This Peri Peri Chicken Pasta is the ultimate comfort meal for those who crave bold, zesty flavors paired with a rich and velvety sauce. It combines juicy, oven-roasted chicken thighs with a creamy, spice-infused pasta that delivers a perfect kick of heat in every bite.
Golden, tender chicken sliced over a bed of rigatoni coated in a luxurious peri peri cream sauce makes this dish an absolute showstopper for weeknight dinners or weekend gatherings.
Recipe Details
- Flavor Profile: Bold, zesty, and savory with a well-balanced spicy kick from the peri peri sauce and smoked paprika.
- Textures: Succulent and juicy roasted chicken paired with tender pasta and softened, lightly charred vegetables in a silky, smooth sauce.
- Time: Approximately 15 minutes of active prep, with a total cooking time of about 45 minutes.
- Difficulty: Medium. This recipe involves simple roasting and stovetop boiling, utilizing a sheet pan for maximum flavor extraction.
What You’ll Need
To create this flavorful dish, you will need high-quality chicken thighs as your protein base, a variety of aromatic spices for the marinade, and a combination of light cream cheese and evaporated milk to build a luscious, lower-calorie cream sauce. The foundation of the meal is protein rigatoni, which holds the sauce beautifully, complemented by fresh peppers and onions.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken Thighs – Using boneless, skinless thighs ensures the meat stays incredibly moist and tender during the roasting process compared to chicken breast.
- Nando’s Peri Peri Sauce – This provides the signature tangy and spicy flavor profile. The medium heat level offers a nice glow without being overwhelming.
- Light Evaporated Milk – This is a fantastic alternative to heavy cream, providing a rich consistency and creamy mouthfeel while keeping the dish lighter.
- Protein Rigatoni – This pasta variety adds extra nutritional value and has a sturdy shape that captures the thick sauce in its ridges.
- Smoked Paprika – Essential for adding a deep, earthy color and a hint of wood-fired flavor to both the chicken and the sauce.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Vegetables: Feel free to stir in some fresh baby spinach at the very end until it wilts for an extra boost of greens.
- Heat Level: If you prefer a milder dish, you can use a “Lemon and Herb” or “Mild” peri peri sauce instead of the medium variety.
- Pasta Shapes: While rigatoni is ideal, penne or fusilli also work well to hold onto the creamy sauce.
- Citrus: If you do not have a lemon, a tablespoon of lime juice can provide a similar bright acidity to the marinade.
How to Make Peri Peri Chicken Pasta
1. Prepare and Marinate the Chicken Start by trimming any excess fat from the chicken thighs to ensure clean bites. In a large bowl, combine the chicken with the salt, chilli flakes, oregano, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, fresh parsley, coriander, lemon juice, and olive oil. Toss everything together until the chicken is evenly coated. If you have the time, let it marinate for at least 30 minutes to deepen the flavors.
2. Roast the Chicken and Boil Pasta Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or foil and spread the marinated chicken in a single layer. Generously brush the tops with the peri peri sauce and give them a light mist of avocado oil spray. Bake for 22–25 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. While the chicken is in the oven, boil your protein rigatoni in salted water until tender, then drain and set aside.
3. Roast the Vegetables Once the chicken is done, remove it from the pan, but be careful to keep all those flavorful pan juices on the sheet pan. Move the chicken to a cutting board to rest. Add your chopped onions and bell peppers directly to the sheet pan, tossing them in the chicken juices. Spread them out flat and return the pan to the oven. Lower the temperature to 370°F and roast for 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft and show light charred edges.
4. Build the Creamy Sauce While the pan is still hot from the oven, add the extra salt, garlic powder, oregano, smoked paprika, tomato paste, light cream cheese, evaporated milk, and additional peri peri sauce. Stir everything gently into the roasted vegetables. The residual heat from the pan will help melt the cream cheese and emulsify the ingredients into a smooth, creamy sauce. If the sauce needs a bit more help thickening or merging, you can pop the pan back into the oven for about 5 minutes.
5. Combine and Serve Add the cooked rigatoni and fresh parsley into the pan, stirring until every piece of pasta is thoroughly coated in the sauce. Slice your rested peri peri chicken into strips and serve it right on top of the pasta.
