Smoky Chicken & Pepper Pasta Bake

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7

Take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Boil a full kettle

Deseed your pepper[s] (scrape the seeds and pith out with a teaspoon) and chop roughly

Peel and finely dice your shallot[s]

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

Once hot, add the diced shallot, chopped pepper and your diced chicken and cook for an initial 5-6 min

Meanwhile, add your pasta to a pot of boiled water with a large pinch of salt and bring to the boil over a high heat

Cook the pasta for 7-9 min (10-12 min for wholewheat)

Tip: It doesn't need to be fully cooked, as it will go in the oven later!

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

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Dissolve your chicken stock mix with your tomato paste in 200ml [275ml] [350ml] boiled water – this is your tomato stock

After an initial 5-6 min, add the chopped garlic and ground smoked paprika to the pan with your cayenne pepper (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) and 2 tsp [3 tsp] [4 tsp] flour and cook for 1-2 min further or until fragrant

Once fragrant, add the tomato stock and crème fraîche and give everything a good mix up

Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 min or until the sauce has slightly thickened and the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your smoky sauce

Grate your cheddar cheese

Add the cooked pasta and a splash of starchy pasta water to the smoky sauce and stir it all together until the pasta is fully coated in the sauce

Transfer the mixture to an oven-proof dish and top with the grated cheese

Put the dish in the oven for 10 min or until the cheese has melted – this is your smoky chicken & pepper pasta bake