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This Spicy Chicken Pasta is the perfect level of spice, whilst absolutely bursting with flavour. It’s easy, creamy, hearty and delicious!

Reader, Lucy says: ‘Absolutely stunning! Made this for my husbands birthday tonight and we all loved it! Will definitely make again…. and again! ★★★★★’

overhead shot of pasta in skillet with parsley to garnish

The BEST Spicy Chicken Pasta Recipe!

Yep, you heard it here first. Chicken, spice, and pasta are one of the most delicious combinations of all time. It’s also mainly responsible for 90% of my food comas—delicious food comas nonetheless.

Here’s why I think you’ll love this recipe as much as I do:

  • Flavoursome – This pasta is more than just spicy, it’s got a gorgeous, complex flavour.
  • Creamy/Tomatoey – You should never have to choose between a tomato pasta or a creamy pasta, this is the best of both worlds and it works SO well!
  • Date Night Dinner – This recipe is based on 2 servings, perfect for a cosy night in. It’s easily doubled for a family!

It’s also easy and quick to make! Follow me…

fork twizzling into chicken pasta in skillet

Spicy Chicken Breast

The spicy chicken is the heart and soul of this dish, so it’s important to make it shine. Nothing worse than bland, chewy chicken in any context, let alone in your pasta.

Flavoursome chicken

To ensure it’s bursting with flavour, we’ll first coat it in a mix of olive oil, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and salt & pepper. This gives the chicken itself a nice kick of spice and a dash of smokiness too.

Tender chicken

Equally as important. Here are some tips to avoid chewy chicken:

  • Bring the chicken close to room temp before you fry it (cold chicken seizes up).
  • Butterfly to make two thinner breasts (cooks quicker and more evenly).
  • Allow to rest after cooking (retains more juices)
  • Slice at an angle and against the natural grain of the chicken (soft chicken strips instead of large and chewy)

Process shots: mix seasoning and oil (photo 1), slice chicken (photo 2), coat in oil (photos 3&4), add to pan (photo 5), fry (photo 6).

How to make spicy chicken breast - 6 step by step photos

Creamy Spicy Chicken Pasta

Cream and spice is such an underrated combo, especially in this context. The cream not only adds richness, but also helps the spice not get too all up in your face.

Balancing the flavours

Whilst the most prominent flavours in this recipe are cream and spice, there’s a lot more going on to create a gorgeous final product:

  • Spice – The spice comes from the cayenne pepper on the chicken, alongside some chilli flakes in the sauce.
  • Sweet – You get little pops of sweetness from the sun dried tomatoes and sautéed onion. The tomato paste also adds a mellow sweetness.
  • Richness – This comes from double/heavy cream, alongside a knob of butter to fry the onion.
  • Sour – To help balance the cream, I love adding a splash of white wine to cut through the richness of the sauce.
  • Saltiness – A good helping of parmesan through the sauce helps add a hit of salty, savoury flavour. The chicken stock also adds a little saltiness too.

Starchy Pasta Water

I like to use tongs to transfer the cooked pasta straight from the pot and into the pan with the sauce. This will bring some excess water with it, which is great for thinning out the sauce. The starch in the water will also help thicken the sauce and turn it a little glossy.

Top Tip

It’s important to fry and caramelise the tomato paste. It completely transforms the flavour and adds a nice sweetness to the sauce.

Process shots: fry onion, garlic and chilli flakes (photo 1), fry sun dried tomatoes (photo 2), reduce wine then fry tomato paste (photo 3), stir in stock and cream (photo 4), toss in pasta (photo 5), toss in chicken, parmesan and parsley (photo 6).

How to make spicy chicken pasta - 6 step by step photos

Serving Spicy Chicken Pasta

The sauce will thicken pretty quickly, especially once you’ve added the pasta. If you over-thicken the sauce at any point, you can toss through some more starchy water from the pot to thin it back out.

I love finishing with an extra helping of parmesan and parsley, but that’s completely optional.

This pasta is pretty hearty as it is, but Garlic Bread is always a winner with pasta. If you want to take it one step further, then check out my Cheesy Garlic Bread and Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread!

Alrighty, let’s tuck into this Spicy Chicken Pasta recipe shall we?!

closeup shot of pasta twizzling around fork

How to make Spicy Chicken Pasta (Full Recipe & Video)

fork twizzling into chicken pasta in skillet
5 from 52 votes

Spicy Chicken Pasta

By: Chris Collins
This Spicy Chicken Pasta is the perfect level of spice, whilst absolutely bursting with flavour. It's easy, creamy, hearty and delicious!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 2
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Equipment

  • Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
  • Small Pot/Bowl (for chicken marinade)
  • Large Pan & Wooden Spoon
  • Large Pot & Pasta Tongs
  • Fine Cheese Grater

Ingredients 

Chicken

  • 2 tsp Olive Oil
  • 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1x 9oz/250g Chicken Breast, brought close to room temp