Pro Tip: Do not discard the liquid gold left on the sheet pan after roasting the chicken. Those juices are packed with concentrated spices and fats that create the flavor foundation for your vegetables and sauce.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: When roasting the chicken, ensure the pieces aren’t overlapping so they develop a nice golden exterior rather than steaming.
- Rest the Meat: Always let the chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to redistribute, ensuring the meat stays succulent.
- Sauce Consistency: If you find the sauce is too thick after adding the pasta, you can splash in a little bit of the reserved pasta water to loosen it up.
- Vegetable Size: Chop your onions and peppers into uniform, bite-sized pieces so they roast evenly in the 15-minute window.
FAQs
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs? Yes, you can, but keep in mind that breast meat dries out faster. You may need to reduce the baking time by a few minutes to ensure it stays juicy.
How spicy is this recipe? Using the “Medium” sauce provides a moderate heat. If you are sensitive to spice, you can reduce the amount of chilli flakes in the chicken marinade.
How should I store leftovers? Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When reheating, add a small splash of milk to help bring the creamy consistency of the sauce back to life.
Serving Suggestions
- Fresh Side Salad: A crisp green salad with a light vinaigrette balances the richness of the creamy sauce.
- Roasted Broccoli: Some charred broccoli florets seasoned with lemon make an excellent vegetable side.
- Garlic Bread: Serve with warm, toasted garlic bread to soak up any extra peri peri sauce left on the plate.
Make This Recipe in Advance
You can easily prep the chicken marinade and chop the vegetables a day in advance to save time. The chicken can sit in the marinade in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, which actually improves the flavor. You can also boil the pasta ahead of time; just toss it with a teaspoon of olive oil after draining to prevent the noodles from sticking together while they sit in the fridge.
Print
Sheet-Pan Creamy Peri Peri Chicken Pasta
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 Servings 1x
Description
The ultimate comfort meal for bold flavor lovers. This recipe pairs juicy, oven-roasted Peri Peri chicken thighs with a velvety, spice-infused pasta sauce. By utilizing a sheet-pan method and lighter ingredients like evaporated milk and light cream cheese, it delivers an indulgent experience that remains high in protein and lower in fat.
Ingredients
The Peri Peri Chicken
- 52.9 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 lemon (juiced) + 8 tsp olive oil
- 3.5 oz Nando’s Peri Peri Medium Sauce
- Herbs: Parsley, cilantro
- Spices: Chili flakes, oregano, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt
The Creamy Peri Peri Pasta
- 16.9 oz protein rigatoni
- 7–8.8 oz onions & bell peppers
- Sauce: 6.3 oz light cream cheese, 13.5 fl oz light evaporated milk, 5.3 oz Peri Peri sauce, 4.2–5.3 oz tomato paste
- Spices: Salt, garlic powder, oregano, smoked paprika
Instructions
Marinate: Toss chicken with spices, herbs, lemon juice, and oil. Let sit for 30 mins.
Roast & Boil: Bake chicken at 400°F for 22–25 mins. Meanwhile, cook rigatoni until tender.
Char Veggies: Remove chicken. Toss onions and peppers in pan juices. Roast at 370°F for 15 mins.
Build Sauce: Stir spices, tomato paste, cream cheese, and evaporated milk into the hot pan with vegetables to emulsify.
Assemble: Fold in pasta and parsley. Top with sliced chicken and serve.
Notes
Liquid Gold: The residual pan juices are the flavor foundation; don’t discard them!
Evaporated Milk Trick: Provides the silky mouthfeel of heavy cream with significantly less fat.
The Thigh Advantage: Thighs stay succulent at 400°F, whereas breasts may dry out during the roasting process.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course / Pasta
- Method: Sheet-Pan Roasting / Stovetop
- Cuisine: Portuguese-African Fusion
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Large Bowl
- Calories: 620
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 980
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Unsaturated Fat: 11
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 54
- Fiber: 6
- Protein: 58
- Cholesterol: 145
Keywords: peri peri chicken pasta, nando's copycat pasta, creamy spicy chicken rigatoni, high protein pasta recipes, sheet pan chicken and pasta, light cream cheese pasta sauce
