Weeknight Cooking

Chicken Parmesan Pappardelle

by:
April 16, 2018
4.5
11 Ratings
Chicken Parmesan Pappardelle
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 45 minutes
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

The first thing I ever learned to cook was chicken Parm. I would make it at least three times a week and serve it to everyone—my college roommates, my tennis teammates, my then boyfriend, and so on. It’s such a comforting dish, and one I’m really fond of, so I wanted to figure out how to make it a little more polished for serving at a party. I took all the signature parts—marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning—and tossed it with pappardelle along with ground chicken!

Reprinted from "What’s Gaby Cooking," by Gaby Dalkin, published by Abrams Books, copyright 2018.
—Food52

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/4 pounds (565g) ground chicken (white or dark meat, or ground turkey)
  • 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 pinch kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 1 (26-ounce/780ml) jar marinara sauce
  • 1 cup (100g) shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more to garnish
  • 1 cup (110g) shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 12 ounces (340g) pappardelle pasta
  • 1 handful small fresh basil leaves
Directions
  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the ground chicken and Italian seasoning and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up the chicken with the back of a wooden spoon until it is in small pieces. Continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 more minutes.
  2. Add the marinara sauce, bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
  3. While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Drain the pasta and transfer to the skillet with the meat sauce. Stir to coat the pasta in the sauce and serve garnished with basil leaves and additional Parmesan.
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12 Reviews

FridaK
FridaK April 12, 2021
This was not good. I used almost 14 ounces of pasta and only a 15 ounce jar of Rao's and it was just swimming in sauce. It also tasted nothing like chicken parmesan. I'm not sure how it got such good ratings.
 
Debbie N.
Debbie N. September 14, 2018
Too cheesy and didn't like ground chicken instead of chicken pieces.
 
Jill F.
Jill F. July 30, 2018
For those who commented about using jarred marinara sauce, try using Rao’s. It’s the only prepared marinara sauce I have ever had in my kitchen- great for dinner in a hurry. It’s amazing stuff!
 
Wade S.
Wade S. July 30, 2018
Jar of marinara? No way. How about just crushed or petite diced tomatoes since you're seasoning everything anyway?
 
Joe C.
Joe C. July 30, 2018
I know what your thinking but Jill is correct, Rao’s is an excellent jarred sauce, and and excellent restaurant, it is a little pricey, but most people can’t make sauce as good as this is in a jar, we’re not talking Ragu here, so if your not up to or just not all that confident,give Rao’s a try, I know you will like, and I’m a chef, and I keep it on hand for quick use ! Try it Wade before you condem it !
 
Wade S.
Wade S. July 30, 2018
All right. I'll try it if I can find it. But canned tomatoes, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, oregano, and basil should work just as well in this recipe. Maybe I'll just try both and see what happens. Thanks for the recommendation.
 
Rob H.
Rob H. July 30, 2018
So why is the first recipe a 45 minute recipe when these are supposed to be 30 minute meals?
 
The P.
The P. July 29, 2018
I'll give this one a try. Looks good for a busy weeknight.
 
jodyrah
jodyrah July 29, 2018
You lost me at “jar” of marinara.
 
FrugalCat
FrugalCat July 10, 2018
I used whole wheat penne. (I hate twirling pasta) and subbed italian parsley for the basil. Hubby loved it, as did I.
 
Alecsandra T.
Alecsandra T. April 23, 2018
This was GREAT. The only thing I did differently was toast some panko bread crumbs in olive oil with oregano and red pepper flakes, and sprinkled them on top with the basil and parm. It gave the pasta that crunch you need for a chicken parm mouth feel.
 
Erica G.
Erica G. April 17, 2018
This. was. awesome.