Pasta

  • 1 tbsp Butter
  • 1 small Onion, finely diced
  • 1 tsp finely diced Garlic (approx 1 large clove)
  • 1/2 tsp Chilli Flakes
  • 6x Sun Dried Tomatoes, finely diced (~2oz/60g)
  • 1/4 cup / 60ml Dry White Wine (see notes)
  • 7oz / 200g Linguine (or other long cut pasta)
  • 2 tbsp Tomato Puree (tomato paste in US)
  • 1/3 cup / 80ml Chicken Stock
  • 2/3 cup / 160ml Heavy/Double Cream
  • 1oz / 30g Parmesan, finely grated
  • 1 tbsp finely diced Fresh Parsley
  • Salt & Pepper, to taste

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl or ramekin, combine 2 tsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika & cayenne pepper and 1/4 tsp salt & black pepper.
  • Butterfly the chicken breast right the way through to make 2 even-sized breasts. Coat in the spicy marinade.
  • Add the chicken to a large pan over medium-high heat and fry for a few minutes on each side, or until lightly charred and just cooked through the centre (depending on thickness it may take slightly more or less time). Place to one side and when needed, slice into thin strips, ensuring you slice against the natural grain of the chicken and at a slight angle.
  • Turn the heat down to medium and melt in 1 tbsp butter, scraping off any flavour in the pan with your wooden spoon. Add the onion and fry until it begins to soften and pick up colour. Add 1 tsp garlic, 1/2 tsp chilli flakes and the sun-dried tomatoes and fry for a minute or so, then pour in 1/4cup/60ml dry white wine. Allow the wine to completely reduce (important to burn off the alcohol, should take 3-4 minutes or so).
  • Meanwhile, add 7oz/200g pasta to salted boiling water and cook until al dente.
  • Add 2 tbsp tomato puree to the pan. Fry for a couple of minutes (important to sweeten the taste) then deglaze the pan with 1/3cup/80ml chicken stock. Pour in 2/3cup/160ml heavy/double cream and season to taste with salt & pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer then lower the heat.
  • Use tongs to transfer the cooked pasta straight from the pot into the pan and toss to combine. Add 1oz/30g freshly grated parmesan, 1 tbsp fresh parsley and the chicken strips (alongside any resting juices). Continue tossing, adding leftover starchy pasta water from the pot to thin out the sauce as needed.

Video

Notes

a) How spicy is ‘spicy’? – It’s really difficult to measure this, as it’s so subjective. It’s got a definite kick, the kind that makes your tongue tingle. The heat is definitely there, but it doesn’t overpower the other flavours. If you like spice, I’d put this at a medium. But again, very difficult to say. If you’re at all wary, start off with less chilli flakes and adjust at the end.
b) White Wine – Firstly, just make sure it’s a dry wine, not sweet. Secondly, I do recommend adding it. It’s not a lot, but it does add a nice background flavour and cuts through the richness of the sauce. The alcohol will burn off, but if for whatever reason you don’t want to use it just sub with more chicken stock. 
c) Date Night Dinner – This recipe serves two portions. You can add a side if you’d like – I recommend either Roasted Garlic Bread or Cheese Pesto Garlic Bread! If you’re feeding a family just use the slider to adjust the measurements (just consider starting off with less spice just in case!).
d) Salmon – For the sister recipe to this dish check out my Spicy Salmon Pasta!
e) Calories – shared between two with no extra parmesan or sides.

Your Private Notes:

Click here to add your own private notes or reminders about this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 766kcal | Carbohydrates: 43.47g | Protein: 39.47g | Fat: 46.73g | Saturated Fat: 24.588g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.026g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15.283g | Trans Fat: 0.135g | Cholesterol: 221mg | Sodium: 746mg | Potassium: 970mg | Fiber: 6.9g | Sugar: 7.78g | Vitamin A: 2296IU | Vitamin C: 10.5mg | Calcium: 214mg | Iron: 2.31mg

Looking for more?

You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’

Spicy Chicken Pasta FAQ

Can I use something other than cream?

Double/heavy cream is important to create a rich and thick sauce. Something like milk will be too thin, unless you use a thickening agent (i.e. flour or cornflour/cornstarch). Something lighter like crème fraîche could work, but you won’t get that fuller, richer flavour that this recipe aims for.

Can I use a different type of pasta?

Yep! I prefer a long-cut pasta, so everything is easier to toss and combine. But realistically, any type of pasta will do the trick.

Can I use chicken thigh instead of breast?

I actually prefer the texture of breast in pasta recipes, but you could use thigh if that’s what you have. Just pound them to even thickness beforehand and keep in mind they’ll take a little longer to cook through. Other than that, it’s the same process.

This dish is the perfect dinner for two, so do check out my other Date Night Dinners if you fancy! Also, whilst you’re here, I’ve got a sneaky suspicion you might like these too:

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Chris Collins, food blogger at Don't Go Bacon My Heart in white jumper eating a slice of garlic flatbread
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Recipe Rating




129 Comments

  1. Ella says:

    5 stars
    Gorgeous flavours. The only thing I changed was I decreased the Chilli flakes because we are spice lightweights. Thanks Chris.

    Reply
    1. Chris Collins says:

      Thanks so much for the review! Glad it went down well 🙂 C.

      Reply