This month we’ve chosen a meal that certainly won’t lighten your pocket by very much. However, it is bound to fill your stomach to capacity as you go back for more and more. This chicken, leek and pea pasta bake is easy to make, economical and will please even the pickiest of eaters.

Serves: 6

Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of butter (a little extra for greasing)

350 g conchiglie pasta

Olive oil

2 leeks; roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic; minced

100 ml chicken stock

100 ml white wine

150 g frozen peas

200 g cooked chicken; diced

225 ml milk

250 g ricotta

60 g Parmesan; grated

 

How to Prepare

1. Preheat your over to 180°C (or gas mark 4. Grease a baking dish that’s approximately 30 x

25cm. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water using a large saucepan. While it is still slightly

undercooked, drain it and run it under cold water so that it does not cook further. Put the pasta

back into the pan and give it a drizzle of olive oil.

2. Melt the butter in a frying pan and ten fry the leeks for 10minutes on a mid­low heat. Add the

garlic and cook for another minute. Pour in the chicken stock and the wine, leaving it cook for

another 8­10 minutes (when most of the liquid has evaporated). Stir the peas in and cook for 30

seconds.

3.Gently add in the leek mixture, chicken, milk and 2/3 of the ricotta to the pasta. Season with salt

and pepper.

4. Switch the pasta mixture to the baking dish. Top it off with parmesan and the remaining ricotta.

Give another drizzle of oil if you like. Place in the oven for 25 minutes. When it’s starting to crisp

on top it’s ready to eat. Enjoy!