Creamy Baked Chicken Pasta | Bechamel Pasta | White sauce pasta

Macaroni Bechamel, as it's known in the Middle East, is a Bechamel pasta bake that takes the win for the best pasta casserole ever! Bechamel Pasta is almost always made in large pyrex pans. 

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This is great because it reheats well and ends up making for great lunch the next day or dinner.

Ingredients required in this recipe:

Boneless chicken - 300 gms, cut into small pieces.

Oil-2 Tablespoons.

Onion- 1 medium ,chopped.

Garlic Cloves- 3 numbers, minced.

Paprika- 1/2  Teaspoon.

Oregano- 1/2 Teaspoon.

Tomato paste- 2 Tablespoons.

Chicken stock cube- 1 cube.

Potato- 1 medium sized, chopped.

Bell pepper- 1 medium-sized, chopped. (yellow or red)

Black Pepper powder-1/4 Teaspoon.

Salt to taste.

To boil pasta:

Penne pasta- 300 gms.

Water- as required.

Oil- 1 tablespoon.

Salt to taste.

To prepare White Sauce

Unsalted Butter- 90 gms.

Flour- 90 gms.

Milk- 3 cups.

Salt to taste.

Nutmeg powder-1/8 teaspoon.

Pepper powder-1/8 teaspoon.

Method of preparation:

1. Heat a pan and add oil. Saute onion and garlic in the hot oil. Saute the onion until the becomes translucent.
2. Cook the chicken until the color changes.
3. Add in paprika, oregano, and tomato paste. Mix this well. 
4. Add in the chicken stock cube and give it a good mix.
5. Add in chopped potato. Cover and cook few minutes on low heat. Open the lid and stir. Now add bell pepper and saute for a minute. Add some black pepper powder and mix it well.
6. Remove from heat and keep aside.
7. Boil a large pan of water with salt and oil. Cook the pasta for 8 to 10 minutes recommended on the pack. Drain off the water and rinse with cold water.
8. In a pan melt butter over medium heat and add oil. Add flour, mix and cook for about 2 minutes.
9. Now gradually add milk while stirring consistently to avoid any lumps. 
10. Boil the milk until it is slightly thickened. Add in salt, nutmeg powder, and black pepper powder. Mix it well and remove it from heat.
11. Mix the prepared chicken and cooked pasta.

Assembling

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius
2. Take a deep casserole dish or pyrex baking dish.
3.  Spread a layer of bechamel sauce. Next, add a layer of chicken pasta
4. Cover the layer with more bechamel sauce and top it with grated cheddar or mozzarella cheese
5. Repeat the process of the layering process of adding the chicken pasta layer, and cover it with bechamel sauce completely.
6. Sprinkle grated mozzarella cheese and oregano.Bake in the preheated oven for 15 -20 minutes until golden and bubbly.

Serve warm.