Here’s a hearty, nourishing one-pan sauce you can serve two delicious ways: tossed through pasta, or [click here for the baked eggs version].
It’s packed with protein-rich chicken mince, canned chickpeas, tomatoes, loads of fresh basil, and a pop of fennel seed for extra flavour.
Bonus: this sauce freezes beautifully. I like to make a double batch and stash half away for a quick midweek meal. It also makes an epic pasta bake-just add béchamel, mozzarella, and bake until golden.
If you’re cooking for fewer, split one batch of sauce in two-baked eggs one night, pasta the next. One sauce, so many possibilities.
I hope you love it as much as we do-it’s hearty, wholesome, and seriously delicious.
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Ingredients
Nut-free, Egg-free 
15 minutes preparation time + 30 minutes cook time 
4 - 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- A pinch of chili flakes or Aleppo pepper flakes, to taste
- 2 teaspoons whole fennel seeds
- 350g chicken mince
- 1 large brown onion, finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained
- 2 x 400g cans whole tomatoes in juice, plus 1/3 of a tin of water
- 2 large handfuls fresh basil, roughly chopped
- 350g dried short shaped pasta (mezze maniche, rigatoni, maccheroni, fusilli, etc.)
- 1/4 cup fresh finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- Fine sea salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to serve
Method
Tomato, Basil, Chicken & Chickpea One-Pan Sauce
- Place a large deep-sided frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the olive oil, chilli flakes (if using), and fennel seeds.
- Add the chicken mince along with a generous pinch of fine sea salt. Cook for a few minutes until partially cooked.
- Stir in the diced onion and sliced garlic. I like to add these after the chicken so they retain some bite and their sweet, punchy flavour.
- Cook until the chicken is cooked through and lightly browned, and the onion and garlic have softened-about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the drained chickpeas and stir to combine.
- Add the canned tomatoes with their juice, plus 1/3 of a tin of water. Crush the tomatoes gently with the back of a spoon.
- Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh basil and continue to simmer, uncovered, for another 5 minutes.
Pasta
- While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook the pasta 2-3 minutes short of the package instructions.
- Using a spider strainer, transfer the pasta directly into the sauce (or drain it, reserving some pasta water).
- Cook the pasta in the sauce for 2-3 minutes until al dente and the sauce has thickened slightly. Add splashes of pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce while keeping it thick and glossy.
- Stir in the grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
- Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, extra cheese, and cracked black pepper.
NOTES
- This recipe can be made dairy-free by using a plant-based parmesan alternative or simply leaving out the cheese altogether.
- Consider making a double batch of the sauce - freeze half for a future meal. If you're cooking for two, make the full quantity and save the leftovers for an easy dinner another day.
- Chickpeas add a lovely creamy texture and boost the fibre and protein content. You could swap them for white beans if you prefer.
- Parmigiano Reggiano can be substituted with Grana Padano.
- This sauce can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. It also freezes well for up to 2 months.
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