Recipe Book

Chicken Pasta with Herby 6-Veg Ragu

Updated: 25 Apr 2015

Ingredients

• For the Ragu:
• 1 Large Leek
• 1 Stick of Celery
• 1 Carrot
• 1 Courgette
• 3 Jarred Red Peppers
• Olive Oil
• 8 sprigs of Fresh Thyme For the Pasta:
• 320g Dried Wholewheat Fusilli
• 2x150g Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 3 Rashers of Smoked Streaky Bacon
• ½ Fresh Red Chilli
• 4 Cloves of Garlic
• 2 sprigs of Fresh Rosemary
• 2 Fresh Bay Leaves
• 1 tbsp Pine Nuts
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Parmesan Cheese, to serve

Method

Boil the kettle. Fit the standard blade to the food processor. Put a large casserole pan on a high heat, a large lidded pan on a medium heat and a medium frying pan on a high heat. 1. Split the leek lengthways, rinse under the cold tap, then finely chop in the processor with the trimmed celery and carrot, the courgette and peppers. Put into the casserole pan with 1 tbsp of oil, the thyme leaves and pinch of salt and pepper and stir regularly. Put the pasta into the large pan, cover with boiling salted water and cook according to packet instructions. 1. Dice the chicken into 2cm chunks and put into the frying pan with 1 tbsp of oil and pinch of salt and pepper, tossing regularly until golden and cooked through. Stir the passata into the vegetables and simmer. Finely slice the bacon and chilli and add to the golden chicken, then squash in the unpeeled garlic through a garlic crusher. Strip in the rosemary leaves, add the bay leaves and pine nuts, and fry for a minute or two, until the bacon is golden, then drizzle with balsamic. 1. Season the sauce, drain the pasta, reserving a cupful of starchy cooking water, then toss the pasta with the sauce, loosening with the cooking water, if needed, and pour on to a platter. Scatter the chicken and bacon on top of the pasta and serve with a grating of parmesan.