Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Chicken
What do you do when you have fresh parsley that needs to be used, Spaghetti Aglio e Olio and lucky for me, I had some defrosted chicken for added protein!!!
Aglio e Olio translates to garlic in oil. In addition to garlic, I also added red pepper flakes to that oil and boy did those flavors deliver as fried in the oil 😋!!!
This dish was easy peasy and can easily be made in 30 minutes. If you make the dish vegetarian, 10-15 minutes tops!
Plus it’s a one skillet dish; boy, do I love one pan meals!
Here’s short video I posted on Instagram Reels. Don’t forget to follow me Jackie’s Eats & Treats!
Some Notes
- Vegetarian or Not: I make this dish both ways and you can’t go wrong.
- Serving Size – This is 8 oz of spaghetti, which is suitable for 3-4 servings. If you typically cook an entire package of spaghetti, have at it. Add another 2-3 chicken thighs or breasts and double all ingredients with the exception of wine. You could certainly add more wine, but the full lemon will add enough acid to this dish.
- Additions and Subtractions – Add capers for brininess, Parmesan for richness and a creamier sauce or peas for freshness. This is your dish, add what your heart fancies. If you like cooking without wine, no problem, add chicken stock instead. As I mentioned above, remove the chicken for a quicker meal and a vegetarian dish.
- One-Pan Meal – I call this a one-pan meal because I love one-pan meals because it saves my husband’s cleanup. I used a large deep saucepan. The chicken is cooked in EVOO and definitely leaves chicken fond, but that’s flavor and will release from the bottom once you add the acid. However, if you avoid cooking chicken in stainless steel, use a non-stick and don’t worry, you’ll still get chicken fond in a non-stick.
If you try this dish, please share your feedback!
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 oz spaghetti, thin spaghetti or angel hair
- EVOO
- 2 chicken thighs or breasts
- salt & pepper, for seasoning
Algio e Olio Sauce
- 2 TBSP EVOO
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 large garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
- 1 handful cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup white wine
- ½ lemon, juice
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 lemon, zest
Instructions
- Begin by cooking the spaghetti, thin spaghetti or angel hair to al dente. Once al dente, remove at least 1/3 cup of the spaghetti water and drain the pasta. Rinse the spaghetti with cold water to stop the cooking and set aside.
- Next, in the same cooking pan or nonstick, fry seasoned chicken thighs or breasts in EVOO. Once cooked throughout, remove from the heat and set aside.
Building the Aglio e Olio and Finishing the Dish
- In the same pan with all that lovely chicken fond, i.e. brown flavor bits stick to the bottom of the pan, add the EVOO on medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes, garlic and tomatoes and infuse the oil with those delicious flavors.
- Once aromatic, add the white wine and lemon juice and cook for another 3-4 minutes to remove the alcohol. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the pan to ensure all that chicken fond has been infused into the sauce.
- Add the chicken back to the pan and move around in the sauce for 1-2 minutes.
- Now, the parsley and lemon zest.
- Toss together and add the scratching spaghetti water to bring the sauce together.
- Plate and serve warm, enjoy and cheers 🥂!
