Chicken and Pasta Bake

What do you do when you have a ton of chicken fingers? Drown them in an Indianish onion tomato pasta sauce. Sounds like a jumble...well... it really is messy looking. But I guarantee it tastes very appetizing.

Where does my inspiration come from? Aunty Elsa, a favorite relative, made this for us many moons ago. Call it her invention or concoction...it came together when she had leftover crumb chops. A quick sauce made with onions, tomatoes, ginger garlic and spices is thrown together with thin pasta. Use ready to cook chicken fingers or make some. Chicken fingers are the base. Covered with the pasta sauce and grated cheese, the dish is baked till everything is piping hot and the cheese gooey. An anytime meal.....

CHICKEN AND PASTA BAKE

Serves 4

1 pound breaded Chicken Fingers, fried and cooked (see note)

2 tablespoons Canola Oil

2 white Onions

4 Tomatoes

2 teaspoons Ginger Garlic Paste

1 green Chile

1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon Chile powder

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Several grinds Black Pepper

4 nests of Fideos or 1/2 package Angel Hair Pasta (see notes)

Cilantro leaves

Amul Cheese or Cheddar Cheese or Fontina (see notes)

Cut onions into thin slices. 

Core and chop tomatoes.

Mince chiles finely. 

Heat oil in a saucepan. 

Add onion to hot oil and saute till brown. 

Add green chile and G/G paste into onions. Saute for 30 seconds.

Drop tomatoes into onions. Stir well. Cover and cook over low heat till tomatoes break down and the sauce thickens.

Stir turmeric and chile powders to sauce, mixing well.

Season with salt and pepper.

Heat water in a large pot. When it boils add a little salt. Drop fideos into water and cook for 1 minute. Drain and add to sauce. 

Check for seasoning. 

Heat oven to 300F/150C.

Arrange chicken fingers in a shallow baking dish.

Top chicken with sauce, making sure to cover most of chicken.

Cut cilantro and scatter it over sauce. 

Grate cheese over sauce, enough to roughly cover the surface.

Cover with foil and bake for 10-15 minutes. 

Uncover and enjoy!

NOTES

Use premade breaded chicken tenders for convenience. But if you would like to make them, drop seasoned chicken tenders into beaten egg, then coat with breadcrumbs and shallow fry till golden brown. Or use this recipe replacing chicken thighs with tenders.   

I use Amul cheese as it is the quintessential Indian addition as the recipe has an Indian bent.. Feel free to add any mild cheese like Cheddar or Fontina.

Fideos are a new discovery. They cook fast and are toothsome. Angel Hair pasta would work as well. 

My leftovers make a lovely brunch, lunch, linner or dinner...Indianish and so tasty.

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