This mouthwatering Greek-inspired chicken dish brings together the perfect harmony of bright tomato sauce, colorful peppers, and briny olives over tender pappardelle pasta.
Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s an impressive weeknight dinner that tastes like it took hours to prepare.
Each bowl delivers a satisfying combination of lean protein, wholesome carbs, and Mediterranean flavors that will transport you straight to a seaside taverna.
With only 10 minutes of prep time and simple cooking methods, this recipe proves that elegant dining doesn’t require complicated techniques.
Ingredients
- Chicken: 550-600g boneless, skinless breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces for even cooking
- Bell Peppers: 2 each of green, yellow, and red, sliced into strips for color and flavor
- Aromatics: 1 small red onion and 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped for the base flavor
- Sauce Base: 1½ cups tinned chopped tomatoes for rich sauce
- Olives: ⅔ cup black olives for Mediterranean touch
- Oil: ½ cup olive oil, divided for cooking
- Pasta: 300g pappardelle, wide ribbons perfect for sauce coating
- Seasonings: Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare Sauce Base: Heat half olive oil in large saucepan, sauté onions, peppers, and garlic until translucent
- Build the Sauce: Add tomatoes, olives, and seasonings. Simmer 10 minutes until thickened
- Cook Chicken: Season chicken, pan-fry in remaining oil until golden brown on both sides
- Combine: Add chicken to sauce, cover and simmer 10 minutes until fully cooked
- Cook Pasta: Prepare pappardelle according to package instructions
- Serve: Plate pasta with chicken sauce, drizzle olive oil, and garnish with fresh basil
Cooking Techniques
This recipe brings together two simple cooking methods that create big flavors! The key to perfect pan-fried chicken is letting your pan get hot enough before adding the meat – you’ll hear a gentle sizzle when the chicken hits the surface.
For the sauce, take your time with those onions and peppers. Letting them cook slowly until soft and sweet makes all the difference.
Want extra-tender chicken? Let the pieces rest for 5 minutes after cooking before you slice into them.
Easy Variations
No pappardelle? No problem! This sauce works beautifully with any pasta shape – try penne, fettuccine, or even spaghetti.
If you’re not a fan of black olives, green ones work just as well, or skip them altogether. Short on time?
Use pre-sliced peppers from your grocery store. For a spicier kick, add a pinch of red pepper flakes when you’re cooking the garlic and onions.
Serving Tips
This colorful dish shines when served family-style in a large bowl, with the pasta as a base and the saucy chicken mixture spooned over top.
A chunk of crusty bread on the side is perfect for soaking up every last drop of that tasty sauce!
For a complete meal, add a simple green salad dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. While the recipe suggests fresh basil as a garnish, a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese adds a lovely finishing touch too.
Storage and Leftovers
Lucky enough to have leftovers? Store the chicken and sauce separate from the pasta in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
When reheating, add a splash of water to the sauce to help loosen it up. The flavors often get even better the next day!
If you’re meal prepping, you can make the sauce ahead of time and store it for up to 3 days before adding the chicken.
Easy Mediterranean Chicken Pappardelle
Equipment
- Large saucepan
- Large frying pan
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 550-600 g boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bites
- 2 green bell peppers sliced into strips
- 2 yellow bell peppers sliced into strips
- 2 red bell peppers sliced into strips
- 1 small red onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cup tinned chopped tomatoes
- 2/3 cup black olives
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 300 g pappardelle pasta
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- To prepare the tomato sauce, heat a large saucepan to medium heat. Pour in half of the olive oil, the onion, peppers and garlic; sauté, whilst stirring, until the onions become translucent.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, the olives and a pinch of salt and pepper and stir (be careful with the salt, as the olives are salty enough). Simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring once in a while, until the sauce thickens. If the sauce becomes too thick, pour in some water.
- In the meantime start cook the chicken breasts. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat, pour in the other half of the olive oil and add the chicken pieces. Pan fry the chicken breasts on both sides, until browned.
- Remove the pan from the stove and add the chicken pieces in the pan with the tomato sauce. Stir to coat the chicken breasts in the tomato sauce. Cook, with the lid on, over low heat for about 10 minutes. Taste and salt as needed.
- Prepare the pasta according to package instructions.
- Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and garnish with some chopped basil. Enjoy!