Martha Stewart Chicken Puttanesca Orzo Recipe

Nobody believes me when I say this only takes 25 minutes. Martha Stewart’s Chicken Puttanesca with Orzo is made with chicken cutlets, diced tomatoes, Kalamata olives, capers, garlic, and orzo pasta all brought together in one bold, salty, briny meal.

This chicken orzo recipe is one of Martha Stewart’s fastest chicken pasta dishes, and I make it on weeknights when I want something that tastes like it simmered for hours. The puttanesca sauce comes together in about 4 minutes while the chicken rests, which still seems impossible to me. I lean on this one all winter when I want dinner done before I have time to overthink it.

Try More Chicken Recipes:

• Chicken Piccata
• Chicken Parmesan
• Chicken Scarpariello

Why You Will Love This Chicken Puttanesca:

• The sauce is done in 4 minutes: Tomatoes, olives, and capers go into the same skillet the chicken came out of. Four minutes at a hard boil and you have a sauce that tastes like Sunday dinner. I did not believe it until I tried it.
• Caper brine is the secret move: Martha whisks the brine right into the chicken marinade instead of dumping it down the drain. That one tablespoon adds salt and acid without an extra ingredient. I almost missed it the first time I read the recipe.
• It is a full meal already: Chicken, orzo, and a chunky tomato sauce. I do not add sides most nights because there is nothing missing. That is rare for a 25-minute dinner.

Chicken Puttanesca With Orzo Ingredients

• 3/4 pound orzo
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 large cloves garlic, finely minced
• 3 tablespoons capers plus 1 tablespoon brine
• 4 chicken cutlets (about 1 pound)
• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped Kalamata olives

How To Make Martha Stewart Chicken Puttanesca With Orzo

1. Cook the orzo: Cook the orzo according to package instructions. Drain, transfer to a bowl, and toss with 2 tablespoons of oil and the parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Season the chicken: In a medium bowl, whisk the garlic, 1 tablespoon oil, the caper brine, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss with the chicken cutlets to coat.
3. Cook the chicken: In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Cook the chicken until golden and cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer to a plate.
4. Make the puttanesca sauce: Add the tomatoes with their liquid, the olives, and capers to the skillet. Boil until thickened, about 4 minutes. Stir in any juices from the resting chicken. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve: Serve the chicken over the orzo, topped with the puttanesca sauce.

Recipe Tips

• Save the caper brine: Martha uses it in the chicken marinade. I almost poured it down the drain before I read the recipe twice. That tablespoon of brine does more than you would expect.
• Boil the sauce hard: Four minutes at a rolling boil, not a gentle simmer. That is what thickens the tomatoes and concentrates the olive and caper flavors. I simmered gently once and the sauce was thin.
• Stir in the resting juices: The juices that pool under the chicken while it rests go right back into the sauce. That is flavor you do not want to leave behind.
• Use good Kalamata olives: Martha calls for Kalamata and I would not substitute. Canned black olives taste like nothing in comparison. The briny, meaty flavor is what makes puttanesca what it is.

Changes That Worked

I tried chicken thighs once instead of cutlets. They work but they take longer, about 12 minutes instead of 8, and you lose the speed that makes this recipe special.

• A pinch of red pepper flakes in the sauce. Not in the recipe but it adds a little heat that works with the olives and capers.
• Extra olives. Martha says 1/2 cup but I use closer to 3/4 because I like the sauce saltier and chunkier.

Sometimes I toss the orzo directly into the sauce instead of serving them separately. It soaks everything up and turns it into more of a one pot pasta situation.

What Goes Well With This Chicken Puttanesca

Most nights I do not add anything because the orzo and sauce are already a full plate. But when I want something extra, a piece of warm sourdough bread to mop up the sauce is perfect.

If I want a vegetable, I keep it light. A quick cucumber salad or some simple green beans. The puttanesca is bold enough on its own.

How To Store Leftovers

Store the chicken, orzo, and sauce together in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The orzo absorbs a lot of the sauce overnight, which I actually prefer. It turns into more of a pasta bake texture by day two. I would not freeze it because the orzo gets mushy.

Reheat in a skillet with a splash of water or broth over medium heat, about 5 minutes. The sauce loosens back up. I eat this cold more than I reheat it, straight from the container with a fork. The olives and capers taste even better the next day.

FAQs

• Can I use a different pasta instead of orzo? Yes. Penne, fusilli, or any short pasta works. I like orzo here because it cooks fastest and catches the chunky sauce in every bite. Martha uses orzo for a reason.
• Can I use chicken thighs instead of cutlets? You can, but expect a longer cook time, closer to 12 minutes. Cutlets are thin and cook in 5 to 8 minutes, which is what makes this a 25-minute dinner. I would stick with cutlets if speed matters.
• What are capers and can I skip them? Capers are small pickled flower buds and they are essential to puttanesca. Without them and the olives, this is just chicken with tomato sauce. I would not skip them. They are the whole point of the dish.
• Is this spicy? Not as written. Martha keeps it briny and savory, not spicy. I add red pepper flakes but that is my own addition. The original recipe has no heat.

More Chicken Recipes:

• Chicken Marsala
• Baked Chicken Thighs
• Chicken Tetrazzini

Nutrition Facts

(1 serving, serves 4)

• Calories: 520
• Total Fat: 18g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Cholesterol: 65mg
• Sodium: 850mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 62g
• Protein: 30g