We don’t always agree on what to eat for dinner around here. When one kid suggests sausages, the other cries for quesadillas, and the grown-ups just crave something —anything—that doesn’t pair well with a free plastic toy. On nights like this, we must embrace the one food people of all ages can devour with gusto: cheesy pasta.
A friend of the family recently shared the recipe for this hearty Shell Pasta Chicken Bake, and we soon realized that it was more than it seems. Creamy, light mascarpone and roasted grape tomatoes create a subtle sweet flavor that will delight the kids and make the grown ups feel … like grown-ups.
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Shell pasta chicken bake
2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 lb castellane pasta, or medium shells
3 cups cooked diced chicken
1 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup minced fresh chives
salt and pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a large shallow pan with buttered foil.
- Arrange tomatoes with cut sides up in pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Roast until slightly plumped, 15-20 minutes.
- Bake or poach your chicken, let cool, and dice.
- Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente.
- Reserve 1 1/2 cups of pasta cooking water. Drain pasta, and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add mascarpone and stir until melted. Add chicken, tomatoes, half of parmesan, 3 Tbs chives, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and toss well.
- Butter a 3-quart gratin or other shallow baking dish. Toss mascarpone mixture with pasta, and spoon into dish. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan. Bake until golden and bubbly, 18-20 minutes.
- Sprinkle with chives. (Can be prepared a day in advance, and baked just before serving.)
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.
Thanks! Love the positive feedback 🙂