Crispy Chicken Nuggets with Creamy Tomato Capellini
Homemade breaded chicken nuggets served over capellini pasta tossed with a silky sauce of passata, cream, and roasted cherry tomatoes. Chicken strips are triple-coated in flour, egg, and panko mixed with Parmesan, then pan-fried until golden. Fresh arugula adds peppery contrast.
Ingredients
- 1 lb capellini, dried
- 1 ¼ lb chicken fillet, cut into stripspork fillet1:1protein
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 5 ½ oz panko breadcrumbs
- 1 ¼ cups Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 cups passata
- 14 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- pepper, to taste(optional)
- salt, to taste(optional)
- cayenne pepper, to taste(optional)
- 7 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- olive oil, for cooking(optional)
- butter, for cooking(optional)
- 3 ½ oz arugula, fresh
Instructions
- 1
Mince the shallot and garlic. Sauté in olive oil until softened.
- 2
Add passata and tomato paste. Season with pepper, salt, and cayenne. Simmer covered for 15 minutes.
- 3
Halve the cherry tomatoes and stir into the sauce with cream.
- 4
Set up three shallow dishes: one with flour, one with panko mixed with grated Parmesan, one with beaten eggs seasoned with pepper and salt.
- 5
Cut chicken fillet into equal strips.
- 6
Coat each strip in flour, then egg, then panko mixture.
- 7
Cook capellini in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain, rinse with fresh water, and let drain.
- 8
Fry coated chicken strips in equal parts butter and oil until golden on both sides. Keep warm in oven if needed until all are cooked.
- 9
Toss drained capellini with the creamy tomato sauce. Serve with fried chicken nuggets and arugula.
Tips
Set up your breading station with the three dishes in order before starting to coat chicken.
Do not overcrowd the pan when frying; cook in batches to ensure even browning.
Rinse cooked pasta with fresh water to remove excess starch and prevent clumping.
Good to Know
Refrigerate breaded chicken strips up to 24 hours before cooking. Store cooked nuggets in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Sauce keeps 4 days refrigerated.
Bread the chicken strips up to one day ahead. Prepare the tomato sauce ahead and reheat gently before serving.
Plate warm capellini with sauce, top with hot chicken nuggets, garnish with fresh arugula.
Common Mistakes
Skip rinsing cooked pasta to avoid a starchy, clumpy texture.
Overcrowd the pan when frying to prevent steaming instead of crisping.
Use too-high heat to avoid burning the coating before the chicken cooks through.