Ingredients :

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs — By far the best choice here. Thighs stay juicy even if you forget them for thirty seconds too long — unlike breasts which become dry at the slightest inattention. If you absolutely insist on breasts, no problem, but watch the cooking closely and reduce the time by a minute or two.
• Dry penne — Look for bronze-cut pasta, often marked ‘trafilate al bronzo’ on the package. The surface is slightly rough to the touch, which allows the sauce to really cling. Smooth penne just slips. The result isn’t the same.
• Honey BBQ sauce — Choose a thick sauce that holds well on a spoon. Sauces that are too thin will dilute the dish. Try an artisanal brand if you can find one; otherwise, major commercial brands work very well as long as the texture is dense.
• Smoked paprika — This is what gives it depth. Ordinary sweet paprika won’t do the same job — you really need the smoked version, that slightly sharp and woody side that recalls embers. A small level teaspoon is enough to taste the difference.