The Most Delicious Meal I Make With Every Rotisserie Chicken Only Requires 3 Ingredients

I discovered this wonderful pasta dish while I was packing up my apartment for a big cross-country move. With my entire life in boxes (including most of my kitchen equipment), I decided to go to the grocery store and purchase a couple of rotisserie chickens to nibble on at my convenience. After a long day of packing, however, I needed a full meal. But, the only things I hadn’t stowed away were a small saucepot, some frozen ricotta cavatelli in my freezer, olive oil, and salt. That’s when rotisserie chicken pasta was born, and it’s now something I eat in my fully furnished one bedroom in Los Angeles all the time because it’s that good.

This dish comes together simply, but each ingredient is crucial. The key is to use pasta that has some fat in it — egg-enriched tagliatelle, ricotta cavatelli, cheese tortellini, or even sweet potato gnocchi all work great. Dried pasta will work in a pinch, but the dish will be missing a little bit of that full-fat flavor. By saving some pasta water and combining olive oil, a light, viscous sauce forms in the pan. This is a true one-pot meal. Something born out of necessity that’s now a weeknight staple for me.

The dish comes together in less than 10 minutes. If you have other ingredients at home, feel free to use them: Freshly ground black pepper, a bit of cheese, or even a knob of butter goes a long way. Use up any herbs like thyme, rosemary, and parsley. However, you truly can keep this recipe as is, and it’ll be just as warm and comforting. My version feeds two, but feel free to double the recipe to feed four.

1. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, and drop in 12 ounces of ricotta cavatelli or eggy pasta.
2. Cook the pasta following package directions.
3. Drain the cooked pasta, reserving 2 to 3 tablespoons of the pasta water.
4. Using your hands, rip up 8-10 ounces of dark and white meat from the rotisserie chicken (this is about half of the chicken) and add it to the pasta along with the reserved pasta water. Use a wooden spoon to stir.
5. Over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 a teaspoon of kosher salt, and stir. Cook for about one minute to mingle all the ingredients and flavors, forming a light, oily sauce. Serve immediately.

• Use full-fat pasta. I prefer ricotta cavatelli, but you can also use egg-enriched pasta from the store or an artisan pasta shop. Store-bought tortellini will also works well.
• If using dried pasta, use slightly less. 8 ounces of a short pasta shape like farfalle works well. Keep the other portions the same.
• Use the good extra-virgin olive oil. Since the sauce is so simple, the flavor of the oil will really come through, so use one you like. 
• Use a spiced chicken. Grocery store rotisserie chickens sometimes come in flavors like lemon pepper or herbs & spices. Utilize these for more flavor.
• Utilize both kinds of meat. Make sure to pick a mix of dark and white meat for a combination of lean and fatty flavor.

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: The Most Delicious Meal I Make With Every Rotisserie Chicken Only Requires 3 Ingredients