasta. For this recipe, I prefer conchiglie (or shell) noodles. The little cups scoop up the sauce beautifully. But everyone is different - use whatever shape of noodle you prefer. One thing I will mention is that because of the amount of vegetables in this dish, I used less pasta than I normally would.
- Broccoli. Half a head should be sufficient. To save on washing up, I normally add the broccoli to the pasta during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
- Sweet red pepper. I like the long, pointy, sweet red peppers, but you could use a capsicum or bell pepper instead. It should have the seeds removed and be chopped into approximately half-inch pieces.
- Courgette or zucchini or baby marrow. I've never known a vegetable to have so many different names - it makes writing recipes very difficult! There's no need to peel whatever it is you call it, but it should be grated on the largest holes of your cheese grater.
- Mushrooms. Use any mushrooms. I've made this recipe with many different varieties - white closed cap, cremini, baby button mushrooms. large Portobello. Slice the mushrooms or cut them in half depending on the size.
- Dijon mustard and tomato puree. These 2 ingredients are used to add extra flavour to the Parmesan cauliflower sauce. You can swap the Dijon mustard for wholegrain mustard. You may know tomato puree as tomato paste, which is highly concentrated tomatoes (not to be confused with tomato ketchup).
- Cheddar cheese. The cheddar cheese should be grated and sprinkled lightly over the pasta bake before it goes into the oven. It melts into a delicious golden cheesy topping.
How to make a chicken vegetable pasta bake.
In a nutshell, this is what to do:
- Brown the chicken and set aside
- Boil the pasta, add the broccoli for the last 5 minutes, then drain into a colander.
- Fry the red peppers, then add the grated courgettes. Set aside.
- Fry the mushroom.
- Assemble the dish and top with grated cheese.
- Bake.
And the more detailed steps ....
Step 1: Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks and coat them in paprika, salt, pepper and cornflour. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium to high heat and stir-fry the chicken pieces in a single layer for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown. Set aside until needed.
Step 2: While the chicken is frying, put a pan of lightly salted water on to boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. 5 minutes before the pasta is cooked, add the broccoli.
Step 3: Drain the pasta and broccoli and tip them into a baking dish. Add the browned chicken.
Step 4: Heat another tablespoon of vegetable oil in a frying pan and add the chopped red peppers. Stir-fry them for 2 to 3 minutes until they start to soften.
Step 5: Add the grated courgettes and continue to stir-fry for another 3 to 4 minutes until they are quite dry.
Step 6: Transfer the pepper and courgettes to the baking dish.
Step 7: Add the sliced mushrooms to the same pan and fry them gently for 3 to 4 minutes until they have softened and released their moisture.
Step 8: While the mushrooms are frying, combine the cauliflower sauce with tomato puree and mustard. Check the consistency of the sauce - if it is very thick, thin it down with a splash of milk or cream.
Step 9: Add the mushrooms to the chicken and vegetables in the baking dish and stir in the cauliflower sauce.
Step 10: Sprinkle the top of the pasta bake with grated cheese.
Step 11: Bake in a preheated oven 200C/400F) for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.
Tips for a successful outcome
Here are my top tips to ensure your chicken and vegetable pasta bake always turns out perfectly
- For bigger meat-eaters, add more chicken. We're not huge meat-eaters, and in my opinion, 2 chicken breasts will easily feed 4 people; if you prefer more meat, add an extra chicken breast.
- Brown the chicken in batches. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer and leave them undisturbed for a minute or two before turning. This allows them to brown properly instead of steaming. Repeat with any remaining chicken.
- Cook the broccoli with the pasta. Add the broccoli florets to the pasta water during the final 5 minutes of cooking. The broccoli will be perfectly tender, and you'll save yourself another saucepan to wash.
- Don't overcook the pasta. Cook the pasta until it's just al dente. It will continue cooking in the oven, so slightly undercooking it helps prevent it from becoming soft and mushy.
- Cook the vegetables until they are dry. Courgettes and mushrooms release a lot of moisture as they cook. Allowing most of it to cook away helps prevent the pasta bake from becoming watery.
Serving suggestions
With plenty of chicken, pasta and vegetables, this pasta bake is a meal in itself. I like to serve it with a crisp green salad, although a few slices of garlic bread are always welcome.
FAQ
Yes, you can assemble it up to the point where it is ready to go into the oven, then cover it with tin foil and leave in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking. When you are ready to serve, bake according to the recipe instructions, but add an extra 10 minutes to the time to compensate for it going into the oven from chilled.
Yes, allow to cool completely, then wrap in aluminium foil and a double layer of plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat at 160C/320F for 15 minutes or until piping hot.
