One-Pan Crispy Spaghetti and Chicken

I feel like hitting a jackpot with the one-pan crispy spaghetti and chicken recipe published by Yotam Ottolenghi in the New York Times a few weeks ago. I’m intrigued with the claim that this is a comforting dish for the generations — loved by Yotam Ottolenghi’s dad and children. (He shared with us what his dad, who passed away last December, has given him over five decades. A love of good food, curiosity for cooking and respect for anything perfectly done.) It resonates with me at so many levels. (The passing of my dad early this year tugs at my heart.) I have made the dish twice and it fulfills every claim: comfort, crispiness and with only one pan to clean.

I’m writing this post with a few suggestions of my own, making it suitable for the taste of my family. Also, we have different equipments in our respective kitchens and the pantry ingredients on hand. Whatever adaptations you may be making to the dish, follow the methodology. This recipe will likely deliver the expected results.

First of all, the ingredient list may look long, but they are everyday staple items we often stock in our pantry. There isn’t much I’d cut out as you’re going for great flavor. On the plus side, the work flow goes smoothly; you can easily get this one-pan dish to the table in an hour.

I won’t say the recipe is easy. Considering the chicken is cooked utilizing three separate setups: sautèing in a pan, roasting in the oven and under the broiler. Yes, it’s all done in the same pan, but the process is more involved. Importantly, I’ve learned something new and exciting. At least, I know how to play with texture and deliver that crispy crunch. I’m a happy camper for gaining a valuable tool (and insight) in my tool-kit.

The crunchy layer on top of the chicken and spaghetti comes from the mixture of grated Parmesan, bread crumbs (I use Panko), fresh parsley and grated lemon zest. You have plenty of time (30 minutes) to prepare it as the pan of chicken and pasta gets into the oven. Sprinkle the Parmesan breadcrumbs over the dish, drizzle with some oil and return the pan to broil for 3 to 4 minutes. I can’t break away from watching the chicken and crumbs turning brown under the broiler. Finally, couldn’t wait to dig in.

It won’t be long until I make another pan of crispy spaghetti and chicken. It’s that good!

• Tip #1: We like our pasta cooked uniformly. Therefore, I wet (or soak) the dry pasta beforehand for several minutes. Long enough that the spaghetti are still sturdy to be broken, but pliable enough to nicely submerge in the liquid.
• Tip #2: We prefer our chicken to be just cooked, without being overcooked. So I put the chicken pieces in at a later time (5 minutes later), instead of at the same time when the pasta hits the oven. Less cooking time for the chicken works for us.

Print Recipe

One-Pan Crispy Spaghetti and Chicken

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 ½ pounds/1 kilogram bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (4 to 6 thighs), deboned
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 large yellow onion (about 8 ounces/220 grams), cut into 1/2-inch/1-centimeter dice
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 2 cups/480 milliliters boiling water
• 8 ounces/230 grams spaghetti, broken into thirds
• ⅓ lightly packed cup finely grated Parmesan (about 3/4 ounce/20 grams)
• 3 tablespoons/20 grams fresh bread crumbs
• ½ cup/10 grams finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 ½ teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

Instructions

1

PREHEAT THE OVEN: Heat oven to 425°F /220°C.

2

SAUTÉ THE CHICKEN: Add 1 tablespoon oil to a large, ovenproof lidded skillet and heat over high. Season the chicken with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then add to the hot oil, skin-side down. Cook for 7 minutes, without turning, to brown well.

3

COOK THE AROMATICS: Turn the heat down to medium-high, then stir in the onion and turn over the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes, until the onion has softened and is lightly browned. Add the tomato paste, garlic and 1 tablespoon thyme, and cook, stirring the paste into the onions, for 2 minutes, until fragrant and everything is nicely browned.

4

ADD WATER: Add the boiling water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

5

ADD THE SPAGHETTI: Then add the spaghetti, stirring to submerge and evenly distribute. Use tongs to lift the chicken pieces so they sit on top of the spaghetti, skin-side up. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid.

6

PUT THE ONE-PAN DISH IN THE OVEN: Transfer to the oven for 30 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.

7

PREPARE THE BREAD CRUMBS MIX: While the pasta is in the oven, in a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan, bread crumbs, parsley, lemon zest and remaining 1 tablespoon thyme.

8

PUT CHICKEN WITH BREAD CRUMBS MIX UNDER BROIL: After the pasta has baked for 30 minutes, remove it from the oven and reset the temperature to a high broil (grill) setting. Sprinkle the Parmesan bread crumbs over the pasta and chicken, drizzle with the remaining oil and return to the center rack to broil (grill) for 3 to 4 minutes, until nicely browned and crisp. Leave to settle for about 5 minutes before serving warm, directly from the pan.

Notes

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021286-one-pan-crispy-spaghetti-and-chicken