Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake

Call me crass, call me unsophisticated, but don't you ever, ever say i'm not tasty! Nom.

I came across this recipe originally from a great blog with great photography, How Sweet It Is and tweaked it to suit my own tastes, and have also included a buffalo chicken sauce recipe!This pasta bake is the sinfully unholy amalgamation of macaroni cheese and buffalo wings!

There would be only one improvement to this dish and i feel almost as though i should not say it in the interest of public safety! But... if you actually made buffalo wings, plucked the meat from the bones and used THAT instead of the poached chicken i used... you may be in United States-Hyrbrid Heaven.

Ingredients (Serves 6)

Buffalo Chicken Wing Sauce

• 125gm butter
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp worschtershire
• 1 dash tabasco
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

Pasta Bake

• 1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce
• 300gm diced poached chicken
• 500gm small pasta
• 125gm Kraft cheddar cheese, grated
• 125gm tasty cheese, grated
• 1 small knob pecorino, grated
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3-5 scallions, sliced finely
• 1 1/2 cups milk

Method

Buffalo Wing Sauce

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar until bubbling
Add the other ingredients and stir well
Taste: if too sweet, add more Worcestershire.

Leave to cool then refridgerate until needed.

Pasta Bake

Preheat oven to 190 degrees
Cook pasta as per packet instructions and drain well.

Meanwhile melt the butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan.
When the butter is bubbling, add the flour

Stir for 1-2 minutes or until lightly golden

Add the milk and stir until thickened
Add the grated cheeses, reserving a small amount for topping and stir well. Remove from heat

Toss the pasta, sauce and scallions together in a large casserole.
Top with remaining cheese and panko breadcrumbs
Transfer to oven for 25 minutes.
Enjoy