In a saucepan add the water and salt then stir until the salt is dissolved and bring it to a boil
Add the pasta to the water and cook for 10-12 minutes on a gentle simmer until the pasta is al dente – al dente refers to when the pasta is cooked just enough to retain a somewhat firm texture with a bit of a bite
Whilst the pasta is cooking in a large pot heat up the vegetable oil on medium heat until hot
Add the finely diced onions, chopped garlic cloves and the salt thencook for 3-4 minutes until the onions are slightly softened – adding the salt with the onions helps to bring the moisture out of the onion to allow them to cook down and brown more evenly without burning the onions
Finely dice the bell peppers before adding into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes
Add the canned tomatoes then cook for 2-3 minutes
Add the dried basil. paprika, black pepper and dried oregano then cook for 3-4 minutes
Add the chicken and cook for 4-6 minutes until the chicken changes colour – the chicken will not be entirely cooked through at this point
Drain the pasta and add the chicken mixture into the pasta and mix until everything is well combined
Add the whole milk into a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil
As the milk is boiling in another pan melt the butter completely on low heat before adding the plain flour and cooking for 3-4 minutes whilst stirring continuously until a thick paste forms – this is called a roux
Add the boiled milk gradually to the roux, stirring continuously, and cook for 5-7 minutes on medium heat until the sauce has thickened
Add the salt and pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes
In an ovenproof dish layer add half of the chicken pasta mixture, then top with half of the white sauce and withhalf of the grated cheddar cheese and repeat with the remaining mixture before topping with the fresh mozzarella
Bake near the top of a preheated oven at 220°C/425°F/gasmark 7 in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is golden brown
Your creamy chicken pasta bake is ready!
