Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add in the onions. Cook for 3 minutes on a medium-to-high heat until they start to turn translucent.
1 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 large onion
Add in the chicken, salt, and pepper. Cook for a further 3 minutes until the chicken is sealed (it won’t be cooked in the middle at this point).
2 large chicken breasts, pinch salt and pepper
Add in the garlic, tomato puree, and red peppers. Stir, then add in the pasta.
2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp tomato puree, 1 red bell pepper, 300 g (4 1/2 cups) dried pasta
Now add in the oregano, Worcestershire sauce, tins of tomatoes, stock, and milk. Stir and bring to the boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid or some foil and simmer for 12-15 minutes (checking occasionally) until the pasta is cooked.
1 tsp dried oregano, ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 x 400 g (2 x 14 oz) tins chopped tomatoes, 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) chicken stock, 120 ml (1/2 cup) milk
Stir in the chopped sugar snap peas (it’s nice to add them at the end, so they’re hot, but retain their crunch),
20 sugar snap peas/snow peas
Then, sprinkle the pasta with cheese and put it under the grill/broiler for a couple of minutes until the cheese has melted.
100 g (1 packed cup) mature/strong cheddar cheese
Top with chopped parsley and serve.
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Video
Notes
Can I cook the pasta in the sauce?
Yes, as you can see in the recipe, there's lots of liquid that does into this dish - including tinned tomatoes, stock and milk. A lot of this liquid is absorbed in the pasta during the cooking process, so the dry pasta will be fully cooked in the sauce, and the resulting sauce will be thicker.
Can I use fresh pasta?
Yes you can, but you'd need to reduce the tinned tomatoes to 400g (14oz), reduce the stock to 80ml (1/3 cup) and reduce the milk to 60ml (1/4 cup). Fresh pasta doesn't absorb as much liquid as dried pasta, and it also takes less time to cook. Add all of the ingredients, except the fresh pasta, at step 2, then simmer (uncovered is fine) for 10 minutes. Then add the fresh pasta and cook for a further 4-5 minutes (or however long it says on the pack), before adding the sugarsnap peas and continuing with the recipe.
Can I make it ahead?
I prefer to eat this right away as I think it tastes better when freshly made, rather than after re-heating. However, you can make it ahead if you wish, and it will still be tasty. Make the dish, but don't grill the cheese (just sprinkle it on), then cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a day. It’s better to reheat in the oven (covered in foil) – as this will help the heat to disperse better, without the pasta being broken – as it would if it was being stirred in a pan. Heat in the oven at 190C/375F for about 20-25 minutes, until hot throughout. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes if you want to brown the cheese.Note: the dish will be a little less saucy if you make it ahead, as the pasta will absorb more of the liquid. You can add an extra few tablespoons of stock or hot water when reheating the pasta to ensure it’s still saucy.
Leftovers:
Leftovers can be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to a day. I like to add a splash of water or stock to loosen up the pasta, then sprinkle on a little more cheese before reheating in the oven (covered) at 190C/375F for about 20-25 minutes until hot throughout. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes to brown the cheese.You can also reheat in the microwave if you prefer. Heat on a high setting (cover with a microwave-safe cover, not foil), stirring once or twice during reheating, until piping hot throughout. Be sure to check there are no cold spots. This normally takes around 3-4 minutes per portion, but it will depend on your microwave.
Will it freeze?
Yes, cool, cover and freeze. Then defrost in the refrigerator. As per the re-heat instructions above – reheat in the oven (covered in foil) at 190C/375F for about 20-25 minutes until hot throughout. Again, add an extra few tablespoons of stock or hot water when reheating the pasta to ensure it’s still saucy.
Swaps or additions:
You can replace the chicken with turkey or ham, and add extras such as cooked bacon and chorizo to this dish. If you want to make the dish with leftover cooked chicken instead of raw, just add in at the same time as the garlic and peppers in step two.If you want to add more veggies, green beans and chunks of courgette (zucchini) work great. Add them in at the same times as the peppers.
Vegetarian version:
You can also make a vegetarian version, replacing the chicken with mushrooms, quorn or tofu, and replacing the chicken stock with vegetable stock. I also have a few recipes for one-pot pasta vegetarian meals on the blog, including: