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Roasted chicken leg quarters with a spicy, sweet, nutty arugula pasta salad is the dinner of my dreams right now.

An arugula pasta salad filled with hazelnuts, golden raisins, burst cherry tomatoes, and just the right amount of Calabrian chili oil works so well with juicy roast chicken for a dinner you’ll want on repeat.

I really can’t get over how much I love this dinner. I’m a sucker for platter dinners where you can serve the main and the side on one gigantic platter and have it look absolutely stunning on the table.

This dinner is bursting with flavors and textures. Juicy chicken legs with perfectly crisp skin, pepper arugula, orecchiette, summer cherry tomatoes bound together with an irresistible blend of crunchy hazelnuts, sweet golden raisins, and Calabrian chili oil for the sweet, spicy pasta salad you’ll want all summer long.

This arugula pasta salad is one you could make with almost any protein. It would work well with fish, sausage, steak, or a pork tenderloin. It would even be delish with grilled tofu for a perfect vegan dinner!

How to make this chicken with arugula pasta salad

What you need

Chicken: I use leg quarters, but bone-in, skin-on thighs would work well here, too. You could use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but the cooking time will vary. Thighs or chicken legs offer the best flavor with the salad!
Orecchiette: I use orecchiette, but your favorite short pasta will work. Try it with ditalini, orzo, or even mezzi rigatoni.
Arugula: I love arugula for its peppery flavor, but you could make it with spinach, torn escarole, or baby kale.
Tomato mixture: I create a mixture with cherry tomatoes, garlic, crushed hazelnuts, golden raisins, lemon juice, Calabrian chili oil, and basil leaves. If you don’t have hazelnuts, you could use pistachios or almonds instead. If you don’t have golden raisins, try it with red raisins or dried cranberries instead. Golden raisins are my favorite for this dish, though!
For serving: I finish the chicken with a few fresh basil leaves.

How to make it

Step 1: Roast the chicken. Season the legs with salt and pepper and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake at 400ºF for about 40 to 50 minutes or until they reach 165ºF. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Step 2: As the chicken roasts, make the orecchiete. Drain, rinse, and set aside. Normally, I don’t rinse cooked pasta, but because it’s going in a salad, I like to rinse it so it won’t stick as I assemble everything.
Step 3: Make the tomatoes. Heat a little extra virgin olive oil in a pot and add the cherry tomatoes. Cook until the skins burst. Add the garlic, hazelnuts, and raisins and cook briefly. From there, add lemon juice and Calabrian chili oil and sauté briefly once more. Finish with fresh basil and cook until the basil wilts.
Step 4: Make the salad. Add the arugula to a bowl with the cooked orecchiette. Drizzle with a touch of extra virgin olive oil. Add the cooked tomatoes and toss to combine.
Step 5: To serve, arrange the chicken on a large platter and spoon as much arugula pasta salad as will fit on the platter around the chicken. Finish with fresh basil. Serve the platter with any extra salad on the side.

I just love how gorgeous this looks plated up! But the combination of flavors and textures is unbeatable. It brings the perfect balance of sweet, savory, spicy, nutty, crunchy, and juicy in each bite. Dinner doesn’t get any better than this!

Chicken with Arugula Pasta Salad

Roasted chicken leg quarters with a spicy, sweet, nutty arugula pasta salad is the dinner of my dreams right now.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 30

Inactive time: 40

Total Time: 1 25

Servings:

Calories: 588kcal

Equipment

Sheet pan
2 Medium pots

Ingredients

4 chicken leg quarters (about 3½ pounds total)
About 3½ teaspoons kosher salt (plus more)
1½ teaspoons black pepper (plus more)
4 ounces orecchiette (or short pasta of choice)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
12 ounces cherry tomatoes
4 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
¼ cup hazelnuts (crushed)
¼ cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon)
1 tablespoon Calabrian chili oil (plus more if desired; or use crushed red pepper to taste)
1 cup basil (loosely packed and torn; a few leaves reserved for garnish)
3 ounces arugula

Instructions

Roast the chicken:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Pat the chicken dry and season with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of chicken. For 3½ pounds chicken, use 3½ teaspoons kosher salt. Adjust as needed depending on the weight of your chicken. Add 1½ teaspoons of black pepper and use your hands to ensure the leg quarters are evenly coated.
Arrange the chicken on a sheet pan in an even layer. Transfer to the preheated oven and roast for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the skin is crisp and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F when tested with an instant-read meat thermometer.

Cook the pasta:

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orecchiette and cook until boil until al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and rinse the pasta briefly under cold water. Set aside.

Prepare the tomatoes:

Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and season lightly with salt. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the skins begin to burst.
Add the minced garlic, crushed hazelnuts, and golden raisins. Sauté with the cherry tomatoes for 1 minute or until the garlic is fragrant. Add the lemon juice and Calabrian chili oil and toss to coat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes; season lightly with salt and pepper.
Add the torn basil to the tomatoes and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the basil wilts. Turn off the heat.

Assemble the salad:

Add the arugula to a large bowl and add the cooked orecchiette. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Add the cooked tomatoes to the arugula and toss to combine. Taste and sprinkle with more salt and pepper if needed.

To serve:

Arrange the cooked chicken on a large serving platter. Arrange the arugula pasta salad around the chicken. Finish with more fresh basil leaves on top and serve any extra salad at the table alongside the platter of chicken. Enjoy!

Nutrition

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Chicken with Arugula Pasta Salad

An arugula pasta salad filled with hazelnuts, golden raisins, burst cherry tomatoes, and just the right amount of Calabrian chili oil works so well with juicy roast chicken for a dinner you’ll want on repeat.