One-Pan Crispy Spaghetti and Chicken

This dish has won the hearts of adults and children alike, and for good reason: It’s easy to prepare, fun to eat and doesn’t call upon any hard-to-source ingredients. Cooking the spaghetti in this way lends plenty of texture, allowing for crispier bits at the edges and softer bits throughout. Feel free to make this dish your own by using up any soft herbs or hard cheeses you have on hand, or sprucing it up further with the addition of spice (cumin would work great here). Serve with some lightly cooked greens for a complete meal.

Ingredients

• 2

  tablespoons olive oil

• 2 ½

  pounds/1 kilogram bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (4 to 6 thighs), deboned

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 1

  large yellow onion (about 8 ounces/220 grams), cut into 1/2-inch/1-centimeter dice

• 3

  tablespoons tomato paste

• 3

  garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 2

  tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

• 2

  cups/480 milliliters boiling water

• 8

  ounces/230 grams spaghetti, broken into thirds

• ⅓

  lightly packed cup finely grated Parmesan (about 3/4 ounce/20 grams)

• 3

  tablespoons/20 grams fresh bread crumbs

• ½

  cup/10 grams finely chopped fresh parsley

• 1 ½

  teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit/220 degrees Celsius.
2. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a large, ovenproof lidded skillet and heat over high. Season the chicken with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then add to the hot oil, skin-side down. Cook for 7 minutes, without turning, to brown well.
3. Turn the heat down to medium-high, then stir in the onion and turn over the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes, until the onion has softened and is lightly browned. Add the tomato paste, garlic and 1 tablespoon thyme, and cook, stirring the paste into the onions, for 2 minutes, until fragrant and everything is nicely browned.
4. Add the boiling water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, then add the spaghetti, stirring to submerge and evenly distribute. Use tongs to lift the chicken pieces so they sit on top of the spaghetti, skin-side up. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 30 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
5. While the pasta is in the oven, in a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan, bread crumbs, parsley, lemon zest and remaining 1 tablespoon thyme.
6. After the pasta has baked for 30 minutes, remove it from the oven and reset the temperature to a high broil (grill) setting. Sprinkle the Parmesan bread crumbs over the pasta and chicken, drizzle with the remaining oil and return to the center rack to broil (grill) for 3 to 4 minutes, until nicely browned and crisp. Leave to settle for about 5 minutes before serving warm, directly from the pan.