This creamy calabrian chicken with pumpkin orzo strikes a nice balance between a comforting fall dinner and something a little more elevated. Crispy, pan-roasted chicken thighs are coated in a rich calabrian chili sauce and served over pumpkin orzo with parmesan, thyme, and a touch of cinnamon. Finished with fried sage, it’s a seasonal dish that feels a little special, making it perfect for a fall dinner party.
This post is sponsored by DeLallo.
creamy calabrian chicken with pumpkin orzo – the inspiration
I love the combination of something spicy with something rich and creamy. For this recipe, I wanted to pair the bold heat of calabrian chili peppers with the subtle sweetness of pumpkin. The two balance each other really well, especially with the savory flavors of the pan-roasted chicken and fresh herbs.
The chicken thighs are seared until the skin is golden and crisp, then finished in the oven. From there, the same skillet is used to make a creamy pan sauce with garlic, white wine, chicken stock, and DeLallo Calabrian Chili Peppers. The chili peppers have a really nice depth of flavor and a distinct heat that gives the sauce its character.
Underneath the chicken is a beautiful, seasonal pumpkin orzo using my favorite DeLallo Orzo. I love how the orzo catches all of the sauce from the chicken, bringing the two components together.
notes from the kitchen
This recipe takes a little bit of time management to have the orzo, chicken, and sauce ready at the same time. I would recommend prepping all of your ingredients while the chicken comes to room temperature (mince your shallots & garlic, measure your pumpkin & liquids, etc.).
Ideally, I like to start the orzo when the chicken has about 10 minutes left in the oven. That way, as you pull the chicken out and start the sauce, the orzo will be at the point where you just have to continuously stir it while you work on the sauce. Stirring the orzo will help prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Once the sauce has come together, you can leave it on low while you stir the final ingredients into the orzo. Then, right before serving, just add the chicken back to the sauce to coat and warm through. Keeping it skin-side up until right before you serve will help the skin stay crisp.
plating & serving
Both the creamy calabrian chicken and the pumpkin orzo are fairly rich. They both have cream, butter, and a lot of savory flavors. I think a really simple salad is the best thing to serve alongside to complete the meal. Something with a bright, acidic vinaigrette to cut the richness of the dish.
To serve, spoon a generous amount of pumpkin orzo onto each plate, add the saucy chicken over top, then finish with the fried sage and fresh thyme. A little flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper never hurt either.
PrintCreamy Calabrian Chicken with Pumpkin Orzo
pan-roasted chicken thighs coated in a creamy calabrian chili pan sauce served over pumpkin orzo with fried sage
servings: 4
Ingredients
Pan-Roasted Chicken
- 20 sage leaves
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Pumpkin Orzo
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups DeLallo Orzo
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 small handful fresh thyme sprigs (tied in kitchen twine)
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Creamy Calabrian Chili Sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
- ¼ cup white wine
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp DeLallo Calabrian Chili Peppers
- 2 tbsp butter, cold + cubed
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
thyme leaves, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Pat the chicken thighs dry and let them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Heat a 12” stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Once hot, add the sage leaves and fry until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sage to a paper towel.
- Wipe some of the oil out of the skillet, leaving just a very light coating. Season the chicken well with salt. Working in batches if needed, place the chicken thighs skin-side down into the skillet. Cook for about 6 minutes, or until the skin is golden and crisp. Flip the chicken and cook for another minute. Transfer the chicken out and repeat with the remaining thighs. Transfer all of the chicken back to the skillet, skin-side up, and roast for 25 minutes, or until cooked through.
- When the chicken has about 10 minutes left in the oven, start the orzo. Heat a large Dutch oven (or heavy-bottomed pot) over medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt. Add the shallots and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon and orzo. Stir in the white wine and thyme. Simmer for 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer again, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring continuously.
- When the chicken is done, remove the skillet from the oven. Transfer the chicken out and return the skillet to the stove over medium heat for the sauce. Add the sliced garlic and cook for a minute to soften. Deglaze with the white wine, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the skillet. Simmer for 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and simmer for another 2 minutes to thicken. Stir in the chili peppers. Turn the heat to low. Lastly, whisk in the cold butter, 1 piece at a time.
- To finish the orzo, add the cream and parmesan. Let the cream heat through while the parmesan melts, stirring continuously. Season with salt to taste. Remove the thyme sprigs.
- Return the chicken to the skillet, skin-side up, to warm through for a minute or so. Flip the chicken to fully coat in the sauce right before serving (you don’t want to let the crispy chicken skin sit in the sauce for too long or it will soften).
- Serve the saucy chicken over the orzo. Garnish with the fried sage and fresh thyme leaves.
