Chicken Artichoke Angel Hair Pasta
This angel hair pasta is a celebration of spring! Fresh baby artichokes simmered with onion, white wine, and capers, plus crispy chicken all tossed in a tangle of delicate noodles.
We have a huge artichoke plant that supplies us with endless artichokes in the spring and then again in the fall so I’m always coming up with new ways to enjoy them.
If you’ve read this blog with any regularity, then you know that we’re huge lovers of pasta around here. I’m a sucker for a quick and easy pasta recipe, but on the weekends I like to spend a bit more time in the kitchen, nurturing the beauty out of each ingredient.
Artichokes are like that. They’re not a flash-in-the-pan vegetable but take a bit of finessing to reveal their true nature, and let’s be honest, become edible. No matter how you cook them however, pasta and artichokes are a no-brainer.
Don’t know how to clean an artichoke? Check out step-by-step instructions here.
Why This Is The Best Angel Hair Pasta Recipe
Angel hair pasta is the thinnest of the long pasta strand varieties. It has such a tremendous, smooth mouthfeel when you devour a forkful that it’s impossible not to go in immediately for a second bite.
Because it is so thin it takes well to creamy sauces, but I love how it tangles itself around the braised baby artichokes in this recipe. Angel hair has a special way of capturing whatever you mix it with so each bite has a bit of artichoke, caper, caramezlied onion, and fresh basil.
I won’t try to pretend that this is a quick and easy recipe but this is definitely “special dinner” worthy, especially with slices of crisp, lightly-fried chicken on top. The za’atar seasoning in the breading tastes light and lemony. I love it so much, I like to sprinkle a little extra on top of each serving.
If you can’t find angle hair pasta you can substitute Capellini, which is a little bit thicker or spaghetti, which is twice as thick.
Ingredients
- Lemon
- Baby artichokes
- All purpose flour
- Za’atar
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- Large egg
- Panko
- Thin-sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Olive oil
- White wine
- Capers
- Yellow onion
- Chicken broth
- Red pepper flakes
- Angel hair pasta
- Basil
How To Make This Recipe
step one
Clean the artichokes. Baby artichokes are much easier to prepare because they haven’t grown the hairy choke yet. But first start by filling a large bowl with water and squeezing a lemon into the water.
Then remove the tough outer leaves of the artichokes, cut off the top third of the artichokes and the stem then cut each artichoke into eighths or quarters if they are really small.
step two
Prep the breading for the chicken. Combine the flour, salt, pepper, and za’atar in a shallow dish. Beat the egg in a second shallow dish then pour the panko into a third shallow dish.
step three
Bread the chicken. Place one piece of chicken into the flour mixture, coat it on both sides. Then dip it into the egg and finally into the panko, pressing to coat the chicken well on both sides.
Step four
Fry the chicken. Heat oil in the large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering and pulling away from the sides of the pan, add the breaded chicken. Fry until golden and crisp on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Place on a wire rack over a baking sheet and keep warm in a 300°F oven.
Step Five
Start cooking the vegetables. In the same pan you used to fry the chicken, add the chopped onion, cook a couple of minutes. Drain the artichokes and add them to the pan. Cook until the artichokes start to soften and caramelize, about 15 minutes. Stir them occasionally.
Step six
Braise the artichokes. Add the capers and saute a couple minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine then add the chicken broth and chile flakes. Reduce to medium heat, cover and simmer until the artichokes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Step seven
Cook pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the angel hair pasta and cook according to package instructions. Reserve a cup of pasta water then drain the pasta.
Step eight
Toss together. Once the artichokes are ready, return the pasta to the large pot and add the braised artichokes and basil. Toss it all together with a pair of kitchen tongs until the artichokes are evenly distributed. Add a bit of the pasta water if it seems dry. This is a dairy-free pasta dish but if you want to stir in a generous pat of butter here and some grated parmesan cheese, that would be good.
