This Chicken and Leek Pasta Bake combines classic flavours and adds pasta, cheese and a creamy sauce. It’s a super simple recipe for a delicious and comforting family dinner.
I love the combination of chicken and leek, whether it’s in a yummy casserole, a traybake, or a simple pasta bake.
Leeks have such a great flavour. You don’t need to do much to create a super tasty meal.
Why I Love Chicken and Leek Pasta Bake
I love this chicken and leek pasta bake recipe because:
- It’s easy.
- Chicken and leek pasta bake is delicious.
- You can easily add extras.
- Pasta bake is always a fantastic midweek dinner—the best kind of comfort food.
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Ingredients For Chicken and Leek Pasta Bake
Chicken leek pasta is super simple. I use:
Cooking Spray – Olive oil or other cooking oils are fine, too.
Rigatoni Pasta – You can use other kinds of pasta, but something with ridges or holes for the sauce to get into is the best.
Chicken Breasts – You could also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
Leeks
Garlic Puree – Fresh cloves of garlic are fine, too. I’m a lazy cheat.
Chicken Stock
White Wine – Dry wine is the best.
Single Cream
Ricotta
Thyme
Salt and Pepper
Frozen Peas
Parmesan Cheese
Cheddar
You’ll Also Need
I bake my chicken and leek pasta bake in a cast iron Dutch Oven, which is suitable for use on the hob and in the oven.
If you haven’t got anything that is both flameproof and ovenproof, simmer your sauce in a large frying pan before transferring it to an ovenproof dish to bake. Any baking dish it fits in is fine.
To make this chicken and leek pasta bake, you need:
- A sharp knife
- Chopping board
- A saucepan for the pasta
- Colander
- A flameproof and ovenproof dish or pan
- A spatula or spoon to stir
- Cheese grater
How to Make Chicken and Leek Pasta Bake – Step-by-Step Instructions
Full, easy-to-follow instructions and quantities are available in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step One
Liberally mist a flameproof and heatproof dish or pan with cooking spray and warm over medium heat on the hob.
You can also use cooking oil.
Step Two
Add the diced chicken and fry for 5-10 minutes until browned.
Step Three
Remove from the pan and leave to one side.
Step Four
Add more cooking spray to the pan if needed. I usually add a little.
Step Five
Add the sliced leeks and fry for 10 minutes, stirring often. While they are frying, the rounds will break apart but don’t worry if some don’t.
Step Six
Stir in the garlic puree. If you are using puree, you can move straight on. If you are using fresh garlic, fry for 2-3 minutes before you move to the next step.
Step Seven
Add the wine and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take care to scrape the bottom of the dish.
Step Eight
Pour in the stock and cream.
Step Nine
Add the ricotta, thyme and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
Step Ten
Return the chicken.
Step Eleven
Stir to break up the cheese.
Step Twelve
Bring to a simmer and reduce the temperature. You want a nice low simmer.
Step Thirteen
Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step Fourteen
Add the peas and cook for a further 5 minutes until the sauce has reduced. If you need to simmer for a little longer, that’s fine.
Step Fifteen
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Step Sixteen
Remove from the heat and stir in the pasta.
Step Seventeen
Stir well.
Step Eighteen
Top with grated cheddar and parmesan. Add more if you like a thick layer.
Step Nineteen
Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
Top Tips
My top tips for the perfect pasta bake are:
- Think about how you like your pasta. I like an al dente texture, so I pre-cook mine using the packet instructions, but for half of the time, so it’s still firm when it goes in to bake.
- Use pasta with ridges or holes. I like rigatoni or shells.
- Leave your pasta bake to stand for a few minutes before serving. This helps the sauce stick to the pasta and stops it from running to the bottom of the pan.
Serving Suggestions
I typically serve chicken and leek pasta bake with garlic bread and salad. My husband really likes bread and butter for a pasta bake sandwich.
Variations
Skip the Wine
You can replace the wine with extra stock and skip the first simmer if you prefer not to use wine.
