I’m back with another chicken traybake. You may have seen my original one on the blog which I created when I was living in Italy. With that in mind, I wanted to bring the flavours of Italy to this newest traybake. I therefore present to you the Chicken Amatriciana Traybake. Using the flavours of the traditional amatriciana pasta but combining them with chicken and potatoes. It’s the perfect lazy Sunday roast dinner or even a simple mid-week meal for the family to enjoy!
When creating the amatriciana “sauce”, you’re in control of how spicy you want to make it. By using a red chilli pepper, you can remove the seeds to make it less spicy. Or if you want to step it up on the spice scale, why not add dried chilli flakes both to the paste and then extra in the roasting tray! Be warned, your mouth might end up on fire!
Be sure to sear your chicken thighs beforehand! By using the the skin-on, bone-in thighs, you will create more flavour but you don’t want to over cook them in the oven. So throwing them into a frying pan beforehand seals the flavour and will help create a crispy skin. If you can’t get hold of diced pancetta, you can use the slices and simply tear them up into the roasting tray. Alternatively, if you want to use bacon you can and smoked bacon will also work here! Make sure you have some fresh crusty bread to soak up all the wonderful juices too! You certainly don’t want those to go to waste! Here’s how to make this delicious amatriciana tray bake:
- Preheat the oven the 200℃ / 180℃ Fan. In a food processor, add the red chilli (remove the seeds if you want it less spicy), garlic, tomato paste and olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and pulse into a paste. Add more olive oil to lengthen if necessary. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Use half of the paste to coat the chicken thighs all over and sear in a frying pan on a medium-high heat for 5 minutes, skin-side down. Flip and sear the other side for 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer to a roasting tray, spread the potatoes around the chicken. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper before adding the remaining paste and ensure everything is well coated.
- Roast for 20 minutes before adding the tomatoes, red onion and pancetta. Stir to coat with the sauce and roast for a further 20-25 minutes until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through. Serve with mixed greens.
3
servings15
minutes1
minute1
hour15
minutesIngredients
1 Red chilli
3 Garlic cloves
2 Tbsp Tomato paste
1 Tbsp Olive oil
6 Chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in
300 g Baby potatoes, halved
2 Red onions, quartered
4 Salad tomatoes, halved
130 g Pancetta, diced
Salt
Pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven the 200℃ / 180℃ Fan. In a food processor, add the red chilli (remove the seeds if you want it less spicy), garlic, tomato paste and olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and pulse into a paste. Add more olive oil to lengthen if necessary. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Use half of the paste to coat the chicken thighs all over and sear in a frying pan on a medium-high heat for 5 minutes, skin-side down. Flip and sear the other side for 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer to a roasting tray, spread the potatoes, red onion, tomatoes and pancetta around the chicken. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper before adding the remaining paste and ensure everything is well coated.
- Roast for 30-45 minutes until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through. Serve with mixed greens.
