Spaghetti Chicken Cacciatore

Easy to make chicken cacciatore with bacon, chicken, onions, garlic, mushrooms and herbs cooked in a rich hearty tomato sauce is served over spaghetti. This classic Italian recipe is rustic comfort food at its best!

Cacciatore makes an amazing everyday family weeknight meal and is also perfect to serve guests. Incredibly simple to make and super flavourful. While the cacciatore simmers it has an absolutely enticing aroma and your family will be hanging around just waiting for dinner!

Crisp bacon and tender chunks of chicken are braised in a sauce of onions, garlic, mushrooms, Rosemary and 100% Italian tomatoes. The balsamic vinegar in the sauce adds just the right amount of pleasant and sweet acidity that hits your taste buds in the right spot. The result is a satisfying meal with a great combination of delicious and earthy flavours.

To lighten up this dish, I opted for boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of the typical bone-in and skin-on chicken pieces that many other cacciatore recipes call for. Chicken breasts stay juicy and tender in this dish thanks to the simmering time in the savoury tomato sauce.

Ingredients needed

• Olive oil
• Bacon
• Boneless chicken breasts
• Onion and garlic
• Mushrooms
• Rosemary and parsley
• Balsamic vinegar
• 100% Italian canned tomatoes
• Tomato paste
• Bay leaf
• Spaghetti

How to make cacciatore

• Brown the bacon pieces until crisp and golden, with a slotted spoon remove bacon to a plate, leave drippings in the skillet
• Brown the chicken pieces in two batches until golden-brown, remove chicken to the plate with the bacon
• Add onion, garlic, mushrooms and Rosemary and cook to tender, then add balsamic vinegar cooking until some evaporates
• Add tomatoes and bay leaf, return bacon and chicken pieces to the skillet, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 30 - 40 minutes

Once the cacciatore has simmered, it thickens and reduces. That’s when it’s time to cook the spaghetti in a large pot of lightly salted water. Drain spaghetti, ladle portions onto plates or bowls and top with the cacciatore sauce. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

What does cacciatore mean?

Cacciatore in Italian means “hunter”. Historically it’s said that hunters in Italy would return from their forage with wild ingredients like game and forest mushrooms and their wives would be waiting to cook up this hearty comfort food. Thankfully in these current times where we can get the required ingredients at our local grocery store no hunting is required!

What kind of tomatoes should be used

When it comes to canned tomatoes, domestic brands are very watery, acidic and often contain unripe tomatoes. This is why I advise using only imported 100% Italian tomatoes for this cacciatore. The extra price you pay for imported Italian canned tomatoes is definitely worth it when you see the difference in colour, texture and taste!

Can cacciatore be made ahead?

The cacciatore sauce can easily be made ahead early in the day or a day ahead and reheated when needed. In fact the flavours intensify when the cacciatore is stored and reheated. The sauce can also be frozen in a storage container or a large zipper bag. Thaw frozen cacciatore in the refrigerator overnight. This makes it convenient to serve this cacciatore on a busy night leaving only the spaghetti to be cooked.

What do I serve with cacciatore?

It’s recommended to serve the chicken cacciatore over spaghetti or you can even use egg noodles. However, to make this a gluten free meal, polenta, rice, or spiralized zucchini noodles are also a good choice. Whichever you choose, be sure and sprinkle on lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese!

Chicken cacciatore is one of the most satisfying and comforting Italian dishes you can make at home. For this reason you need this recipe in your repertoire! I hope you enjoy this perfect family meal.

Recipe