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This easy chicken fra diavolo pasta recipe is a cozy and nourishing meal with a kick! It’s great for spice lovers, but the heat level is totally customizable.
Try my Easy Pasta Arrabiata or Spicy Tomato Gnocchi with Bacon next.
This post is sponsored by our long-term partner DeLallo – thank you for supporting the brands that keep Salt & Lavender cooking! I only work with brands whose products I love. All opinions are my own.
Why you’ll love it
Italians are great at naming their more spicy dishes fun things. “Fra diavolo” means “brother devil”, allegedly a nickname for a 19th century bandit. In my version, we’ve got a tomato sauce with oregano, garlic, and red pepper flakes along with rotisserie chicken for ease!
The key to a good homemade fra diavolo sauce is quality ingredients. DeLallo’s San Marzano style tomatoes are sun-ripened and come from Italy, so you know they’re going to make a delicious pasta sauce! Toss with chicken and pasta for one fiery, irresistible dish.
What you’ll need
- Olive oil – for sautéing
- Onion and garlic – I like sweet onions
- White wine – use a dry white like sauv blanc, pinot grigio, etc. (not cooking wine)
- Crushed tomatoes – DeLallo crushed tomatoes from Naples have that gorgeously vibrant red color, and they’re rich and sweet in flavor. The meaty texture gives the sauce so much body!
- Red pepper flakes – to infuse that signature heat throughout
- Italian seasoning and dried oregano – my favorite seasoning blend in a single jar, plus another punch of herb flavor
- Pasta – we’re using DeLallo orecchiette, which means “little ears”. These sturdy pasta discs are perfect for capturing all the sauce and are also made in Italy.
- Chicken – grab some rotisserie for convenience
- Fresh parsley and basil – a burst of freshness to complement the tomatoes
- Parmesan – tie it all together with a sprinkling of freshly grated parm!
Pro tip
As always, alter the crushed pepper red pepper quantity to suit your tastes. There’s a generous kick as written. You could start with less if unsure!
How to make chicken fra diavolo
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a large pot, sauté the onions in the olive oil until golden. Stir in the garlic until fragrant. Increase the heat, add in the wine, and let it reduce somewhat.
Stir in the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, oregano, and salt. Let it bubble, then cover and turn down the heat so it simmers nicely. Meanwhile, boil the pasta until al dente. Add the chicken, and let it warm through.
Stir in the fresh parsley and basil. Reserve some pasta water. Toss the drained pasta with the sauce, adding in some starchy pasta water if needed. Taste, and season with pepper and extra salt if needed. Top with parmesan.
Since 1950
- If your local supermarket doesn’t stock DeLallo, you can shop their website 24/7 and have their amazing (yet affordable) Italian goodies delivered to you nationwide.
- Think gourmet olive oil, canned goods, pizza sauce, biscotti, and tons more! This family-run Pennsylvania company has been trusted by Italian food lovers for 75 years and counting.
Substitutions and variations
- Add in some shrimp instead of the chicken if you wish. Buy uncooked shrimp, ensure they’re thawed, and then cook them for about 5 minutes right in the sauce!
- Throw in a splash of heavy cream at the end for a luxurious touch.
- Feel free to swap for a different shape of pasta such as penne (like DeLallo penne).
What to serve with chicken fra diavolo
- Pair with some fresh bread like focaccia or a baguette on the side and olive oil and a good balsamic vinegar for dipping.
- Make a bright yet simple salad like my Parmesan Arugula Salad or this Easy Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad for a fresh complement.
Leftovers and storage
- Store for 3-4 days in the fridge, and reheat slowly low heat in a saucepan.
- I recommend boiling up fresh pasta and keeping the sauce separate if you’re planning on having lots of leftovers.
- You can definitely freeze the sauce by itself! Freeze it for up to 3 months.
If you made this chicken pasta with fra diavolo sauce, please leave a star rating and review below! You can also tag me on Instagram stories with this or any S&L recipe.
Chicken Fra Diavolo Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 (28 ounce) can DeLallo San Marzano Style Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt see note
- 16 ounces DeLallo Orecchiette Pasta see note
- 2 cups shredded cooked/rotisserie chicken
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 handful fresh basil chopped or torn
- Pepper to taste
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste
Instructions
- Add the olive oil and onions to a Dutch oven/soup pot over medium heat and sauté for 5-7 minutes or until softened and lightly browned.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Increase the heat to medium-high, then add in the wine and let it bubble until reduced by half.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, oregano, and salt. Once it starts to bubble, cover the pot with the lid slightly open and reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, boil a generously salted pot of water for the pasta. Cook it al dente according to package directions.
- Add the chicken to the sauce and let it warm through for a few minutes.
- Stir the parsley and basil into the sauce.
- Prior to draining the pasta, reserve about a cup of the hot pasta water.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce, tossing well, and adding in some of the hot pasta water to thin the sauce if needed.
- Season the sauce with some pepper and extra salt if needed. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
- You can make less than the full 16 oz of pasta if you’re not going to feed 6 people right away – this sauce (by itself) can be frozen.
- Spice level: as written, this recipe has a fair bit of kick. You can increase or decrease the crushed red pepper flakes to your personal preferences.
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Wow this was delicious! Easy recipe for a weeknight too. I halved the red pepper flakes based on your comment, but next time I will do the full amount. I used the rotisserie chicken, but am thinking it would be great with shrimp also so may try that next time. Thanks for a great recipe!! ❤️
Thank you so much, Jenny!! Glad this one was a hit.