Crispy Pasta Bake with Chicken, Spinach and Tomatoes

This pasta dish is cooked on a shallow baking tray
So it becomes nice and crispy on top
Wonderful flavours
It was very popular in our house and these amounts fed 6, with leftovers for lunch
I made breadcrumbs from Vogel’s Bread, instead of Panko, which gave an excellent flavour

Just crumb them in food processor or blender

I bought a rotisserie chicken from the market.
Very easy, then make stock with the bones, Waste not want not
I found this recipe on the Epicurious Site, once again, such a good site for anything
You will need a large shallow baking tray to cook  and serve it on

Ingredients
500 gms short pasta, such as penne or fusilli

1 cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) or your favourite bread, crumbed
1 cup grated Parmesan, divided
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper,
1 350gm packet frozen spinach leaves
2 punnets cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup sour cream or crème fraîche
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (about 6 ounces), divided
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. 
   
Meanwhile, mix Panko/breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan, 2 Tbsp. oil, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a medium bowl.

 
Toss spinach and tomatoes with 1/2 tsp. salt and remaining 2 Tbsp. oil on a large rimmed baking sheet

Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
Return Pasta to pot
Add sour cream, mustard, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid,                
and remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan and pepper;                                      
Stir until smooth

Stir in chicken and 1 cup mozzarella, adding more pasta cooking liquid if needed, until evenly coated

 

Transfer to sheet with spinach and tomatoes
Top with Panko mixture and rest of Mozzarella

You can get to this step earlier in the day
Then you just need to bake
Place tray with pasta mixture, into preheated oven until cheese is melted and top is lightly browned, 5–7 minutes.

If you have prepared earlier it make take a little longer maybe 10 minutes
To make sure it is heated right through