One-Pot Chicken Risoni with Crispy Salami

This fantastic one-pan meal brings together tender, seasoned chicken and a creamy, rich tomato-parmesan sauce with risoni (orzo) pasta. The best part? It’s all topped with amazing golden, crispy salami pieces that add a bold, savoury crunch. The addition of chickpeas gives the dish a delightful nutty texture, making this a delicious and comforting crowd-pleaser that delivers big flavour with minimal cleanup.

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the spice mix by combining the salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and sage powder (if using) in a small bowl. Sprinkle this mixture over both sides of the chicken pieces.

2. 2

   Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped salami and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often, until it is golden and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the crispy salami and transfer it to a paper towel-lined bowl, leaving the flavourful fat in the pan.

3. 3

   Add the spiced chicken to the same pan and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until it is dark golden brown and just cooked through. The internal temperature should be around 67°C (153°F). Remove the chicken from the pan, place it on a plate, and cover it loosely with foil to keep it warm.

4. 4

   With the heat still on medium-high, add the minced garlic and chopped onion to the pan. Sauté for about 1.5 minutes until the onion becomes translucent. If using, pour in the wine and let it simmer rapidly for a couple of minutes until it’s almost entirely evaporated, stirring to scrape up any golden bits (the fond) from the bottom of the pan and dissolve them into the liquid.

5. 5

   Add the tomato paste to the pan and stir for 1 minute to cook away any raw, sour flavour. Then, add the uncooked risoni and stir to coat it in the tomato paste. Add the chickpeas, chicken stock, salt, and pepper.

6. 6

   Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring every minute or so, until the risoni is nearly cooked. As the liquid thickens, reduce the heat to medium to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

7. 7

   Stir in the cream, Parmesan, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes (if using). Continue to stir until the spinach has wilted, then remove the pan from the heat. The risoni should be tender and the sauce rich and creamy. If the risoni is still too firm, add a splash of hot water and continue to cook for a minute or two, as this small pasta cooks very quickly.

8. 8

   Slice the cooked chicken into thick pieces. If it has cooled down, you can place the slices on top of the risoni and leave it for about 30 seconds to warm through before serving. Spoon the risoni into bowls, top with the sliced chicken, and sprinkle generously with the crispy salami, a little extra Parmesan, and fresh basil (if using). Serve immediately and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

• For the crispy topping, bacon or chorizo can be used in place of the salami. They will both provide a similar burst of flavour and will also render tasty fat that you can use to cook the chicken in.

• While the recipe calls for chicken breast, boneless, skinless chicken thighs or tenderloins can also be used. Use about 500-600g (1-1.2 lb) and follow the same cooking method.

• Deglazing the pan with a dry white wine like Chardonnay adds a slight edge of extra flavour, but this dish is still incredibly delicious even without it. If you choose to omit it, the recipe will still work perfectly.

• Risoni, also known as orzo, is a small, rice-shaped pasta found in the pasta aisle of most grocery stores. This recipe won’t work with rice, quinoa, or dried beans because their cooking times and liquid absorption rates are too different. However, it should be fine with other very small pasta shapes, like alphabet or star pasta.

• Basil and sun-dried tomatoes add a lovely "extra sparkle" to the finished dish, but if you don’t have them on hand, don’t worry—the recipe is still fantastic without them. Feel free to skip them or use whatever you have available.

• The nutritional information is calculated per generous serving, including all the ingredients listed.