For some reason when a recipe calls for wine, I feel like the meal is instantly more fancy and yes, sophisticated. I’m not a fancy cook, I’m a semi, mediocre cook, who is also a busy working mom that lacks a sense of smell. I cannot walk into a kitchen and create a fabulous meal out of nothing (like my mother can), but I can follow a recipe!
I found this site called The Pioneer Woman Cooks and have been so pleased with the recipes I’ve found on it. The most recent one I tried was Chicken with Tomatoes and Garlic and it was great! Dave’s only complaint was that the recipe called for chicken legs and that meant it was on the bone. In the history of our marriage this was only the second time I had made chicken on the bone, the last time (which was years ago) I believe I had to de-bone the chicken for Dave…
Ingredients
- 8 pieces Chicken Legs Or Thighs
- Salt And Pepper, to taste
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 1 can (28 Ounce) Diced Tomatoes
- 1 can (14 Ounces) Whole Tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons (Heaping) Tomato Paste
- Fresh Herbs: Basil, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary
- 8 cloves Garlic
- 16 ounces, weight Pasta (I Used Cavitappi)
- Grated Parmesan Cheese, For Serving
- ½ cups White Wine (or Red Wine)
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Salt and pepper chicken legs.
Heat ovenproof skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and butter. When oil/butter is hot, add chicken legs to the pan. Using tongs, brown on all sides, about 2 minutes. Remove chicken from pan.
Pour in wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits. Cook for 1 minute. Pour in tomatoes with their juice and add tomato paste. Add salt and pepper to taste, stirring to combine. Bring sauce to a boil, then turn off heat. Add plenty of fresh herbs, 8 cloves of peeled (but whole) garlic, and the chicken legs. Put lid on pot and cook in the oven for 1 hour.
Remove pot from oven and allow it to sit on the counter with the lid on while you boil the pasta.
Cook the pasta to al dente, Drain and add to a large serving bowl.
Remove lid and check sauce. If it’s overly thin, remove the chicken from the pot and boil the sauce on the stovetop for 5 to 10 minutes. Check seasonings and adjust as needed.
To serve, pour sauce over cooked pasta, then arrange chicken pieces over the top. Sprinkle generously with fresh Parmesan and serve with crusty French bread.
