A comforting, family-friendly pasta bake made with a rich tomato sauce — completely without cream. Everything cooks together in one pot, including the pasta, making this an easy and satisfying weeknight meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This pasta bake is inspired by classic creamy gratin-style dishes but simplified for real life. Traditional versions often require multiple pots, pans, and a lot of time. This one-pot version keeps all the comfort while cutting down the effort.
No cream, yet still creamy
Pasta cooks directly in the sauce
One pot = easy cleanup
Perfect for busy weeknights
A Little Story Behind It
Growing up, my mother used to make a Japanese-style macaroni gratin — rich, creamy, and always reserved for special occasions because of the effort involved. As much as I loved it, it was definitely not an everyday meal.
So I created this version: a tomato-based, creamy pasta bake that skips the cream entirely and uses a simple roux instead. The result? A cozy, saucy pasta dish that feels indulgent but is much lighter — and far easier to make.
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📝 Recipe Summary
One-Pot Creamy Tomato Chicken Pasta Bake (No Cream)
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
🧄 Ingredients
Main
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 tbsp plain flour
2 cups milk
2 cups tomato passata (pureed tomatoes)
1 cup water or chicken stock
2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
Black pepper
3 cups dried penne or ziti pasta
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Optional Garnish
Fresh basil leaves
Grated parmesan cheese
👩🍳 Instructions
Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F.
In a deep oven-safe skillet or pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add onion and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent.
Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Slowly add the milk while whisking to avoid lumps. Cook until the sauce starts to thicken.
Add tomato passata, water (or stock), salt, and pepper. Increase heat slightly and cook for 5 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Taste the sauce. If it’s slightly acidic, add 1–2 teaspoons of sugar.
Stir in the pasta, chicken, and cheddar cheese. Cook on the stove for 1 minute, then remove from heat.
Sprinkle mozzarella evenly on top. Cover with foil or a lid and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove cover and bake for another 5 minutes until bubbly and lightly golden.
Rest for 5 minutes, then garnish with basil and parmesan before serving.
💡 Helpful Notes
Tomato passata is simply pureed tomatoes. You can also use canned blended tomatoes.
If using store-bought pasta sauce, reduce the salt.
Use a deep pan or casserole dish to avoid overflow.
This recipe reheats well and tastes even better the next day.
🥗 Nutrition (Approx. per serving)
Calories: ~470 kcal
Protein: High
Cream: None
Comfort level: Very high 😄