This Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Cacio e Pepe Rigatoni recipe is what happens when cozy comfort food meets your favorite restaurant-style pasta dish. Crispy golden brown chicken cutlets get piled over creamy peppery rigatoni for a hearty well rounded meal that feels fancy enough for date night but easy enough for a great weeknight dinner. Plus, there's a few shortcuts along the way.
Why You'll Love It
If you're anything like me, creamy pasta plus crispy chicken is basically the love language of comfort food. And this cacio e pepe chicken situation absolutely delivers on that front. The crispy crust on the chicken cutlets paired with the creamy sauce made from Castello Whipped Dip with Cracked Pepper creates the most ridiculously cozy bite ever. It's rich, peppery, buttery, and somehow still feels super approachable for a random Tuesday night.
What I really love about this recipe is how easy it is to pull together... I shared this crispy chicken cutlet recipe a few years ago and have not stopped making it since. The pounded out chicken breasts bake up beautifully in a preheated oven instead of needing to be shallow fried in a large skillet with tons of olive oil. That means less mess, less splatter, and honestly less problems all around. The result is still insanely crispy and golden brown thanks to the hot sheet pan trick.
The pasta itself gives major cacio e pepe vibes with my lil Castello whipped cheese shortcut. The whipped dip melts into the butter and reserved pasta water to create this silky creamy sauce that coats every single piece of rigatoni. It's a pasta dish that feels restaurant-worthy but secretly comes together with very little effort. And if you can't find that, try making my creamy parmesan sauce and adding tons of fresh cracked black pepper.
And while I know angel hair pasta fanatics may want to swap the rigatoni, trust me here. The ridges and hollow centers hold onto all that peppery sauce perfectly. Add a dollop of extra whipped dip on top along with black pepper and flaky salt and suddenly you've got yourself a sure-shot winner. Serve it with crusty bread, a squeeze of lemon juice, or even a simple salad and you've officially got your next dinner planned.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This creamy cacio e pepe chicken recipe uses simple ingredients that come together for one seriously cozy dinner. Most of these are pantry staples, which makes this full recipe even better for busy nights.
- Chicken Breasts: Thin chicken cutlets cook quickly and get super crispy in the oven. You could also use boneless chicken thighs if preferred, but the chicken breasts keep things lighter and crispier.
- Eggs: Help the seasoned panko stick to the chicken for that crispy crust. Melted, salted butter also works.
- Hot Sauce: Adds a tiny bit of flavor and tang to the breading mixture without making it spicy.
- Kosher Salt: Essential for seasoning both the chicken and the pasta water.
- Black Pepper: Fresh cracked black pepper is the star of any cacio e pepe-inspired pasta dish.
- Seasoned Panko Breadcrumbs: Creates the most golden brown crunchy coating. You can also add italian seasoning, garlic powder and a pinch of salt if you don't have pre-seasoned panko.
- Olive Oil: Helps the chicken crisp up beautifully in the preheated oven while also adding richness to the pasta sauce.
- Rigatoni: I love using rigatoni because the creamy sauce clings to every bite. You could also swap in spaghetti or another box of pasta if needed.
- Reserved Pasta Water: The secret to creating a glossy silky sauce.
- Castello Whipped Dip with Cracked Pepper: This creates the creamy sauce while adding bold peppery flavor without needing heavy cream.
- Salted Butter: Adds richness and helps emulsify the sauce.
- Flaky Salt: The finishing touch that makes everything pop.
- Optional Ingredients: Feel free to add more parmesan or even some pecorino cheese on top on this great dinner.
How to Make It
This cacio e pepe chicken comes together surprisingly quickly and feels like the kind of dinner you'd order at your favorite cozy Italian spot. Not gonna lie, this crispy chicken and creamy pasta combo is honestly hard to beat and you'll love how easy it is if you follow these simple steps.
- PREHEAT THE OVEN: Preheat your oven to 425°F and place a large sheet pan inside while it heats. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a gentle boil.
- PREP THE CHICKEN: Slice the chicken breasts horizontally into thin chicken cutlets. Place them between plastic wrap and pound until about ½-inch thick using a meat mallet.
