Spicy Chicken Pasta with Peppers
Seared chicken, red and yellow peppers and rigatoni in a lively tomato-chilli sauce whose heat is easy to control.
South African-inspired01Searing chicken separately protects its texture.
02Sweet peppers round out the chilli without sugar.
03Rigatoni carries a robust sauce inside and out.
Cook it calmly.
- 01
Brown the chicken
Season the strips with paprika and half the chilli. Sear in a wide hot pan until coloured and just cooked, then set aside.
- 02
Soften the peppers
Cook the peppers in the same pan for 5 minutes so they soften but retain shape. Add garlic for the final 30 seconds.
- 03
Reduce the tomato
Add tomatoes and remaining chilli. Simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce leaves a clear trail when stirred.
- 04
Toss and taste
Add al dente rigatoni, chicken and a splash of pasta water. Toss for 2 minutes, then finish with lemon.
Common mistakes
- Crowding the chicken.
- Burning garlic with the chilli.
- Adding cream and blurring the fresh pepper flavour.
The detail that changes the dish.
Build heat in two stages and taste after the tomatoes reduce. A sauce becomes hotter as water cooks away.
What makes Spicy Chicken Pasta with Peppers work
Seared chicken, red and yellow peppers and rigatoni in a lively tomato-chilli sauce whose heat is easy to control.
The method is structured around three useful decisions: Searing chicken separately protects its texture. Sweet peppers round out the chilli without sugar. Rigatoni carries a robust sauce inside and out. The result keeps its own identity instead of borrowing a generic sauce template.
How to handle chicken breast, sliced into strips
Use chilli flakes for predictable adjustment. Fresh bird’s-eye chilli is hotter and varies from pod to pod, so add it cautiously.
Build heat in two stages and taste after the tomatoes reduce. A sauce becomes hotter as water cooks away.
At the table
Serve Spicy Chicken Pasta with Peppers once the sauce has settled around the pasta. For the intended texture, avoid letting it stand uncovered for long.
Later, if needed
Refrigerate for 3 days. Reheat with a spoonful of water. Freeze the sauce without pasta for up to 2 months.
Be realistic
Refrigerate for 3 days. Reheat with a spoonful of water. Freeze the sauce without pasta for up to 2 months.
Frequently asked questions
What is the key technique for Spicy Chicken Pasta with Peppers?+
Build heat in two stages and taste after the tomatoes reduce. A sauce becomes hotter as water cooks away.
Which mistakes should I avoid?+
The most common problems are crowding the chicken.; burning garlic with the chilli.; adding cream and blurring the fresh pepper flavour.
How should I store Spicy Chicken Pasta with Peppers?+
Refrigerate for 3 days. Reheat with a spoonful of water. Freeze the sauce without pasta for up to 2 months.
