Quick creamy chicken pasta

At a glance

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 onion*
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic or 2 garlic cloves
• 2 cups mushrooms*
• 400g cooked chicken*
• ½ cup reduced fat cheddar cheese (optional)
• 300g pasta* (your choice of pasta)
• 1 tablespoon oil*
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
• 250mL salt reduced chicken stock*
• 250mL reduced fat milk
• 1 ½ tablespoon plain flour
• 1 cup frozen spinach
• ½ cup frozen peas*
• Pepper, to taste

Steps

1. Dice the onion by removing outer skins and chop into small pieces. Place in a small bowl for later.
2. If using fresh garlic, remove outer skin and chop cloves into very small pieces. Add to bowl with the onion.
3. Chop the mushrooms by slicing each mushroom in half and then half again. Add to bowl with garlic and onion.
4. Roughly chop up the cooked chicken into small bite sized pieces and set aside in a small bowl for later.
5. If using cheese use a cheese grater to grate the cheese. Set aside in the bowl with the chicken for later.
6. Cook pasta according to packet instructions. Once cooked, turn off heat, drain using a colander if available. Return pasta to saucepan and set aside.
7. While the pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large frying pan. Wait until the oil sizzles a little then add the onion, garlic, mushrooms and dried Italian herbs and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon for 7 minutes or until the onion is soft and starting to colour.
8. Add the stock and milk to the frypan and bring to a boil by turning up the heat. Add in the flour, mixing with a fork to combine. Add spinach and continue stirring for 4 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.
9. Transfer mixture to the large saucepan with the cooked pasta and turn on the heat. Add frozen peas, cooked chicken and grated cheese (optional) and stir to combine for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.
10. Distribute the pasta mix between bowls to serve.

*Tips

• Option to use red or brown onion.
• Option to use fresh or canned mushrooms.
• Cooked chicken could include store bought BBQ chicken.
• Use wholemeal pasta for extra iron and fibre.
• Use any of these cooking oils: olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil.
• Option to replace liquid chicken stock with 1 salt reduced chicken stock cube and add 250ml water or use 250ml water if no stock is available.
• Option to use any frozen vegetable (such as carrots, corn) instead of frozen peas.
• Option to swap chicken for canned fish such as tuna or salmon.

Watch how to make it

videocam 0:51