Chicken Cacciatore with Pasta

This classic Italian comfort food just hits every single time I make it. It’s so easy, made with boneless chicken thighs, packed with veggies and fresh herbs, and stews in a slightly spicy sauce — all to be put on top of rigatoni. What’s not to love!?

I really hope you love this recipe just as much as we do!

What is Chicken Cacciatore?

“Cacciatora” means “hunter” in Italian — so think of Chicken Cacciatore as a rustic hunters stew. That means it’s packed with everything a hunter may gather, like onions, carrots, bell peppers, tons of fresh herbs and poultry.

While my Chicken Cacciatore recipe uses all of the above (and then some), some other ideas you can add to yours are:

• Mushrooms
• Olives
• Capers
• Zucchini

Ingredients for Chicken Cacciatore with Pasta

There’s a good amount of ingredients for this recipe, but they’re all easy to get at any supermarket!

Chicken thighs: Boneless and skinless! some recipes uses bone-in and skin-on, but 1) I CANNOT with soggy chicken skin. It’s just never my jam and because they stews for 45 minutes with the chicken submerged, it just doesn’t work with skin. I also opt for boneless because I don’t feel like working — I just want to dig in!

Seasonings: You’ll be using salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, oregano and red pepper flakes.

Flour: For the dredge.

Bell peppers: I use a red and yellow, but you can mix and match with whatever you have on hand.

Onions: For flavor.

Garlic: For flavor and because GARLIC.

Whole, peeled tomatoes: San Marzano, canned.

Tomato paste: For some richness and depth.

Chicken stock: Bouillon + water, of course!

Red wine: Can sub white, but I like red for this recipe.

Fresh herbs: We’ll be using thyme, rosemary, basil and parsley.

Rigatoni: My pasta of choice, but feel free to use whatever makes you happy.

How to Make Chicken Cacciatore with Pasta

Let’s get right to it.

Step 1: Dredge your chicken.

I like to get this step out of the way before prepping everything else. That’s because 1) I like chicken to be marinaded for a bit always and 2) your chicken can come to room temperature while you prep everything else.

Why? Because room temperature chicken is necessary in order to make sure the chicken brown evenly later in the process. Trust me: Don’t use cold chicken when cooking!

So here you’ll season the chicken with the salt, pepper and Italian seasoning, and then pass it through the flour (also seasoned with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning). Shake off any excess flour and let the chicken some to room temperature in a separate dish.

Step 2: Prep your ingredients.

Now you can prep everything else. Chop up your onions, peppers, garlic, carrots and basil. Mix up your chicken stock, pop your wine (and pour yourself a glass) and have everything set up and ready to go.

Step 3: Brown your chicken.

Add some olive to a skillet with high sides and set heat to medium high. Brown your chicken in batches to ensure you aren’t crowding the pan. (If you pack in too much, you’ll be steaming your chicken rather than browning it.) Cook for 3–4 minutes per side and then remove to a plate and set aside.

Step 4: Cook your veggies.

Now add a touch more olive oil along with the onions, peppers and carrots. Add a pinch of salt and let cook until the onions soften, about 5-7 minutes. Lower the flame if necessary so that you don’t burn anything. Add the chopped garlic and let cook for one minute, or until fragrant.

Step 5: Make the sauce.

Now add the red wine and let reduce by half (about 4 minutes). Once reduced, add the tomatoes from the can (along with the sauce). Now I like to actually pour the 2 cups of chicken stock right into the can and swirl it around (I do this so that I can get whatever sauce is left over.) Pour that into the pot along with the tomato paste, salt, pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes and fresh herbs. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower to a simmer and let dance away for 15 minutes.

Step 6: Cook the chicken.

Now add the chicken back to the pot and nestle each piece so that it’s submerged in the sauce. Bring the boil back up, then lower a bit, partially cover and let simmer for 45 minutes.

Step 7: Cook the pasta.

In the last 20 minutes of cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add plenty of salt and the pasta. Follow the directions on the box, then reserve a touch of pasta water and drain. Add the pasta back to the pot along with the pasta water and stir. Once the chicken is ready, add a few spoonfuls of sauce to the pasta to coat it.

If you try this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment and/or a rating! My favorite part about sharing my recipes and kitchen tips is being able to chat with you. If you ever share a recipe to Instagram, don’t forget to tag me so that I can see it! Happy eating <3