CHICKEN AND VEGGIE PASTA RECIPES

Steps:

• 1. Ingredients out • Kettle boiled • Large frying pan, high heat • Large lidded casserole pan, high heat • Food processor (bowl blade)
  2. START COOKING On a large sheet of greaseproof paper, toss the chicken with sea salt, black pepper, fennel seeds and the rosemary leaves. Fold over the paper, then bash and flatten the chicken to 1.5cm thick with a rolling pin.
  3. Put the chicken into the frying pan with the rapeseed oil, the bashed unpeeled garlic cloves and halved chillies, turning after about 3 or 4 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
  4. Line the beans up and cut off the stalks, put into the casserole pan, cover with boiling salted water and cook for 6 minutes with the lid on.
  5. Pick a few basil leaves for garnish, then rip off the stalks and put the rest of the bunch into the processor with the almonds, Parmesan, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.
  6. Squash in the unpeeled garlic through a garlic crusher. Blitz until smooth, adding a ladle or two of cooking water from the beans to loosen, then season to taste.
  7. Slice the lasagne sheets up into random handkerchief shapes and add to the beans to cook for a couple of minutes. Halve or quarter the tomatoes, add to the chicken and give the pan a shake.
  8. Stir the spinach into the pasta pan, then drain, reserving a cupful of the starchy cooking water. Return the pasta, beans and spinach to the pan, pour in the pesto from the processor and stir together, loosening with splashes of cooking water until silky.
  9. Slice the chicken breasts in half and serve with the tomatoes and chilli spooned over the top. Finely grate a little extra Parmesan over the pasta, then sprinkle everything with basil leaves.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Grease a 30cm x 25cm baking dish.
  2. Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water, for slightly less time than given on the packet so it’s just undercooked. Drain and run under cold water to stop it from cooking further. Return to the saucepan and coat with a drizzle of olive oil.
  3. Meanwhile, roughly chop the leeks. Put the butter in a frying pan and gently fry the leeks for 10 minutes or until they’re soft. Peel, mince and add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock and wine, then cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Add the peas, stir and cook for 30 seconds.
  4. Dice the cooked chicken.
  5. To the drained pasta, add the leek mixture, chicken, milk and two-thirds of the ricotta. Mix gently to combine and season with salt and pepper.
  6. Spoon the pasta mixture into the baking dish. Top with the remaining ricotta, grate over the Parmesan and drizzle with olive oil, if you like. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until piping hot and starting to crisp up on top.