Recipe: Fajita Chicken Pasta Bake

I love a good bit of Mexican food, and I also love pasta.
I’ve been coming up with recipes over the past few months which are full of veggies and lower in calories and so I wondered if it would work to make the filling for fajitas, but then put it in a pasta bake instead of spooning it into wraps – fulfilling my pasta-cravings and my mexican-food love, with the veggies making it nice and filling and low in calories….

…so I tried it out – and it worked!

I wanted to try to get the sauce to be a little like the creamy, spicy, warm splodges that always end up on your plate after you have fajitas – the bits that drop out, with cream and salsa and fajita goodness in – and I think I’ve just about managed it (If I do say so myself!)

This was the perfect dinner to spoon out in front of the telly – proper home cooking that tastes really indulgent and naughty, but actually has less than 500 calories a portion – absolutely winner!

Hope you enjoy it – do let me know if you try it out and tag me on instagram!

Serves: 4         Calories per portion: 475

What You Need:

• 400g Chopped Tomatoes
• 2 Green Peppers
• 1 Yellow Pepper
• 2 Red Peppers
• 230g Fusilli or similar pasta
• 350g Chicken Breast (Approx 2 Chicken Breasts)
• 350g Courgette (Approx 2 Courgettes)
• 130g Light Philadelphia
• 30g Schwartz Perfect Shake Fajita Seasoning
• Large Saucepan
• Large Frying Pan
• Large Ovenproof Dish

How To Do It: 

1. Preheat the Oven to 200’C.
2. Set the pasta cooking until soft. Save the Pasta water once the pasta is cooked. (The starchy pasta water is perfect for sauces!)
3. Chop the Peppers, Courgette and Chicken.
4. Fry the Chicken until nearly cooked through.
5. Add the Courgette, Peppers and half of the Schwartz Fajita Seasoning.
6. Mix well and cook through.
7. Ladle in a few ladlefuls of pasta water and add the Light Philadelphia.
8. Add the rest of the Seasoning and mix through.
9. Add the Chopped Tomatoes. Mix well.
10. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until thickening.
11. Pour the cooked Pasta into the ovenproof dish.
12. Pour the sauce over the top and mix through.
13. Bake in the Oven for 20 minutes or until the pasta bake is getting golden and crispy on top (or set aside at this point to bake later)
14. Enjoy!

Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for reheating later.