Despite sharing a name with it’s famous cousin at Pizza Express, this one, dare I say is better. Imagine a creamy sauce, tender chicken strips and cleverly hidden vegetables which really compliment the dish. You can make a huge dish of this, it’s a meal on it’s own or serve with some golden garlic bread, just to mop up the last bits of the sauce.
What really sets this dish apart is the crispy topping. Super simple to create with 3 ingredients (panko breadcrumbs, oil and a hard cheese) but sprinkling this on the top before it goes in the oven makes all the difference, and really elevates this dish.
100 g grated hard cheese, Any hard cheese such as pecorino or parmesan cheese
Method
Pasta and bechamel sauce
1)
Preheat the oven to 210 degrees celsius
2)
Cook pasta according to packet instructions
3)
Whilst cooking, place the chicken in a frying plan and cook for 8-10 minutes until cooked through
4)
In a new saucepan, melt the butter over a low heat
5)
Once melted add in the flour and mix for 1-2 minutes until fully combined. The mixture will go in to the consistency of a thick paste
6)
Once melted add in the flour and mix for 1-2 minutes until fully combined. The mixture will go in to the consistency of a thick paste
7)
Slowly add the milk at 10-15ml at a time and keep whisking all the time, keeping the mixture smooth. If you add the milk too quickly, it can be difficult to combine
8)
Once all the milk is added, increase the heat of the pan slowly and keep whisking until the sauce starts to thicken
9)
At this point, add in to the saucepan the cheese – this is your bechamel sauce
10)
Then add the salt and mix until all combined and take off the heat
11)
Add to the saucepan the red pesto, cooked chicken, spinach and peas
12)
Drain the pasta and add to the bechamel sauce
Crispy topping
1)
In a separate bowl combine the panko breadcrumbs, hard grated cheese and oil
2)
Transfer the pasta in an oven proof dish and top with the breadcrumb mixture
3)
Place the pasta dish in the oven for 10 minutes until the topping is golden and the sauce is starting to bubble
