One-Pan Crispy Spaghetti and Chicken

Description §

Yotam tested this dish out on his two little ones, the most brutally honest of critics, who were so keen that they asked for it two nights in a row-a true testament to midweek dinner success. To top this off, it is easy to prepare and fun to eat and doesn’t call upon any hard-to-source ingredients. Cooking the spaghetti in this way lends plenty of texture, allowing for crispier bits around the edges and softer bits throughout.

Ingredients §

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6 chicken thighs, skin on and bone in (1 lb 9 oz/700g)
• 1 large onion, cut into ½-inch/1cm dice (1½ cups/220g)
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 tbsp thyme leaves, divided 1T, 1T
  • You can substitute whatever soft herbs you have on hand
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 600ml chicken stock, divided 450/150
• 9 oz/250g dried spaghetti, broken into thirds
  • You can substitute any long skinny pasta, like bucatini
• ¼ cup/20g finely grated Parmesan
  • You can substitute whatever hard cheese you have on hand
• Parmesan rind (a few pieces)
• ¼ cup/20g fresh breadcrumbs, finely blitzed
• ½ cup/10g parsley or cilantro, finely chopped
  • We used cilantro last time and it was great
• 1½ tsp finely grated lemon zest
• salt and black pepper

Method §

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Put 1 tablespoon of oil into a large, oven-safe sauté pan, for which you have a lid, and place on high heat. Season the chicken with ¾ teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper and add to the hot oil, skin side down. Let cook for 7 minutes, without turning over, to brown well.
3. Flip chicken and cook for another 5 minutes
4. Turn the heat down to medium-high, then add the onion and stir. Cook for 5 minutes, until the onion has softened and is lightly browned.
5. Add the garlic, 1 tablespoon of thyme, and all the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more.
6. Arrange the chicken skin side up, 450ml of chicken stock, and Parmesan rind and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has reduced.
7. Add another 150ml of chicken stock (add less if you want your spaghetti to be more crispy), ½ teaspoon salt (you might be able to back this off if your stock is salted like ours is), and a good grind of pepper, then add the spaghetti, stirring to submerge and evenly distribute it. Use tongs to lift the chicken pieces so that they sit on top of the spaghetti, skin side up.
8. Bring to a simmer, cover with the lid, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, at which stage all the liquid should have been absorbed.
9. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix together the Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley/cilantro, lemon zest, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of thyme.
10. After 30 minutes in the oven, remove the pasta pan and reset the oven broiler to high. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mix over the pasta and chicken, drizzle with the remaining oil, and broil for 3-4 minutes, until nicely browned and crisp.
11. Allow to settle for 5 minutes before serving warm, directly from the pan.