Spicy chicken pasta, a simple dish of roast chicken thighs & peppers cooked in a spicy coating before being shredded and stirred through pasta.
Roasting the chicken does take some time, but this can be done in advance, you can even cook more because it makes for a fantastic sandwich filling!
Chicken and Pepper Pappardelle
You can’t beat pasta as the base of a simple midweek recipe, it is relatively frugal, filling, quick and easy to cook.
Whether you are rocking a simple penne arrabbiata, a creamy steak pasta or something more involved like my venison ragu, pasta is the foundation for many a great dish.
My latest recipe is a delicious spicy chicken pasta with roasted peppers. It uses both dried chillies and a generous number of fresh jalapeno peppers to provide the spice.
A simple coating for the chicken thighs is made from tinned tomatoes, chilli flakes and a few spices. Then you roast it in the oven with the peppers.
All you then have to do is shred the chicken, throw in any leftover tomato coating and mix it through the pasta.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add the jalapeno peppers with the rest of the peppers?
I find that they overcook and you lose the flavour of the chillies if you do this. As a result, I like to add them for the last 10 minutes.
Can I use hotter chilli peppers?
Absolutely, go as hot or mild as you like. Make this your own level of spicy chicken pasta!
Can I use chicken breast?
I would not, it has far less flavour than the thigh and it also does not shred as nicely.
What sort of pasta should I use?
I like to make this spicy chicken pasta with pappardelle, but it is also great with fettuccine and tagliatelle. It’s also great with flat pasta like farfalle or heavier orecchiette.
I would avoid pasta like penne or rigatoni because there is no heavy sauce to fill the tubes.
Can I make this in advance?
The chicken mix can be made in advance. In fact, you can scale it up and make loads of it because it is also great in a sandwich or on a baked potato!
Then all you have to do is heat it up, boil some pasta and 15 minutes later dinner is done.
Serving Suggestions
The only thing that I regularly serve with this spicy chicken pasta recipe is garlic bread.
For me, it is a simple one-bowl dinner, ideal for curling up on the sofa with a bit of TV.
If you wanted to do something a little different, then adding a simple herb crumb adds a great texture. I often use the lemon and parsley crumb from my sea bream fillet recipe.
Another nice variation would be to increase the greens and wilt through some rocket (arugula) or even some baby spinach.
Easy Spicy Chicken Pasta Recipe
Jalapeno chilli peppers provide the heat in this spicy chilli pasta recipe, they get roasted with sweet bell peppers and chicken thighs before getting combined with fusilli pasta.
Ingredients
- 2 Skinless Bone in Chicken Thighs
- 75g (1/4 Cup) Tinned Tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Honey
- 1/2 Tsp Garlic Granules
- 1/2 Tsp Onion Salt
- 1 Tsp Chilli Flakes
- 1/2 Tsp Dried Oregano
- 1/2 Tsp Dried Basil
- 1 Bell Pepper (I like to use half of two different colours of pepper)
- 5 Jalapeno Peppers
- 175g (6oz) Dried Pasta
- Handful Basil Leaves
Instructions
- Cut two 1cm deep slits into the flesh of the chicken thighs.
- Mix together the tinned tomatoes, honey, olive oil, garlic granules, onion salt, chilli flakes, oregano and basil.
- Add the tomato mix to the chicken and mix well to coat. If you have time marinate the chicken for up to 8 hours for a big flavour boost.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and pop it in a frying pan (not non-stick) that you can put in the oven.
- Remove the stalks and seeds from the bell pepper and cut it into strips, 5-7mm (1/2") thick, then cut the strips in half and add them to the pan.
- Pop the chicken in the oven and cook for 30 minutes at 180°C or 350°F.
- Cut the jalapeno peppers into rounds approximately 2mm thick.
- When the chicken has 10 minutes left throw in the jalapeno peppers.
- Have a pan of well-salted water (1 tablespoon for every 4 litres) ready to go 5 minutes before the chicken is ready and drop in the pasta, then cook as per packet instructions.
- Remove the chicken pan from the oven and place it on the stovetop on a low-medium heat.
- Check the chicken has reached 73°C or 165°F then remove it from the pan, shred it, then return it to the pan and add any leftover marinade from the chicken.
- Throw in the basil leaves.
- Drain the pasta, reserving 75ml (1/3 cup) of the cooking water, then add the pasta to the chicken and pepper mix.
- Toss to coat then add as much cooking liquid as required to form a silky coating for the pasta.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 561Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 160mgSodium: 515mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 36g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.