Cheesy Tomato Chicken Pasta

This cheesy tomato chicken pasta is the perfect easy dinner recipe. It's topped with a crispy fried basil panko and has plenty of mozzarella to go around.

4.92 from 12 votes

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 1 5

Servings:

Calories: 693kcal

Equipment

2 Large pots
Small pot

Ingredients

4 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
2 shallots or 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
½ cup diced sun-dried tomatoes
5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more to taste if you like
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 14.5- ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes
Parmesan rind, optional
Pinch of sugar, optional
12 ounces spaghetti
½ cup grated mozzarella
Salt and pepper to taste

Fried basil panko:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1 cup panko
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Fry the chicken:

Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Heat 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Pat the chicken dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Place the chicken into the pot, skin-side down, and fry without moving for 5 minutes until golden brown all over. Flip and cook for an additional 1–2 minutes. They need not be cooked through. Transfer to a plate.

Start the sauce:

Add the diced shallots and sun-dried tomatoes to the pot of rendered chicken fat. Cook for 3–5 minutes or until the shallots soften.
Add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook, often stirring, for 1 minute until fragrant.
Pour in the balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil.
Add the canned tomatoes and season all over with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat. Using a potato masher, gently mash the tomatoes. Add the parmesan rind and a pinch of sugar.

Bake the chicken and sauce:

Arrange the chicken on top of the sauce, skin-side up, and transfer to the oven for 20 minutes. If using bone-in thighs, increase cooking time to 30–35 minutes. Once the internal temperature reaches 165ºF, remove the pot from the oven and turn on the broiler.

Cook the spaghetti:

While the chicken bakes, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and cook the spaghetti until al dente. Remove 1/3 cup of the pasta cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta.

Prepare the fried basil panko:

Heat 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a small pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped basil leaves and constantly stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the panko and stir to incorporate. Cook until the panko deepens in color and toasts. Turn off the heat. Let stand for 5–10 minutes.
Stir the grated parmesan into the panko. Add a sprinkle of salt. Set aside.

Finish the chicken:

Remove the parmesan rind from the sauce and discard it. Sprinkle a bit of mozzarella on top of each piece of chicken. Drizzle the mozzarella with extra virgin olive oil if you like. Transfer the pot to the oven under the broiler and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Turn off the broiler and remove the pot from the oven. Scatter some of the basil panko on top of the chicken and transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Don’t worry if some of the panko ends up in the sauce!

Sauce the pasta:

Add the cooked pasta to the sauce. Add the pasta cooking water, as needed, and toss to coat the pasta with the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.

To serve:

Divide the pasta between shallow bowls and serve with a chicken thigh on top. Spoon more fried basil panko on top and garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy!

Nutrition

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