Chicken thigh pasta bake with Gruyère crust

Serves: 2
Course: Dinner
Cooking Time: 35 mins
Prep Time: 5 mins
Ingredients
  • 350g penne pasta
  • 1tbs olive oil
  • 4 skin-on chicken thighs
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 courgette, diced
  • 500ml chicken stock
  • 200ml cream
  • 200g Gruyère cheese
  • 2tbs sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
  1. Preheat an oven to 180 degrees. Cook the penne pasta according to package instructions until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
  2. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook for about four minutes on each side until they are golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, add the chopped onion, garlic and diced courgette. Sauté them for three minutes, until they begin to soften.
  3. Add the cooked penne pasta to the pan and stir to combine with the onions and courgettes. Pour in the chicken stock and cream. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about five minutes until the pasta absorbs some of the liquid. Add the sun-dried tomatoes. Return the browned chicken thighs to the pan, nestling them into the pasta mixture.
  4. Sprinkle the grated Gruyère cheese evenly over the top of the pasta and chicken. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (reaches an internal temperature of 75 degrees), the cheese is melted and bubbly and the pasta is tender. Once out of the oven, garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
Gráinne O'Keefe

Gráinne O'Keefe

Gráinne O’Keefe is a chef, restaurateur and contributor to The Irish Times. She is chef-patron of the Dublin restaurant Mae