Esmé's favourite cheesy, chicken, pasta bake/ vegetarian alternative available below

This recipe is an adaptation of a recipe my sister made when she was in high school for home economics. Her recipe was called pasta pie and was loaded with veges. I LOVE the loaded vegetable version myself and will provide the substitutions in the recipe listed below. However, my husband who absolutely hates, peppers, onion and mushrooms didn't take to her recipe. So being a good and faithful wife I decided to alter the ingredients to cater to his pallet. For the tomato sauce 6 large juicy ripe tomatoes chopped 1 tablespoon of butter 1 tablespoon of dried oregano 1 tablespoon of dried parsley 1/2 tsp of cracked black pepper 1/2 tsp of kosher salt 4-6 cloves of chopped garlic 1 tablespoon of tomato ketchup 2 teaspoons of sugar For the cheese sauce 2 pints of milk (2 percent is sufficient) 1/4 cup of flour 1/4 cup of melted butter 1/2 tsp of Dijon mustard 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese 1 package of chicken tenderloins 12 oz of pasta, rigatoni, shells, penne (whole grain can be used) 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. In a large saucepan melt a tablespoon of butter and gently sauté the garlic until transluscent, 1-2 minutes. add the tomatoes, ketchup, herbs, sugar, salt and pepper and cook over a low heat until the tomatoes are soft and pulpy. 20-30 minutes. Using an Emersion blender, blend the cooked tomatoes to form a sauce. Alternatively ladle into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Return to the saucepan and simmer on low for another 15 minutes. Whilst the tomato sauce is simmering, bring 4 qts of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to instructions. Drain the pasta. Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a separate pot and stir in the flour. Mix thoroughly to form a roux. Slowly add the milk and whisk to remove any lumps. Slowly heat the sauce to create a bechemel. Once thickened, remove from the heat and add the Dijon mustard and grated cheese. In a large 9x13 dish, lay the chicken tenderloins on the bottom of the dish, in a single layer, covering as much of the bottom of the dish as possible. Next, pour the tomato sauce over the raw chicken, coating evenly. Add the cooked pasta in another layer over the top of the chicken and sauce. Finally pour the cheese sauce over the top of the pasta. Sprinkle the top of the dish with 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes. For a Healthier vegetarian version, I substitute the chicken for sautéed vegetables, broccoli red, green and yellow peppers Red onion squash mushrooms. I lay the sautéed vegetables in the bottom of the dish, top with the tomato sauce, then layer the pasta, then I add a layer of sautéed spinach. I change the cheese sauce recipe slightly, omitting one cup of the cheddar cheese and substituting for a cup of ricotta or cottage cheese. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.