During bleak January, my body literally screams out “gimme carbs!” With that in mind I’ve decided to share our most popular pasta dish we serve at Gastrono-me. The marriage of chicken and bacon is always brilliant, plus the spice and the creamy blush tomato sauce is just delicious. I’ve used rigatoni, but this dish would be equally delicious with fusilli, penne or any shape that will catch the delicious sauce. Diavolo is the Italian word for devil, so make sure you don’t skip out on the spice, it’s the perfect foil for the mollifying blush sauce. To make this dish quicker, prepare your sauce ahead of time – it will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days and freezes perfectly.
Chicken & Bacon Diavolo
Course: MainDifficulty: Medium2
servings10
minutes45
minutesIngredients
- For the sauce
2 tablespoons of olive oil
25g butter
A pinch of sugar
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic
1½ tsp of crushed chilli flakes
1 tsp of smoked paprika
100 ml double cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- To finish
250g cooked chicken breast (enough for 2) chopped into chunky strips
125g cooked smoky bacon, snipped into small strips
200g frozen petit pois
Freshly chopped chives
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Directions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the olive oil and garlic until fragrant.
- Add the tinned tomatoes, season well with salt and pepper, then add the sugar, smoked paprika and chilli flakes.
- Cook until the sauce thickened, which should take about 12-15 on a medium heat.
- When thickened, add the cream, and allow to bubble for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently until the cream has reduced. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
- Cook the pasta according to the pack instructions until it is ‘al dente’, drain whilst reserving some valuable pasta water, drizzle a little olive oil over the pasta to prevent it from sticking.
- Heat a frying pan and add a good amount of sauce, add the chicken, bacon, and frozen peas until warmed through.
- Add the required amount of pasta, and toss making sure all the pasta is coated, add a little of the pasta water to loosen, and to stop your sauce from becoming claggy.
- Finish with more chilli flakes, freshly ground black pepper, and a sprinkling of chives.
- Serve with grated Parmigiano Reggiano if desired.
Notes
- Diavolo is the Italian word for devil, so make sure you don’t skip out on the spice
