Description
Chicken Cacciatore Pasta is a rustic and hearty Italian dish featuring tender braised chicken thighs simmered in a rich tomato sauce with bell peppers, olives, capers, and garlic, served over silky pappardelle pasta. This flavorful combination is a comforting meal that beautifully balances savory, tangy, and aromatic elements.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Pasta:
- 1 pound pappardelle
For the Chicken and Sauce:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons butter, cubed and divided
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 large red bell pepper, sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- 28 ounce can plum tomatoes, hand crushed or pulsed in blender
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 3/4 cup black oil-cured olives, rinsed, pitted, and chopped
- 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, minced
- 1 cup reserved pasta water (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare and Sear Chicken: Heat a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat with olive oil. Pat chicken thighs dry and season with salt and pepper. Add chicken and 1 tablespoon butter in batches, searing 3-4 minutes per side until well browned. Add 1 tablespoon butter for each batch and avoid overcrowding. Transfer seared chicken to plate and lightly salt.
- Sauté Vegetables: Reduce heat to medium, add remaining butter, sliced onions, and red bell peppers. Sauté for 7-10 minutes until softened, then add minced garlic and cook 2 minutes more.
- Cook Tomato Paste: Stir in tomato paste, adding a splash of water if it begins to burn. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to deepen flavor.
- Deglaze and Simmer: Pour in white wine and chicken stock, increase heat to high to bring to a boil, scraping brown bits from the pan. Reduce liquid by half, then add crushed plum tomatoes and return chicken to the pan. Mix well and simmer gently.
- Braise Chicken: Continue to simmer on low heat for 30-40 minutes until chicken is very tender. Taste sauce and lightly season with salt, mindful of the salty olives and capers to be added.
- Cook Pasta: Meanwhile, bring large pot of salted water to a boil (2 tablespoons salt per gallon). Cook pappardelle until 1 minute less than al dente.
- Finish Sauce: Remove chicken from pan to a plate and cover to keep warm. Stir capers and olives into sauce.
- Toss Pasta: Add pasta to sauce pan, toss to coat well. Add reserved pasta water if needed to loosen sauce. Cook until pasta reaches just al dente. Remove from heat, adjust salt and pepper, and stir in parsley.
- Serve: Plate pasta and serve chicken on top or alongside. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy your flavorful Chicken Cacciatore Pasta!
Notes
- This dish features braised chicken thighs which become tender and soak up the rich tomato, pepper, olive, and caper sauce.
- Using boneless skinless chicken thighs helps keep the meat juicy and flavorful.
- Adjust salt carefully after adding olives and capers as they contribute saltiness to the sauce.
- Reserved pasta water can be used to loosen the sauce for better coating on the pasta.
- Serve with freshly grated Parmesan for additional richness and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 685 kcal
- Sugar: 10.9 g
- Sodium: 204 mg
- Fat: 18.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.0 g
- Carbohydrates: 67.8 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 56.2 g
- Cholesterol: 137 mg
