Description
Hearty chicken and vegetable penne pie delivers comfort through layers of creamy pasta nestled with savory ingredients. Home cooks can savor this satisfying meal that connects European culinary traditions with modern kitchen creativity.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups cooked chicken, diced
- 8 oz (226 g) penne pasta
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 tbsps unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preparation Setup: Warm the oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
- Pasta Preparation: Cook penne in salted water until perfectly tender, then drain completely and reserve.
- Vegetable Foundation: In a large skillet, sauté onions, carrots, and celery over medium heat until softened and translucent, then introduce minced garlic and cook briefly to release aromatic flavors.
- Sauce Development: Dust vegetables with flour, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Gradually whisk in chicken broth and milk, creating a smooth, velvety sauce that thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Protein and Seasoning Integration: Incorporate cooked chicken, frozen peas, thyme, salt, and pepper into the creamy sauce, allowing ingredients to meld and warm through completely.
- Pasta Fusion: Gently fold cooked penne into the chicken-vegetable mixture, ensuring every pasta piece is luxuriously coated with the creamy sauce.
- Pastry Topping: Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, then carefully drape rolled puff pastry over the filling, trimming edges for a neat presentation.
- Finishing Touch: Brush pastry with beaten egg to achieve a glossy, golden-brown exterior.
- Baking and Resting: Bake for 25-30 minutes until pastry is beautifully bronzed and filling bubbles with delicious intensity. Let the pie rest 5-7 minutes before serving to allow flavors to settle and filling to set.
Notes
- Pasta Perfection: Cook penne al dente to prevent mushy texture and ensure ideal pasta consistency throughout the dish.
- Flour Finesse: Toasting flour eliminates raw taste and creates a richer, more developed sauce base with deeper flavor complexity.
- Pastry Pro Tip: Ensure puff pastry is cold and rolled evenly to guarantee a crisp, flaky golden-brown top that provides delightful textural contrast.
- Resting Ritual: Allowing the pie to rest after baking helps stabilize the filling, making it easier to serve and preventing runny sauce when cutting.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 540 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg