Italian bucatini goes Greek when tossed with a tomato sauce imbued with the warmth of paprika, cumin, nutmeg and cloves.

Nestled with a tender chicken thigh simmered in the same sauce, it’s a hearty dish that transports you to the sunny Mediterranean from the get-go.

“Chicken Stew over Pasta (Pastitsada) is from the cookbook, “Yassou” (Artisan, 2024), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Shaily Lipa, a best-selling cookbook writer in Israel, who is of Greek and Turkish heritages.

In Greek, “yassou” is a customary way to wish one good health. With the Mediterranean diet long touted for its healthful ingredients, the recipes in this book make it ever so easy to include more such dishes in our everyday eating.

That’s especially true when the tantalizing recipes include: “Shrimp Saganaki” (marinated in olive oil, garlic and lemon, then cooked in a rich tomato sauce), “Zucchini Pie,” “Tomato and Orzo Soup,” “Salt-Baked Whole Fish,” and “Honey Sesame Bars.”

For this chicken stew, the accompanying photo in the book appears to show whole chicken legs. However, the recipe calls for four bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, which is what I ended up going with. I do think the thighs will cook in slightly less time than called for, so I changed that in the recipe below.

First, sear them in a non-stick pan with olive oil. Remove them from the pan, then saute chopped onions before adding in water, crushed tomatoes and the aromatics of cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, paprika, cumin, nutmeg, cloves, and a touch of sugar to form the braising liquid. Add back the chicken, cover the pan, and allow to cook, turning the chicken every so often, until done.

Boil bucatini, drain, then toss with the sauce from the chicken. The recipe stated to toss the pasta with a little olive oil before adding the sauce. But since I’ve always heard this is a no-no among Italians because it prevents the sauce from clinging to the noodles, I decided to toss the pasta with the sauce first, then drizzle the olive oil on the noodles. I made that change below, too.

Arrange the chicken pieces over the pasta, sprinkle with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan, and serve.

Take a bite and you’re met with a surprise. The dish looks for all the world like Italian spaghetti with chicken. But immediately, the peppery paprika, sweet warmth of cinnamon, pungency of clove, and citrusy note of cumin announce themselves, and let you know that you’re definitely in a different part of Europe.

Chicken Stew Over Pasta (Pastitsada)

(Serves 4 to 6)

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups warm water

One (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 cinnamon sticks

2 bay leaves

1 heaping teaspoon sugar

1 heaping teaspoon sweet or hot paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 pound bucatini

To serve:

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Grated Parmesan

Remove the chicken thighs from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking to bring them close to room temperature.

Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.

In a wide nonstick pot, heat 1/3 cup of the olive oil over high heat. Add the chicken thighs and sear for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl.

Reduce the heat to low, add the onion, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and fragrant.

Add the water, crushed tomatoes, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, sugar, paprika, cumin, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and pepper to the pot, mix, and bring to a boil over high heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.

Return the seared chicken to the pot and gently shake the pot so most of the chicken is covered by the sauce. Once again, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 45 minutes, using tongs to turn the chicken over in the sauce about every 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is tender and cooked through and the sauce is thick. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves.

Fill a separate large pot with water and season with 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions until the pasta is al dente.

Drain the pasta and transfer to a large serving bowl.

Remove the chicken pieces from the tomato sauce, then add the tomato sauce to the pasta and toss to combine. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and stir. Place the chicken on top, sprinkle with the parsley and Parmesan, and serve immediately.

The pasta is best if served shortly after cooking, but leftover pastitsada can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave.

Adapted from “Yassou” by Shaily Lipa

More Greek Recipes to Enjoy: Spicy Aromatic Braised Lamb Shanks by Diane Kochilas

And: Northern Greek Braised Pork and Leeks by Diane Kochilas

And: Baked Spanikopita Pasta with Greens and Feta