Easy Spicy Chicken Pasta

5 from 30 votes

This easy and healthy Spicy Chicken Pasta is the perfect weeknight dinner made in under 30 minutes!

Course dinner

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 792kcal

Author Dalya Rubin

Preheat the oven to 400°F and make sure the rack is in the center position in the oven. Line a baking sheet with foil. Grease the foil with oil or cooking spray. Set aside.
Pat 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts with a paper towel.
Trim any excess fat off the chicken pieces. If your chicken breasts have the tenders attached, carefully cut them off. Then, cut each chicken breast in half lengthwise so they’re split into 2 pieces. Place tenders and cut chicken halves into a large bowl.
Add the 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil , 1 tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper, ½ tsp smoked paprika , ½ tsp chili powder , 1 tsp garlic chili sauce, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp onion powder to the bowl of chicken. Use your hands to rub everything together until the chicken is coated.
Place the spiced chicken onto the baking sheet in an even layer and bake in the center rack of the oven for 20-22 minutes, until the chicken reaches around 175°F to 195°F.
When the chicken is ready, allow it to cool for 8-10 minutes before slicing into ½" strips.

Fill a large pot with water and 1 tablespoon salt. Add 12 ounce box pasta to the pot, stir and cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water for later. Strain the pasta. No need to rinse. Set aside.
In a large skillet with high sides, add the 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil , 2 tbsp unsalted vegan butter and 1 medium onion (quartered). Saute over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes until translucent. Add the chopped 8 garlic cloves and 1 tsp red pepper flakes, cooking 2 minutes until fragrant.
Next, mix in the 2 tsp tomato paste, 2 tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper, ½ tsp smoked paprika , ½ tsp chili powder, ½ tsp garlic powder and ½ tsp onion powder. Cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in the ⅓ cup vegetable or chicken broth and ⅔ cup canned coconut milk. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes until thickened. Give it a mix at the end.
Keep the sauce on a low flame. Add the pasta, ½ cup reserved pasta cooking water, cooked chicken strips, ⅓ cup finely chopped parsley and ⅓ cup finely chopped cilantro to the pot of sauce and mix together. Cook 1-2 minutes as you toss the pasta to coat it in the sauce. I like to use kitchen tongs to toss everything together.

When using canned coconut milk in a recipe, be sure to stir it before measuring so the liquids and solids become evenly distributed. Then, measure the coconut milk for the recipe.
You can use any shaped pasta in the recipe. I love spaghetti or fettuccine here, but any will work!
If you are vegan or vegetarian, you can substitute the chicken with hearty mushrooms or salmon.
If you don't have garlic chili sauce (for the chicken), you can substitute with cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.