Roman-Style Chicken (Pollo alla Romana)

The sweetness of the peppers, the smokiness of the prosciutto, and freshness from the basil — expect an explosion of flavors in every serving of Roman Chicken (also known as Pollo alla Romana).  No need to travel to Rome to experience this traditional dish. Give it a try!

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The locals typically serve this during summer, when tomatoes and bell peppers are in season.  But I don’t care; I make roman chicken the whole year-round in Stockholm.

Now you can do the same!

IF YOU WANT MORE TRADITIONAL ITALIAN RECIPES, THEN YOU WILL LOVE THESE POSTS!

Ingredients

• Olive oil – I strongly suggest using extra virgin olive oil, if possible.

• Bell peppers – I always use a combination of red and yellow bell peppers.

• Basil – you need fresh basil for this roman chicken recipe.

• Tomatoes – I use cherry tomatoes in this recipe because it was in season.

• Prosciutto – note that its prosciutto crudo, not prosciutto cotto that you need for making pollo alla romana.

• Tomato paste – just use your favorite brand.

• Garlic – minced or thinly sliced.

• Onion – thinly sliced.

• Chicken – chopped; with both skin and bones.

• Balsamic vinegar – a good, creamy brand would be excellent.

• Seasoning – peperoncino, salt, and ground black pepper.

Preparation

Start your roman chicken preparation by preheating the oven to 225°C (435°F) — for roasting the bell peppers.  

Place bell peppers on a baking tray, pour and rub half a tablespoon of olive oil on them (photo 1).

Place in the oven for twenty to twenty-five minutes, or just until you see their skin starting to turn brown.  

Once the peppers have cooled down, peel them, remove the membrane and seeds, and chop them into half-an-inch width. 

While the peppers are roasting, you can continue seasoning the chopped chicken with salt and pepper (photo 2).

Using a large pan or skillet, pour the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat.

Once the oil is ready, start browning the chicken — leave some space in between the pieces of chicken (photo 3).

Remove the chicken and set it aside.

Lower the heat to medium and add garlic and onion; cook for a few minutes until they softened.

Add the prosciutto. Mix and cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the browned chicken back into the pan (photo 4).

Add salt, pepper, peperoncino, tomato paste, and tomatoes.  Mix to combine and add torn basil leaves (photo 5).

Mix and turn the heat back to medium-high. Cover the pan with a lid and bring to a boil. Adjust flame to medium-low and simmer until the chicken is cooked (about twenty to twenty-five minutes).

Take the pan off the heat and add roasted peppers and balsamic vinegar.  Mix (photo 6).

Your pollo alla romana is now ready for serving — garnish with more fresh basil leaves, if desired.

Helpful tips

• You can chop the prosciutto differently when you make your roman chicken.  I used to slice them thinly since that’s how I usually buy them from the counter, but nowadays, I prefer to chop them into cubes.

• Feel free to grill the peppers directly on the stovetop or outside.

• Do not overcook the bell peppers; there should still be a bit of bite left on them. Make sure you stop cooking them as soon as you see blisters on their skins.

• Do not skip the balsamic vinegar at the end. It provides a different kind of ‘sweetness’ to the dish — one that gives pollo alla romana that distinct taste.

Recipe variation

• Other types of tomato.  You can use whatever kind of tomatoes you have.  Try to use fresh ones, though, not canned tomatoes.

• Other types of pepper.  Bell peppers are the only types you should use for roman chicken — and you can use any color EXCEPT green bell peppers.

Red, yellow, orange; they all turn sweet when roasted, but not the green ones.  The slight bitterness in its flavor does not go well with roman chicken.

FAQ

So, give this roman chicken a try this week and let me know what you think!