Recipe by Cody Owens
Photos by Mary Fehr
I have a sweet memory of sitting in a campervan parked at the end of a fjord in Norway’s Lofoten Islands. No one was around for miles, and the midnight sun still lingered in the sky as my wife and I dug into this meal after a long day of hiking and swimming in icy water.
It’s a recipe worth keeping in your back pocket—simple, flexible, and reliable enough to make just about anywhere in the world, even when you’re dog-tired. In our house, it’s become known simply as Favorite Dinner.
I prefer bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe, but truly any chicken or protein will work. Part of the beauty of this dish is how easy it is to riff on with whatever you have around. But—big but—those chicken thighs deliver the crispy skin that really ties everything together.
The five essential components are: protein, greens, pasta, cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette. You can go buck wild from there, but here’s how I make it.
Serves: 2–3
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes or less
INGREDIENTS
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1.5 lbs)
4 oz aged cheddar (about ½ block), cut into chunks
8 oz rotini pasta (or any tubular shape)
Arugula (several generous handfuls)
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
⅓ cup olive oil
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
Italian seasoning, to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Salt, to taste
How to Make It
1. Boil the pasta. Start boiling a pot of salted water for the pasta. A good rule of thumb is about half a standard box of pasta for every two people. Cook according to the instructions on the box.
2. Prepare the chicken. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs work especially well here because the crispy skin adds so much flavor. The bone can be removed before cooking: place the chicken skin-side down, find the central bone, and use a sharp knife to cut closely along both sides. Lift the bone as you cut underneath, trimming it free while keeping the meat intact. If that feels like too much, chicken breasts work fine, or the bone can be removed after cooking.
3. Crisp the chicken. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down in a cold skillet. Turn the heat to medium and cook for roughly 10 minutes. Once the skin is deep golden brown, flip and cook for another five minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
4. Make the vinaigrette. In a serving bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and salt to taste.
5. Toss the pasta. Drain the pasta and toss it into the bowl with the vinaigrette. Once coated, add the arugula and chunks of aged cheddar.
6. Slide and serve. Slice the cooked chicken and serve it over the pasta and arugula mixture.
