Name: Chicken and bacon pasta bake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 100g smoked bacon lardons chopped if large; splash of oil; 1 large shallot or small onion finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves crushed; 4 skinless chicken thighs fillets or 2 skinless chicken breasts sliced; 2 tbsp plain flour; 100ml white wine or stock; 200ml crème fraîche; 1 tsp dijon mustard; 400g short pasta; 75g mature cheddar finely grated; handful of parsley finely chopped, plus more to serve

Chicken and bacon pasta bake in a dish with garlic bread on the side

100g smoked bacon lardons
chopped if large
splash of oil
1 large shallot or small onion
finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
crushed
4 skinless chicken thighs fillets or 2 skinless chicken breasts
sliced
2 tbsp plain flour
100ml white wine or stock
200ml crème fraîche
1 tsp dijon mustard
400g short pasta
75g mature cheddar
finely grated
handful of parsley
finely chopped, plus more to serve

Method

step 1
Put the lardons in a large pan and fry over a medium heat for 3-4 mins or until golden and crisp, adding a splash of oil if needed. Once browned, scoop out of the pan using a slotted spoon onto a plate, leaving the fat behind.
step 2
Stir the shallot into the bacon fat in the pan, season and fry for 6-8 mins or until soft but not golden. Stir in the garlic for a minute until fragrant, then add the chicken. Fry for another 6-8 mins or until the chicken is seared all over – it doesn’t need to be completely cooked through at this point.
step 3
Sprinkle over the flour and stir into the chicken for 30 seconds until it disappears, then add the wine and mix well. Add the crème fraîche, mustard and some seasoning. Remove from the heat.
step 4
Cook the pasta for 8 mins so it still has a bite to it. Reserve a mugful of the cooking water. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Stir most of the cheese, all the bacon and parsley through the sauce. Toss in the pasta, along with enough of the pasta water to loosen the sauce to coat the pasta well.
step 5
Transfer to a 30cm x 20cm baking dish, top with the remaining cheese and bake for 25-30 mins or until golden brown and crispy on top. Scatter with more parsley. Serve with a sharply dressed bitter leaf salad.