This Spicy Chicken Pasta is the ideal degree of zest, while totally overflowing with flavor. It’s simple, velvety, good and delectable!
That’s right, you heard it here first 😂 Chicken, zest and pasta is perhaps the most heavenly combos ever. It’s likewise basically answerable for 90% of my food trance like states. Heavenly food extreme lethargies none the less.
The zesty chicken is the central core of this dish, so it’s imperative to make it sparkle. Nothing more terrible than tasteless chewy chicken in any specific circumstance, let alone in your pasta.
Ingredients :
- Chicken
- 1x 9oz/250g Chicken Breast, at room temp
- 2 tsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- Pasta
- 7oz / 200g Linguine (or other long cut pasta)
- 2/3 cup / 160ml Heavy/Double Cream
- 1/3 cup / 80ml Chicken Stock
- 1/4 cup / 60ml Dry White Wine
- 1oz / 30g Parmesan, finely grated
- 6 (2oz/60g) Sun Dried Tomatoes, finely diced
- 2 tbsp Tomato Puree (tomato paste in US)
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley, finely diced
- 1 small Onion, finely diced
- 1 tsp Garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp Chilli Flakes
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- In a small bowl, combine 2 tsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and cayenne pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt and black pepper.
- Butterfly your chicken breast right the way through to make 2 even sized breasts. Coat in spicy marinade.
- Place in a skillet over medium-high heat and fry for 3mins each side, or until nicely charred and just cooked through the centre (depending on thickness may take more or less time). Place to one side and when ready, slice into thin strips, ensuring you slice against the natural grain of the chicken and at a slight angle.
- Turn heat down to medium and melt in 1 tbsp butter, scraping off the flavour from the chicken with a wooden spoon. Add your onion and fry until it begins to soften and pick up colour. Add 1 tsp garlic, fry for 1-2mins longer, then add 1/2 tsp chilli flakes. Fry for 1 min longer, then add sun dried tomatoes. Fry for another minute just to soften them, then pour in 1/4cup/60ml dry white wine. Allow the wine to completely reduce (important to burn off the alcohol, should take 5 or so mins).
- Meanwhile, add 7oz/200g pasta to salted boiling water and cook until al dente. Retain a cup of starchy pasta water towards the end of cooking.
- Add 2 tbsp tomato puree to the pan. Fry this for 2mins (important to sweeten the taste) then deglaze the pan with 1/3cup/80ml chicken stock. Pour in 2/3cup/160ml heavy/double cream and season to taste with salt & pepper.
- Use pasta tongs to add pasta in and toss to combine. Add 1oz/30g freshly grated parmesan, 1 tbsp fresh parsley and your chicken strips. Toss again to coat, using your starchy pasta water to thin out if needed.
Notes:
- How spicy is ‘spicy’? – It’s really difficult to measure this, as it’s so subjective. It’s got a definite kick, the kind that makes your tongue tingle. The heat is definitely there, but it doesn’t over power the other flavours. If you like spice, I’d put this at a medium. But again, very difficult to say. If you’re at all wary, start off with less chilli flakes and adjust at the end.
- White Wine – Firstly, just make sure it’s dry wine, not sweet. Secondly, I do recommend adding it. It’s not a lot, but does add a nice background flavour and cuts through the richness of the sauce. The alcohol will burn off, but if for whatever reason you don’t want to use it just sub with more chicken stock.
- Date Night Dinner – This recipe serves two, however I do recommend adding a side. Either Roasted Garlic Bread or Cheese Pesto Garlic Bread works great! If you’re feeding a family just use the slider to adjust the measurements (just consider starting off with less spice just in case!).
- Calories – shared between two with no extra parmesan or sides.