- MAKE THE DREDGING STATION: In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, hot sauce, kosher salt, and black pepper. Add the seasoned panko breadcrumbs to another shallow bowl.
- BREAD THE CHICKEN: Dip each cutlet into the egg mixture, letting the excess drip off before coating thoroughly in the panko.
- BAKE THE CHICKEN: Carefully remove the hot sheet pan from the oven and line with parchment paper. Drizzle generously with olive oil, then place the breaded chicken cutlets on top. Drizzle the tops with more olive oil.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then flip the chicken and bake another 10-12 minutes until golden brown and crispy. The internal temperature should reach 165°F.
- COOK THE PASTA: While the chicken bakes, cook the rigatoni according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- MAKE THE SAUCE: Add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, stir in one tub of Castello Whipped Dip with Cracked Pepper along with ¼ cup pasta water. Stir until smooth and creamy.
- TOSS THE PASTA: Add the drained rigatoni to the creamy sauce and toss until fully coated. Add more reserved pasta water as needed until glossy and silky.
- SERVE: Divide the pasta between bowls and top with crispy chicken cutlets. Add dollops of the remaining whipped dip, extra black pepper, flaky salt, and a drizzle of olive oil before serving.
- WHAT TO SERVE IT WITH: This pasta dish is incredible with crusty bread, a crisp Caesar salad, roasted broccoli, or even a little lemon zest sprinkled over the top for brightness.
- SAVE: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the pasta over lower heat with a splash of water or chicken broth to loosen the sauce back up.
What to pair it with
When I've been making this easy cacio e pepe chicken recipe lately, I've been pairing it with a super simple burrata caprsese, some grilled artichoke hearts, or even my crispy roasted cauliflower recipe. My kids are absolutely obsessed and I can guarantee that you'll be making it all the time, too.
And if you like this recipe, you might also like some of these tasty related recipes:
- Trader Joe's Cacio e Pepe Ravioli with Peas & Prosciutto
- Roasted Green Beans and Carrots - Cacio e Pepe Style
- Spicy Rigatoni Vodka Recipe (Copycat Pasta Sauce)
- Shortcut Risotto Cacio e Pepe
- The Ultimate Trader Joe's Ravioli Recipe Roundup
Recipe
Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Cacio e Pepe Rigatoni
Equipment
- Large Skillet
Ingredients
For The Crispy Chicken Cutlets
- 1½ 2 lbs Chicken Breasts
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Hot Sauce
- 1½ cups Seasoned Panko Breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
- Olive Oil for drizzling
For The Pasta
- 1 lb Rigatoni
- 1 cup Reserved Pasta Water
- 2 5.3 oz tubs Castello Whipped Dip with Cracked Pepper
- 4 tablespoons Salted Butter
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil plus more as needed
- Flaky Salt for serving
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a large sheet pan in the oven while it preheats so it gets super hot. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
- Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to create thin cutlets. Place them between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound them to about ½-inch thick using a meat mallet.
- In one shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, hot sauce, kosher salt, and a few cracks of black pepper. Add the seasoned panko to a second shallow bowl.
- Add the chicken cutlets to the egg mixture and toss to coat. Working one at a time, let the excess egg drip off before pressing each cutlet firmly into the panko until fully coated on both sides.
- Carefully remove the hot sheet pan from the oven and line it with parchment paper. Drizzle the parchment generously with olive oil. Place the breaded chicken cutlets on top, then drizzle the tops with even more olive oil.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken, drizzle with a little more olive oil, then bake for another 10-12 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown and crispy and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- While the chicken bakes, cook the rigatoni according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, stir in 1 tub of Castello Whipped Dip with Cracked Pepper along with ¼ cup of pasta water. Whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Add the drained pasta and toss until fully coated. Add more pasta water, a little at a time, until the sauce becomes glossy and silky.
- Divide the pasta between bowls and top each with a crispy chicken cutlet. Add a dollop of the remaining Castello whipped dip on top for extra creamy, peppery goodness.
- Finish with flaky salt, fresh cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil before serving.
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