Chicken Vesuvio Pasta Recipe

Chicken Vesuvio, a beloved Chicago specialty, is traditionally a hearty dish of roasted chicken and potatoes flavored with garlic, oregano, and white wine. This recipe takes those comforting flavors and reimagines them in pasta form, creating a weeknight-friendly dinner that’s every bit as satisfying. Juicy, bite-size pieces of chicken thighs are quickly seared, then tossed with al dente linguine and a silky sauce enriched with white wine, chicken stock, cream and butter. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of oregano brighten the rich base, keeping the dish balanced and lively.Frozen peas add sweetness and color, while plenty of garlic and shallots build the aromatic foundation of the sauce. Finished with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, this pasta hits the sweet spot between indulgent and fresh. It’s a comforting, garlicky, herby bowl of noodles with just enough acidity to balance the rich, schmaltzy chicken flavor.

This pasta is made entirely of pantry and freezer staples like dried pasta, dried spices, stock, and frozen peas, which makes it easy to pull together on any busy weeknight. It also offers flexibility. You can omit the peas, add crushed red pepper for gentle heat, or use another long pasta shape like spaghetti in place of linguine. Serve it on its own or with a crisp green salad and a glass of white wine. However you prepare it, this pasta celebrates the soul of a beloved Italian American classic in a new form that will easily earn a place in your dinner rotation.

The best way to get crispy skin on chicken thighs

There are two ways to achieve crisp skin on bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs: Start in a preheated pan or start in a cold pan. Each method has advantages and drawbacks. Starting in a preheated pan, as in this recipe, browns the thighs more quickly, which saves time. It still renders fat, but not as much as a cold start, and the skin won’t be as crisp. Starting in a cold pan renders the fat more slowly for crispier skin, but it takes longer and often requires finishing the thighs in the oven. 

The best pasta shapes for this dish

This dish works with both long and short pasta. Choose shapes that grip the creamy, lemony sauce and catch peas and chicken. Linguine, as suggested, offers silky strands that hold the sauce well. Short, ridged cuts such as rigatoni, mezzi rigatoni, cavatappi, gemelli, and campanelle provide nooks for peas and bites of chicken. Orecchiette also works, cupping the sauce in its shallow bowl. Avoid very thin strands, like capellini, which can break under the sauce’s weight. 

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen 

• Stir in shredded rotisserie chicken instead of cooking thighs to save time. Keep in mind the flavor won’t be as deep because you’ll skip the browned bits in the sauce.
• When fresh English peas are season, stir them in instead of frozen.
• Gradually whisk in cold butter to emulsify the sauce without breaking it.