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Mary Berry Chicken Pasta Bake Recipe

Mary Berry Chicken Pasta Bake Recipe

Mary Berry's chicken pasta bake is a creamy, golden-topped bake packed with tender chicken and pasta.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 6 Portions
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British
Calories: 620
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Pasta and Chicken:
  • 400 g penne or rigatoni pasta
  • 600 g boneless skinless chicken bite-sized pieces
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • Salt and pepper
  • Cream Sauce:
  • 50 g unsalted butter
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves crushed
  • 50 g plain flour
  • 600 ml whole milk
  • 200 ml chicken stock
  • 150 g full-fat cream cheese
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 100 g baby spinach roughly chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • Topping:
  • 150 g mature Cheddar grated
  • 50 g Parmesan finely grated
  • 50 g fresh breadcrumbs optional

Method
 

  1. Cook pasta 2 minutes under al dente. Drain. Toss with olive oil.
  2. Season chicken with paprika, salt, and pepper. Brown in batches in olive oil — 4–5 minutes per batch. Set aside.
  3. Melt butter in the same pan. Cook onion 8–10 minutes. Add garlic — 1 minute. Add flour — stir 1–2 minutes. Add milk gradually, stirring. Add stock. Stir until smooth and thickening. Add cream cheese, mustard, and thyme. Stir until cream cheese melts. Season. Add spinach — stir until wilted.
  4. Add pasta and chicken to sauce. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust.
  5. Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6. Transfer to a large ovenproof dish. Mix Cheddar, Parmesan, and breadcrumbs. Scatter over the top.
  6. Bake 25–30 minutes until golden and bubbling. Rest 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Cook pasta 2 minutes under — it continues cooking in the oven.
Brown the chicken properly before adding to the sauce.
Cream cheese in the sauce makes it noticeably richer and silkier.
Assemble up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate before baking.
Do not skip the Parmesan on top — it elevates the cheese crust significantly.
Stores in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freezes before baking for up to 2 months.
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