Ingredients
The following ingredients have 4 Servings
- 500 g (1lb) chicken thighs (chopped into bite-size chunks )
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved )
- 2 red bell peppers (seeded and roughly chopped )
- 1 small red onion (roughly chopped )
- 4 garlic cloves (peeled )
- 2-3 red chillies (stems removed )
- 1 tbsp thyme
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 500 g (1lb) rigatoni
- fresh basil (to serve)
- grated Parmesan (to serve)
Instruction
- Combine all the marinade ingredients then pour over the chicken. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes but up to 24 hours in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F.
- Combine the cherry tomatoes, peppers, onion, garlic cloves, chillies and thyme on a sheetpan.
- Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place in the oven and allow to roast for 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft and starting to caramelize.
- Remove from the oven then transfer to a blender. Pour in water (or chicken stock) and blend until smooth.
- Pour the sauce into a saucepan and season to taste. Simmer gently while you cook the chicken and pasta.
- Cook the chicken in a large pan set over medium-high heat (you can also cook the chicken in a griddle pan or on a grill/barbecue/braai) for 5-7 minutes per side until cooked through and golden brown. Remove from the pan and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
- Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of cooking water, and combine with the peri-peri sauce.
- Add a splash of the pasta cooking water and toss to combine.
- Add the chicken and any resting juices then serve with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.