Mexican Chicken Pasta Bake

What you'll need

For the soup
250g dried macaroni
2 chicken breasts (300g), chopped into small pieces
3 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 red, orange, or yellow peppers chopped
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 – 2 tsp chipotle paste
70g Tarantella tomato purée
1 can Tarantella chopped tomatoes
150ml water
1 can (400g) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp sea salt and black pepper
150g mature cheddar, grated

To serve
Sour cream
Thinly sliced jalapeños

How to make it

1. Firstly, cook the pasta as per the pack instructions, drain and set aside
2. In the meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned, about 8–9 minutes, stir as needed.
3. Add the onion to a large saucepan with 1 tbsp olive oil and fry for 5 minutes.
4. Now add the garlic and peppers and fry for a further 3 minutes.
5. Add the spices, tomato purée, chipotle paste and fry for a minute of so.
6. Now add in the tin tomatoes, pasta, chicken, beans, water, and stir to combine. Simmer for 3 minutes. Season well.
7. Pre-heat your oven to 180c
8. Transfer to a large casserole dish and top with the grated cheese.
9. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, or until melted and golden.

To serve
Top with sour cream and jalapeños

Cook’s tip
You can use any beans you like
Swap the chicken for vegetarian chicken or tofu for a vegetarian version