Baked Chicken Pasta in Tomato Sauce

 Oh my God! I am in love! Again? Uh, yes again!! This pasta dish is amazing. Well Latif has gone to India for a few days (miss you honey!) and my brother has come over to stay with me. We both have very similar taste in food and love a lot of the same things. So as soon as Latif was out of the house I asked my brother if he wanted to eat pasta!! Hahaha (Sorry honey!) When he said yes, I quickly logged onto Annie's Eats (She has a lot of amazing pasta recipes) and searched for something to make with the ingredients I had on hand. I saw her baked ziti and then made this recipe which is loosely adapted from hers. I used the same tomato sauce recipe which I used in the Enchiladas(again from Annie's Eats). This pasta is creamy, a little spicy and oh so delicious. It is very easy to make and can feed a lot of people. I ate mine with a green salad (yes I eat salad now, I am a good girl!) and loved it!

Recipe Source - Adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients - Serves 3 - 4

2 1/2 Cups Dry Uncooked Small Cut Pasta (I Used Fusilli)
100 Gms Cream Cheese (Softened)
1 Large Egg
1/4 Tsp Cornflour

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream (Or Whole Milk)

1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese (Shredded)

For The Sauce

1 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Onion (Chopped)

2 Jalapenos (Seeded And Chopped Fine)
3 Medium Cloves Garlic (Chopped)
2 Tbsp Red Chili Powder
2 Tsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 (15 oz.) Can Tomato Sauce
1 Cup Water
1 Tomato, Seeded And Chopped

1 Tsp Dried Oregano

2 Tbsp Dried Basil

500 Gms Chicken Breast (Boneless and Skinless - Cubed)

1 Cup Diced Mixed Vegetables (Carrot, Beans, Broccoli etc)

Salt To Taste

Ground Black Pepper To Taste

Boil the Pasta

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the pasta and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook until the pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Drain the pasta and leave in colander.

Make the Sauce

While the pasta is boiling, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeno and  saute till the onions are soft. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and sugar, and cook just until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Mix in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and vegetables. Cook till done. Remove from heat and stir in the basil.

Mix and Assemble

Preheat the oven to 180 Degree C (350 Degree F). In a small bowl mix together the cream cheese and egg. Stir well with a fork.  Keep aside.

Pour the heavy cream in the same pot which was used to boil the pasta. Place on medium heat and add in the cornstarch. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add the cream cheese and egg mixture, 3/4 of the sauce and 1/4 cup mozzarella. Add the pasta and toss to coat thoroughly with the sauce.

Bake

Transfer the pasta to a small baking dish. Spread the remaining sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella, cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil from the pan and continue to cook until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes longer. Sprinkle with a little basil and serve.

Happy Eating!!