An express chicken cacciatore of sorts, this chicken and pepper linguine is an easy, comforting dinner that will get you out of any midweek cooking rut.
Juicy chicken thighs, a simple tomato paste-based sauce, and plenty of mozzarella are what make this chicken and pepper linguine so delicious.
Similar to chicken cacciatore but faster to make. Perfect for a weeknight meal when it’s just you and a pack of chicken thighs against the world. It also makes perfect leftovers, so lunches will be a breeze for the week.
What you need
- Chicken: I recommend bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for the best flavor, but you can also make it with boneless, skinless thighs or breasts; just adjust the cooking time as needed to accommodate. It’s seasoned simply with salt, pepper, and dried thyme.
- Aromatics: I keep it simple with just bell peppers, onions, and garlic.
- Pasta and sauce: I use linguine, but rigatoni would be equally delicious. Linguine just reminds me of how my dad used to make chicken cacciatore growing up. The sauce is made with just tomato paste and pasta cooking water. I add a little sugar and crushed red pepper for extra oomph and to soften the acidity of the tomato paste.
- Finishing touches: I place a few rounds of fresh mozzarella cheese on the chicken and broil it. I’ve also made it with shredded, low-moisture mozzarella, and it’s delicious too! Before serving, I scatter a few basil leaves on top.
How to make it
Step 1: Brown the chicken.
Heat extra virgin olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Once hot, cook the chicken in batches–skin-side down–until golden brown and crisp.
Step 2: Bake the chicken.
Scatter the bell peppers, onion, and garlic around the chicken and bake at 425ºF for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165ºF. Remove from the oven and transfer the chicken to a plate. While the chicken bakes, boil the pasta and reserve some of the water.
Step 3: Make the sauce.
Return the peppers and onions to medium heat and add tomato paste. Sauté the paste until it sizzles and deepens in color. Add the pasta cooking water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened. Add the cooked linguine and toss to coat.
Step 4: Broil the cheese.
Arrange the chicken on top and cover each thigh with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and broil for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and browned in spots.
Step 5: Serve it up.
Scatter fresh basil leaves on top of the chicken and linguine. Divide the pasta between plates and serve a thigh on top. Enjoy!
Chicken and Pepper Linguine
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4 to 6 thighs total; excess skin trimmed)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
- 2 bell peppers (trimmed, seeded, and sliced lengthwise into ½-inch wide strips)
- 1 yellow onion (peeled, halved, and thinly sliced lengthwise)
- 4 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
- 12 ounces linguine
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- Crushed red pepper (to taste)
- Pinch sugar (plus more to taste)
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese (thinly sliced into 6 rounds; or use 4 ounces shredded low-moisture mozzarella)
- Fresh basil leaves (optional, for serving)
Instructions
Brown the chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Pat the chicken dry and season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a wide, ovenproof pot over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the chicken skin-side down, in batches if needed, and cook without moving for 5 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and crisp. Flip and cook 1 minute.
- Return all the chicken to the pot, skin-side up, and scatter the sliced peppers, onion, and garlic around the chicken. Transfer to the oven for 30 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165ºF.
Boil the pasta:
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until al dente. Reserve 1½ cups of pasta water before draining the linguine into a colander.
Prepare the sauce:
- Once the chicken is cooked through, remove the pot from the oven. Transfer the chicken to a large plate and return the pot to the stove over medium heat. Use a spoon to skim off excess chicken fat from the pot if needed.
- Add 3 tablespoons tomato paste and a pinch of crushed red pepper, and stir to coat the vegetables. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the tomato paste emulsifies with the liquid in the pot.
- Add the reserved pasta water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes until reduced and thickened. Taste and season with salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, or a pinch more sugar if needed.
- Add the cooked linguine to the sauce and toss to coat. Turn off the heat.
Broil the chicken:
- Turn on the broiler. Arrange the chicken on top of the linguine and top with the mozzarella. Drizzle with a teaspoon or two of extra virgin olive oil. Place the pot under the broiler and broil for 1 to 2 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and browned. Remove from the oven.
To serve:
- Scatter fresh basil leaves on top of the chicken and pasta. Divide the pasta between plates and serve with a chicken thigh on top. Enjoy!
