Juicy Chicken, Harissa & Pepper Wholewheat Tortiglioni

Boil a full kettle

Before you start cooking, take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Add your pasta to a pot of boiled water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Cook the pasta for 10-12 min or until cooked with a slight bite

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) over a high heat with a drizzle of olive oil

Once hot, add your chicken with a generous pinch of salt and cook for an initial 3 min on each on each side or until lightly golden

(Doubled your protein? Use 2 pans!)

Reboil half a kettle

Whilst the chicken is cooking, chop your cherry tomatoes roughly

Deseed your pepper[s] (scrape the seeds and pith out with a teaspoon) and cut into thin strips

Once the chicken is lightly golden, add the chopped tomatoes and sliced pepper to the pan[s] with a splash of cold water

Tip: Be careful when adding the water to the pan[s], it may sizzle from the heat of the oil!

Cook for 5-6 min or until softened, stirring occasionally to stop the tomatoes burning

Tip: Squash the cherry tomatoes with the back of a spoon to release their juices!

Once the tomatoes and pepper have softened, reduce the heat to medium-high, then add your harissa paste to the pan[s] with your tomato paste, soft cheese and chicken stock mix

Add a pinch of sugar and a generous pinch of salt and give everything a good mix up

Add 150ml [200ml] [250ml] boiled water, stir it all together and cook for a final 3-4 min or until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your creamy chicken & harissa sauce

Once done, drain the pasta, reserving a cup of the starchy pasta water

Add the cooked pasta to the sauce with a generous pinch of salt and a splash of starchy pasta water

Give everything a good mix up and cook for 1-2 min or until the sauce has thickened and is coating the pasta – this is your juicy chicken, harissa & pepper pasta

Tip: Add a splash of starchy pasta water if your sauce is looking a little dry!