Baked Spaghetti with Chicken | Slimming & Weight Watchers Friendly

This Baked Spaghetti with Chicken is a fab slimming-friendly pasta dinner to have in the colder months whether you're counting calories or following a diet plan like Weight Watchers.

📝 Ingredients

• 6 chicken thighs (skin and visible fat removed)
• 200 g bucatini or spaghetti
• 1 large carrot (chopped)
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 1 stick celery (chopped)
• 15 mushrooms
• 10 cherry tomatoes
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes (400g)
• 5 cloves garlic (crushed)
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 splash Worcestershire sauce
• 150 ml chicken stock (made up with 150ml water & 1 stock cube)
• 1 lemon (Juice of)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 0.5 tsp cumin
• 0.5 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• fresh parsley (chopped)
• low calorie cooking spray

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- In the Oven ---
2. 2Mix paprika, cumin, turmeric, lemon juice & salt - sprinkle over chicken thighs - let sit for 10-20 mins
3. 3Preheat your oven to 200°C
4. 4Heat a large pan/casserole dish, spray with low calorie cooking spray and lightly brown the chicken thighs then set aside
5. 5If any bits have stuck to the pan (they should - it’s good!) pour in a little water or white wine vinegar to scrape it away. Keep it in the pan - don’t throw it away!
6. 6Spray the pan with low calorie cooking spray and fry the onions, celery, carrot, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and garlic.
7. 7When the onion begins to soften, add the tomato puree and Worcestershire sauce - fry off for a further 3 minutes, stirring often.
8. 8Add the 150ml of stock, tin of chopped tomatoes and place the chicken on top.
9. 9Place in the oven for 20 minutes
10. 10Whilst the chicken is cooking, cook the pasta but take 2 minutes off the packet instructions. We need it to be al dente - which means not quite cooked. Drain it and set aside.
11. 11Lift the chicken out the oven, and remove the chicken. Taste the sauce & add more seasoning if necessary (you may need a stock pot or stock cube - it’s up to you!).
12. 12Add the pasta to the sauce, making sure to slick all the pasta with the sauce. Add the chicken back in but place it under the pasta if you can.
13. 13Cover the dish, and place back in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
14. 14Lift out of the oven, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
15. 15--- In the slow cooker ---
16. 16Mix paprika, cumin, turmeric, lemon juice & salt - sprinkle over chicken thighs - let sit for 10-20 mins
17. 17Spray a pan with with low calorie cooking spray and lightly brown the chicken thighs then set aside into the slow cooker.
18. 18If any bits have stuck to the pan (they should - it’s good!) pour in a little water or white wine vinegar to scrape it away. Keep it in the pan - don’t throw it away!
19. 19Spray the pan with low calorie cooking spray and fry the onions, celery, carrot, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and garlic.
20. 20When the onion begins to soften, add the tomato puree and Worcestershire sauce - fry off for a further 3 minutes, stirring often.
21. 21Pop the contents of the pan into the slow cooker.
22. 22Add the 150ml of stock, tin of chopped tomatoes and cook on high for 3-5 hours.
23. 23Remove the lid for the last hour to let the sauce thicken slightly.
24. 24Cook the pasta but take 2 minutes off the packet instructions. We need it to be al dente - which means not quite cooked. Drain it and pop it into the slow cooker
25. 25Cover the slow cooker, and let it cook on high for 10-15 minutes.
26. 26Sprinkle with parsley and serve.