Sprig Originals's kitchen / Creamy Tikka Masala Chicken Pasta Bake
Creamy Tikka Masala Chicken Pasta Bake
By Sprig Originals · cooked up in Sprig
Worked out from this recipe's ingredients. If you're cooking for an allergy, always read the full ingredient list.
Everything goes into one baking dish raw — dry pasta, chicken thighs, and a creamy spiced tomato sauce — then bakes under foil until the penne is tender and the chicken is meltingly soft. A blanket of melted mozzarella finishes it off. No boiling, no browning, and the leftovers reheat beautifully.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, finely grated
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
Bake
- 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 12 oz dried penne
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). In a 9x13-inch baking dish, whisk together the crushed tomatoes, heavy cream, water, tomato paste, garam masala, cumin, cayenne, garlic, ginger and salt until smooth and evenly colored.
- Add the chicken pieces, sliced onion and dry penne to the dish. Stir well with a spoon, then press everything down so the pasta and chicken are fully submerged in the sauce and the surface is level.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil, sealing the edges well so no steam escapes, and bake on the middle rack for 45 minutes.
- Uncover carefully (watch for steam) and stir thoroughly, scraping the corners. The pasta should be just tender and the chicken cooked through; if the pasta still has a hard bite, re-cover and bake 8 more minutes.
- Scatter the mozzarella evenly over the top and bake uncovered for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted with golden patches and the sauce bubbles at the edges.
- Let the bake rest 10 minutes to thicken, then scatter with cilantro and serve straight from the dish.
Chef's tips
- Sealing the foil tightly is what cooks the pasta — if steam escapes the penne will stay chalky, so tuck the edges firmly under the rim.
- For a milder, kid-friendly version leave out the cayenne entirely; for more heat stir in a chopped green chile with the onion.
- Swap the chicken for a drained 15-oz can of chickpeas plus 8 oz cubed paneer to make it vegetarian — same times.
- Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge. Reheat covered at 350°F for 20 minutes with a splash of water or cream to loosen the sauce.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
687calories
38gprotein
63gcarbs
31gfat
Estimates only — values vary with brands and portions.
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