One-Pan Crispy Spaghetti and Chicken
A midweek family favourite, ready in an hour.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Shallow wide heavy-based pan (one that can be used on the stove and transfer to the oven (no plastic handles!). It needs to be wide enough to take all the chicken in a single layer, roughly 34cm diameter).
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thigh fillets, about 1 kg (skin left ON, no bone)
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- fresh thyme (note)
- 45 g tomato paste
- 450 ml water
- 230 g spaghetti
- 20 g parmesan
- zest of one lemon
- big handful parsley leaves (about 15g)
- Tablespoon olive oil
- 20 g Panko
Instructions
- Preheat Oven – to 200°C.
- Dry Chicken – dry the chicken well on both sides with paper towel. Season liberally on the skin side with salt and pepper.8 chicken thigh fillets, about 1 kgsaltfreshly ground black pepper
- Brown Chicken – preheat the dry pan over medium heat. Place half the chicken pieces skin side down. Cook for 7-10 minutes, without turning, to brown well. We only need to brown the skin side. The chicken will lift easily (leave a bit longer if sticking). Transfer the browned chicken to a plate in a single layer, keeping the skin uppermost. Repeat with the second batch. We’re not aiming to cook the chicken all the way through. This will happen in the oven; we’re aiming to get very browned, crisp skin.
- Boil Water - get the kettle on for your boiling water.
- Thyme & Tomato Paste – add about a tablespoon of thyme leaves and the tomato paste to the fat in the pan. Cook, stirring often, for a couple of minutes. The tomato paste will darken and thicken up.fresh thyme45 g tomato paste
- Add Liquid – add the water, ½ teaspoon salt and some black pepper. Use a flat-ended spatula to deglaze, scraping up any stuck on delicious bits from the bottom of the pan.salt450 ml waterfreshly ground black pepper
- Spaghetti – break the spaghetti lengths into thirds. This will be lengths of approximately a hand's width. Starting from one end of the bunch of spaghetti, break off a third and add to the pan. Break the remaining length of spaghetti in half. Move the strands to ensure they are evenly distributed and submerged in the liquid.230 g spaghetti
- Chicken – top the spaghetti with the chicken pieces in a single layer, skin side up. Bring to a simmer, cover with a tight-fitting lid or foil secured tightly at the edges. Transfer to the oven for 25 minutes, until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the spaghetti is cooked.
- Breadcrumb Topping - prepare while the pasta is in the oven. Combine in a small bowl. Finely grate the parmesan and lemon zest. Finely chop the parsley and a tablespoon of thyme. Add ½ teaspoon salt. Stir through the olive oil and then the Panko to coat.saltfresh thyme20 g Pankobig handful parsley leaveszest of one lemonTablespoon olive oil20 g parmesan
- Finish – remove the pan from the oven. Change the oven setting to grill/broil, setting a rack below with enough space for the pan. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the dish. Place under the grill for around 5 minutes, until nicely browned and crisp. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn't burn! Leave to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Thyme - feel free to substitute with the same quantity of other robust herbs, such as sage, oregano or rosemary.