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1.
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Preheat oven to 180 C. Halve the whole tomatoes and put them into a rimmed baking dish.
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Sprinkle with salt, fresh thyme and olive oil.
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Roast at 180 C for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.
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Allow to cool then puree in a blender and set aside.
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2.
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Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according the the package instructions.
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Leave slightly al dente (about 2 minutes from full cooking time, as it will bake in the sauce).
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Pour the pasta into a colander and drizzle and mix with a bit of olive oil to stop the pasta from sticking together.
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3.
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Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan and add the onions.
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Soften for about 5 minutes.
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Add the garlic and fry for a further 1 minute.
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Add the dry chili flakes and the tomato puree and fry for 1 minute.
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Add the Marsala wine and allow to cook off for a further minute.
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Add the pureed roasted tomatoes, passata, water, sugar, oregano, dried basil and thyme.
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Stir well and taste for seasoning then decide how much salt and pepper to add.
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Allow the sauce to cook and reduce for about 10-15 minutes until it has thickened up a bit (dont let it get too thick, if it does, add more water).
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Turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly, then blend (using a standard blender in small matches, or with an immersion blender) until smooth.
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Return the blended tomato sauce back to the pan and turn on the heat.
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Once back to temperature add the 2 cheeses (cream cheese and Red Leicester) and stir well until the cheese has melted and the sauce is creamy.
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Take off one or two ladles of sauce and set aside for topping later.
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Add the chicken, and the bunch of chopped basil into the larger portion of sauce and stir through.
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Add the pasta and mix well.
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4.
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Fill your (approximately 3 litre size) baking dish with the pasta mixture then top with the remaining sauce.
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Liberally sprinkle over the mozzarella, followed by the Parmesan.
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Bake for 10-20 minutes until the cheese has melted and is golden.
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Remove dish from the oven.
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Finally sprinkle over a few more roughly chopped pieces of basil and serve alone or as a side dish.
