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
- 500 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.salt500 ml waterfreshly ground black pepper
- Spaghetti – Break the spaghetti lengths into thirds, approximately a hand's width each. Take about half of the strands at a time, break off a third and add to the pan. Break the remaining length of spaghetti in half. Repeat with the remaining spaghetti. 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/oregano. 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.