Note: the texture of the pasta will soften once frozen and defrosted..
Yes, this recipe is a great way to use up whatever vegetables you have in the fridge. Spinach, peas, sweetcorn, carrots, green beans, butternut ... this list is endless. Just take into account the cooking times for the different vegetables and plan accordingly..
Oh yes - that's a great idea and fits perfectly with my 'cook once, eat twice' philosophy. Here are 3 of my chicken recipes - the leftovers from any of them would go beautifully in this pasta:
- honey and soy spatchcock chicken
- hunter's chicken à la canard
- chutney and mayonnaise chicken bake
Or you could simply use any chicken leftover from a roast.
And don't forget to skip the steps for coating and browning the chicken!
Yes. Although this recipe was specifically developed to use the cauliflower sauce, you can substitute with a similar volume of white or bechamel sauce.
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📋The recipe
Chicken and vegetable pasta bake
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Equipment
- Frying Pan
- Saucepan
- Baking dish 8" x 12" (20 x 30 cm)
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
- Spatula
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Use this with care. This is an AI-generated result and may contain errors or inaccuracies. I cannot be held responsible for the information returned.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 14 ounces / 400 grams chicken breast 2 large breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying
Pasta and Sauce
- 5 ounces / 150 grams pasta shells (conchiglie)
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2 cups / 480 ml parmesan cauliflower sauce
- Milk or cream optional - to thin the sauce if needed
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree (tomato paste)
- 4 ounces / 113 grams cheddar cheese grated
Vegetables
- ½ head broccoli florets approximately 1 cup
- 1 medium courgette (zucchini) washed and grated
- 1 lagre sweet red pepper deseeded and cut into 1-cm pieces
- 5 ounces / 150 grams mushrooms sliced
- 1 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F
- Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks and coat them in paprika, salt, pepper and cornflour. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium to high heat and stir-fry the chicken pieces in a single layer for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown. Set aside until needed.14 ounces / 400 grams chicken breast, 2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch), 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- While the chicken is frying, put a pan of lightly salted water on to boil. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. 5 minutes before the pasta is cooked, add the broccoli.5 ounces / 150 grams pasta shells (conchiglie), ½ teaspoon salt, ½ head broccoli florets
- Drain the pasta and broccoli and tip them into a baking dish. Add the browned chicken.
- Heat another tablespoon of vegetable oil in the same pan (if necessary) and add the chopped red peppers. Stir-fry them for 2 to 3 minutes until they start to soften.1 lagre sweet red pepper , 1 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Add the grated courgettes and continue to stir-fry for another 3 to 4 minutes until they are quite dry.1 medium courgette (zucchini)
- Transfer the pepper and courgettes to the baking dish.
- Add the sliced mushrooms to the same pan and fry them gently for 3 to 4 minutes until they have softened and released their moisture.5 ounces / 150 grams mushrooms
- While the mushrooms are frying, combine the cauliflower sauce with tomato puree and mustard. Check the consistency of the sauce - if it is very thick, thin it down with a splash of milk or cream.2 cups / 480 ml parmesan cauliflower sauce, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon tomato puree (tomato paste), Milk or cream
- Add the mushrooms to the chicken and vegetables in the baking dish and stir in the cauliflower sauce.4 ounces / 113 grams cheddar cheese
- Bake in a preheated oven (200C/400F) for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.
Notes
- For bigger meat-eaters, add more chicken. We're not huge meat-eaters, and in my opinion, 2 chicken breasts will easily feed 4 people; if you prefer more meat, add an extra chicken breast.
- Brown the chicken in batches. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer and leave them undisturbed for a minute or two before turning. This allows them to brown properly instead of steaming. Repeat with any remaining chicken.
- Cook the broccoli with the pasta. Add the broccoli florets to the pasta water during the final 5 minutes of cooking. The broccoli will be perfectly tender, and you'll save yourself another saucepan to wash.
- Don't overcook the pasta. Cook the pasta until it's just al dente. It will continue cooking in the oven, so slightly undercooking it helps prevent it from becoming soft and mushy.
- Cook the vegetables until they are dry. Courgettes and mushrooms release a lot of moisture as they cook. Allowing most of it to cook away helps prevent the pasta bake from becoming watery.
- Refrigerator. Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for p to 3 days.
- Make-ahead. You can assemble the dish and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to serve, bake according to the recipe instructions but add an extra 10 minutes to compensate for it being chilled. Keep your eye on the cheese so it doesn't burn.
- Freezing. You can freeze the cooked dish for up to 3 months. Wrap it securely in tin foil and a double layer of cling film before freezing. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheating. Reheat in the oven (200C/400F) for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the pasta bake is piping hot.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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