Step nine
Serve. Divide pasta among 4-6 plates. Slice chicken into strips and place on top of each serving. Sprinkle with a bit more basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Add an extra pinch of za’atar if you’d like and serve!
Angel Hair Pasta FAQ’s
Can I skip the chicken? Sure! This is one of those very adaptable pasta dishes. If you want to leave off the chicken or top with some sautéed shrimp instead that would also be good.
What are some other fresh herbs I can use? Italian parsley, rosemary, oregano, or thyme are great options.
More Spring Recipes To Try
- Cucumber Salad with Cherry Tomatoes
- Pot Pie with Mushrooms and Herb Drop Biscuits
- Super Simple Sautéed Broccoli
- Spicy Marinated Olives with Roasted Garlic (from our sister site, ¡Hola! Jalapeño)
- Bacon and Blue Cheese Dip (again, from ¡Hola! Jalapeño)
- Spinach Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette (from HJ)
- Jugo Verde {Mexican Green Juice with Fresh Parsley} (from HJ)
The Flavors Of Spring On A Plate
I can’t wait for you to make this angel hair pasta recipe. I know you will love it. When you make it, let me know what everyone said! Share a photo and tag me on Instagram using @katesbestrecipes so that I can see (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating)! Also, sign up for my weekly recipe newsletter so you never miss a thing.
Chicken and Artichoke Angel Hair Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lemon
- 8 baby artichokes
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons za'atar, or dukkah
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 cup panko
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless, thin sliced chicken breasts, or whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts *see recipe note
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 yellow onion, small diced
- 3 tablespoons capers, drained
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 pound angel hair pasta
- 1 cup thinly sliced basil, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Clean the artichokes: Fill a medium bowl with cold water. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze both halves into the water. Slice off the top third of the artichokes and snap off tough outer leaves. Cut off the stem. Cut each artichoke into eighths and place in lemon water. Place a small plate on top of artichokes to keep them submerged.
- Prep the breading. Heat oven to 300°F. Place flour in a shallow dish. Stir in za'atar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. In a separate shallow dish, beat the egg and pour panko in a third shallow dish.
- Bread the chicken. Cover both sides of the chicken pieces in flour and shake off excess. Coat in egg and then dip in the panko, pressing the panko to both sides.
- Fry chicken. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add 3 chicken pieces and brown on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook on other side until browned, another 2 minutes. They don't have to be cooked all the way through, they will finish cooking in the oven. Set on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Add remaining 3 tablespoons oil to the pan and repeat with remaining 3 pieces of chicken. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in oven to keep warm.
- Caramelize the artichokes. Return pan to medium-high heat and add onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook until starting to soften. Drain artichokes and add to pan and toss to coat in oil. Season again with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until artichokes are caramelized and golden, about 15 minutes. Add the capers and fry for a couple minutes.
- Braise the artichokes. Add the wine and deglaze the pan. Add chicken broth, and chile flakes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until artichokes are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Boil pasta. While artichokes are cooking, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Once boiling add pasta and cook according to package instructions. Once cooked, lift pasta out of the water with tongs and place into the frying pan with the artichokes. Add basil and toss to combine. Drizzle with more olive oil and add some of the pasta cooking liquid if it seems dry. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
- Serve. Transfer pasta to plates. Slice chicken into strips and top each serving with chicken. Sprinkle with more basil and a generous pinch of za'atar if you'd like. Enjoy!
Notes
- If using whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, set them on a non-wood cutting board and slice each breast into 1-inch slices on the diagonal.
- The braised artichokes can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated. Warm to simmering right before serving.
- Za’atar is a Mediterranean spice blend made of hyssop, sumac and sesame seeds. You can also substitute Dukkah seasoning.
- Fresh baby artichokes are about 5-inches long and can be found in stores in spring. Fresh artichoke hearts can be substituted. Don’t use canned.
- Cook pasta once the artichokes are ready, it only takes 3-4 minutes.
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