Spicy Chicken Pasta

4.75 from 4 votes

Spicy, creamy, and flavor packed, this spicy chicken pasta is an easy to make dinner option that everyone in the family will love!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 367kcal

½ pound chicken thighs boneless skinless
½ teaspoon salt for chicken, plus ½ teaspoon for sauce
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ onion minced
2 garlic cloves minced
1-15 ounce can diced tomatoes drained
½ teaspoon crushed chili flakes
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons harissa paste
⅓ cup chicken stock
¾ cup heavy cream
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
8 ounces penne cooked and drained to package instructions (reserve ¼ cup pasta cooking water)

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat a large high sided skillet over medium heat and add the butter.
Brown the chicken thighs for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and let cool.
Slice the chicken in strips (or pieces) and set aside. **It's ok if it's not fully cooked at this point.
Add the garlic and onion to the skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, paprika, chili flakes, salt and harissa and stir to combine.
Add the stock and chicken pieces and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
Add the cream and simmer for 5-7 minutes, until the sauce is thickened and chicken is cooked through.
Stir in the cooked pasta and parmesan cheese. Add 1 tablespoon of reserved pasta water at a time if the sauce is too thin.

Add more or less harissa paste, crushed red pepper, and/or paprika to make the dish more or less spicy. You may need to adjust the salt to taste.

Use any type of pasta you prefer. Cook it in salted water before adding it to the dish.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of cream cheese to the sauce to make it more creamy and give it a little tang.