Add More Wine
Alternatively, if you want a stronger flavour, add more wine and reduce the stock.
Add Some Tarragon
This chicken pasta bake with leeks has quite a subtle flavour.
I recommend tasting before baking, and if it’s too subtle for your tastes, add either more thyme or a tablespoon of tarragon, which works really well with chicken and leeks.
I’d definitely recommend this if you are skipping the wine.
Add Mushrooms
Mushrooms make a fantastic addition to a chicken and leek pasta bake. Add sliced mushrooms once the leeks have been cooking for 5 minutes, and follow this recipe as it is for a chicken leek mushroom pasta bake.
Add Bacon
A bacon pasta bake is yummy. Cut the bacon roughly and fry for a few minutes to brown before adding the leeks.
I’d use unsmoked back bacon for chicken bacon and leek pasta bake.
Use Philadelphia
I like ricotta for a change, but you can also make chicken and leek pasta with Philadelphia or any other full-fat soft cheese.
Leftovers
Leftover chicken and leek pasta bake can be reheated in the microwave or an ovenproof dish in the oven the next day.
I’d reheat it with a splash of water and cover it with a lid to stop it from drying out and the top from burning in the oven.
Serve with extra sides if you don’t have much left, and make sure the chicken is piping hot before serving.
Disclaimer: While I aim to be as accurate as possible, any advice in this post, including but not limited to, cooking times, quantities, nutritional information and storage and freezing guidance is based on my own experience. Please use your own skills, knowledge and judgement, and get up to date food safety information.
Storage
Remove leftovers from the cooking dish and cool in a clean tub or bowl on the side.
When cool (don’t leave out for longer than two hours), cover and refrigerate for up to two days.
I wouldn’t keep it for longer than two days, and you shouldn’t reheat it more than once. Don’t keep it if the chicken is past its use-by date.
FAQ
You can freeze chicken pasta and bake it in an airtight tub for up to two months. Thaw in the fridge before cooking.
Yes, either thaw fully or cook from frozen as per the packet instructions, and follow this recipe as it is.
It’s a filling meal with lots of nutrition and protein. But the cream and cheese mean that it’s fairly high in fat. Try a chicken and leek pasta bake no cream if you want a healthier alternative.
Other Recipes
If you like this recipe for leek and chicken pasta bake, you might you might want to add some of these to your meal plans:
- Chicken and Leek Traybake
- Chicken and Leek Casserole
- Sausage Pasta Bake
- Chilli Pasta Bake
- Sausage and Bean Pasta Bake
- Chicken and Chorizo Pasta Bake
Recipe Card
Chicken and Leek Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- Cooking Spray
- 250 g Rigatoni Pasta (Cooked to Packet Instructions but for half the time)
- 3 Chicken Breasts (Cut into Large Chunks)
- 2 Leeks (Sliced)
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Puree (or 2 crushed cloves fresh garlic)
- 300 ml Chicken Stock (Made with one stock cube)
- 100 ml White Wine
- 200 ml Single Cream
- 200 g Ricotta
- 1 Tablespoon Thyme
- Salt and pepper
- 150 g Peas
- 50 g Parmesan (Grated)
- 50 g Cheddar (Grated)
Instructions
- Mist a flameproof and heatproof dish or pan with cooking spray and warm over medium heat on the hob.
- Add the chopped chicken and fry for 5-10 minutes until browned.
- Remove from the pan and leave to one side in a clean dish.
- Add more cooking spray to the pan if needed.
- Add the leeks and fry for 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Stir in the garlic puree. Cook for 2 minutes if using fresh garlic.
- Add the wine and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in the stock and cream.
- Add the ricotta, thyme and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
- Return the chicken.
- Stir to break up the cheese.
- Bring to a simmer and reduce the temperature.
- Cook on a low simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the peas and cook for a further 5 minutes until the sauce has reduced.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the part cooked pasta.
- Stir well.
- Top with grated cheddar and parmesan.
- Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and leave to sit for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Read the post above for more tips and advice.
Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.
