Butter Chicken Baked Pasta
Butter Chicken Baked Pasta
Ingredients
Ground Chicken:
- 2 lbs ground chicken
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp tandoori paste
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
Butter Sauce:
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 cup diced onions
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp tandoori paste
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
Pasta:
- 1 lb. medium shell pasta (1 box)
Cheese Mixture:
- 15 oz. ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Garnish:
- 1/2 tsp crushed fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
Instructions
Ground Chicken:
- Combine all ingredients under Ground Chicken except oil. Heat oil in a pan and stir fry the meat until browned and all moisture has evaporated. Remove from pan and set aside.
Butter Sauce:
- In the same pan, melt butter. Add diced onions and sauté until golden. Add all the ingredients under Butter Sauce up to (and including) the salt. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until the oil starts to separate.
- Add diced tomatoes, Greek yogurt, tomato paste, and sugar, and sauté for another 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a blender and puree. The sauce should now be smooth and silky.
- Return the sauce to the pan and add heavy cream.
Pasta:
- Boil shell pasta until al dente, following package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
Combine Ground Chicken, Pasta & Butter Sauce:
- Add ground chicken and pasta to the butter sauce and mix thoroughly. Add pasta water to thin out.
Cheese Mixture:
- In a bowl, combine all ingredients under Cheese Mixture, reserving 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
Assemble:
- You now have a chicken/pasta/sauce mixture and a cheese mixture. In a greased 9×13 baking dish, layer them like this:Spread 1/3 of the chicken/pasta/sauce mixture.Drop dollops of 1/3 of the cheese mixture and spread with a spatula.Repeat 2 more times.
- Finish with the reserved mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with a tented foil that's been sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
- Sprinkle crushed fenugreek leaves on top. Enjoy hot!
About Butter Chicken Baked Pasta
Butter chicken is basically royalty in South Asian cuisine. You already know that the rich, creamy sauce is delicious, but have you tried pairing it with pasta? And then throwing in some cheese too? So basically, it’s butter chicken, but carby and cheesy. It’s absolutely delectable.
That Butter Sauce
Although this is a fusion dish, the sauce here is authentically Indian. Aromatic spices, tomatoes, cream, and of course, BUTTER, join together to make a super flavorful, delicious sauce that is literally my favorite taste in the world. Yup, it’s that good. The key to achieving a smooth, silky sauce is to blend it. I have tried using an immersion blender to save time on cleanup, but it’s really not the same. The extra step of transferring to a blender and pureeing the sauce is 100% worth it.
Why Ground Chicken?
Traditionally, chunks of boneless chicken thighs are used to make butter chicken. For this dish though, I wanted the chicken to be distributed throughout the dish. The pieces of ground chicken get inside the hollows of the shell pasta, making every bite wonderful. Plus, it cooks way faster.
The Steps, in a Nutshell
First, we cook the ground chicken in all the great spices/aromatics, like ginger, garlic, garam masala, cumin, and…tandoori paste. This is a key ingredient that gives butter chicken its distinct flavor. Then we go ahead and make the sauce, using the same marinade ingredients, in the same quantities. After blending the sauce, we add heavy cream to make it perfectly irresistible. Then the ground chicken, sauce, and pre-cooked pasta are tossed together. This recipe could end right here, but we take it one step further by layering it with a cheese blend and baking it until hot and melty. And don’t skip the crushed fenugreek leaves at the end! It’s what gives this dish that restaurant quality. *Insert chef’s kiss*
A Fusion of Worlds
I feel connected to fusion food such as this because it’s a reflection of who I am–a fusion of two cultures. Coming to the United States as a child, I was caught in a dichotomy of two worlds–my Bengali background and this new American culture. For whatever reason, I felt the need to keep these two parts of my life separate. It took me years to understand what I know now: I am a hybrid of the two cultures. A fusion of ideas, values, and tastes. So it’s only natural that my cooking journey would be a reflection of that.
And Finally…
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment below. And pop on over to my Instagram to say hi!