Chicken Cacciatore Pasta

Chicken cacciatore pasta combines all the wonderful flavors of classic cacciatore, also known as hunter’s chicken, with pappardelle to form a wonderfully rich and satisfying pasta dish.  

While many Italians frown upon mixing chicken with pasta, it seems that chicken cacciatore pasta is one of the exceptions to their no-chicken-with-pasta rule.

Truth be told, we have never understood the reason for the rule and frequently defy it by making dishes like chicken marsala pasta and chicken Alfredo pasta.  

Furthermore, Asian cooking frequently utilizes chicken with noodles and they’re the ones who created that thing called pasta.  I digress.

Food is all about experimenting and making what works best for your unique tastes and situation.

Nevertheless, you can rest easy knowing no rules are being broken when you make this combination of tender chicken, olives, tomatoes, capers, peppers, and pappardelle that is chicken cacciatore pasta since you can remove the chicken before finishing your pasta in the delicious sauce.

How to make it

Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

1. Trim any excess fat from 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs, then dry them very well with paper towels and season on both sides with salt and pepper.  Slice 1 large onion and 1 large red bell pepper.  Mince 6 cloves of garlic and 1/4 cup of flat-leaf Italian parsley.  Rinse and chop 3/4 cup of black oil-cured pitted olives, and rinse 3 tablespoons of capers.  Cube 4 tablespoons of butter and set aside.  Heat a large saucepan or Dutch oven to medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add the chicken to the pan along with 1 tablespoon of butter and sear for 3-4 minutes per side or until well browned.  Note: the butter gets added after the oil is hot so that it doesn’t initially burn.
2. Work in batches adding another tablespoon of butter for the next batch. Once the chicken is brown, remove and place on a plate and sprinkle with a touch more salt.

3. Turn the heat to medium and add the remaining butter, peppers, and onions.  
4. Saute for about 7-10 minutes or until soft, then add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
5. Add 3 ounces of tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  If the paste seems like it’s burning, add a splash of water to cool down the pan.
6. Add 3/4 cup of dry white wine and 1 cup of low-sodium chicken stock and turn the heat up to high.  Bring the sauce to a boil and scrape the bottom of the pan to dislodge the brown bits. 

7. Reduce the liquid by half then add 1 28-ounce can of hand crushed or blender pulsed plum tomatoes and give a gentle stir.
8. Add the chicken back to the pan and bring the sauce to a simmer.  Cook on a low simmer for about 30-40 minutes, or until the chicken is very tender.  
9. While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook 1 pound of pappardelle until 1 minute less than al dente.  Taste test the sauce and season with salt, but keep in mind that you’ll be adding the salty olives and capers. When the pasta is almost finished, remove the chicken pieces to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
10. Add the olives and capers to the sauce and stir to combine.

11. Add the past to the pan and toss or mix to coat.  If needed, add a splash of pasta water to loosen it up.  
12. Cook the pasta until al dente, then remove the pan from the heat and taste test, adjusting salt and pepper as needed.  Add the parsley and plate the pasta with the chicken on top or on the side and serve with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.  Enjoy!

Top tips

• Chicken. We recommend using chicken thighs for this recipe since they’re more flavorful and tender, and are less likely to be overcooked.  They are great when gently braised to an internal temp of at least 185f. 
• Olives. We love using oil-cured olives for this recipe, and our classic chicken cacciatore recipe.  They add great flavor but are also quite salty.  For this reason, be sure to rinse or soak well before using.
• Salt. As mentioned, the olives are quite salty, as are the capers.  For this reason, be gentle when seasoning the sauce with salt, especially prior to adding the capers and olives.  Taste test and adjust as needed.
• Serving. This pasta cacciatore is great with the chicken sliced and served on top, or with the thighs served on the side of the pasta.  Serve however you like!
• Herbs. We used fresh parsley for the recipe, but also add a few fresh basil leaves to garnish at the very end.  Feel free to use both if you’d like.

More chicken and pasta recipes

Here are a few more of our favorite chicken and pasta recipes.  We hope you enjoy breaking the rules!

• Chicken Riggies – cherry peppers, bell peppers, and chicken tossed with rigatoni in a creamy pink sauce.
• Creamy lemon chicken pasta – lemon zest, Parmigiano Reggiano, and seared chicken tossed with paccheri.
• Creamy Cajun chicken pasta – with andouille sausage and bell peppers.

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