http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/linguine-with-chicken-thighs/
Stand back, because I have to get something off my chest: I LOVE BONELESS, SKINLESS CHICKEN THIGHS!
Okay, I’m back and I feel much, much better. No, really. I’m fine. Thank you. Have you discovered boneless, skinless chicken thighs yet? I absolutely love them and they’ve revolutionized my cooking. They combine all the versatility of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but they have an added component: FLAVOR! Flavor, flavor, flavor, and a delightful texture that’ll pretty much steer you away from breasts for good. And if I were mischievous, I’d crack some sophomoric joke right now…but I’m not. So I won’t.
This dish is one of my favorite ways to use boneless, skinless thighs, and it’s so, so simple. Small pieces of chicken thighs are cooked quickly in olive oil over a high heat, then removed from the pan. Then a simple marinara sauce is prepared in the same pan, later reunited with the chicken, and eventually poured over steaming hot linguine. I make this dish all the time, and I’m continually amazed that such a simple combination of ingredients can result in a dish that tastes so special. And the best thing about it? Marlboro Man loves this dish. My four punks love this dish. And I love this dish. The harmony is almost too much to take.
Let’s make it and we’ll see if the same thing happens to your house!
The Cast of Characters: Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs, Linguine (or any pasta!), Crushed Tomatoes, Onion, Garlic, Wine (or chicken broth), Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, Fresh Parsley, Fresh Basil, and Parmesan Cheese.
Begin by cutting up the chicken thighs into small pieces.
Now, chicken thighs are a little tricky to cut up, so it’s VERY important to begin with a very sharp knife. And take it slow.
Slice all the way across the thigh…
Then turn them the other way and finish dicing.
Now you’ve got a great big pile of fabulous chicken flavor! Well, at least you will after we cook them. C’mon. Let’s keep moving.
Get a skillet really hot, and generously drizzle in some olive oil. See those black spots in my pan? They’re the result of my turning on the heat, then walking out of the kitchen and getting distracted for about fifteen minutes. When I came back, the pan was hot. Very hot. And it was mad. I gave it freckles.
Swirl to coat the pan, then add half of the cut up chicken to the pan, spreading them out as you put them in. NOTE: Do not begin stirring the chicken immediately. We want to get the chicken nice and brown, and the best way to do that is not to move it after it touches the pan.
After a minute or two, flip over the chicken with a spatula. Then let it brown on the other side.
After it’s brown, remove it to a plate. Now it’s time to do the second half of the chicken. Don’t worry about the chicken cooking all the way through; it’ll finish cooking in the sauce later.
Drizzle in some more olive oil…
And brown the chicken. Then remove this batch to the plate and set aside. NOTE: Do NOT wash the pan at this point, because we’re gonna want all those brown, flavorful bits in the bottom of the pan.
Now it’s time to chop an small-medium onion. Here’s how I chop onions: Cut the onion in half from end to end…
Then lay each half on the side and cut off the tops.
Peel off the outer skin, then make several vertical slices.
Next, rotate the onion 90 degrees and continue slicing to create a dice.
Thus endeth the onion chopping lesson. Amen.
Hello, pan. I’ve missed you and your brown bits very much. And now, I’m going to heat you up again.
Once the pan starts to get hot, drizzle in some more olive oil.
Throw in the onions…
Chop up 3 or 4 cloves of garlic and throw it in.
Then stir lightly just to combine.
NOW! Grab that glass of wine sitting on the counter. Take a big swig. Thank God for grapes. Then…
Pour the wine into the pan. I used about 1/2 cup. It’ll steam and smell divine. NOTE: If you’re not a wine-o like me, you can use about 1/2 cup of chicken broth and it’ll taste just perfect.
Take a whisk (mine is flat and I love the dang thing) and begin scraping the bottom of the pan, which will loosen all those beautiful brown bits so they’ll wind up in the sauce.
Once you’ve loosened all the bits, let it bubble up and cook for a couple of minutes…
Until the liquid has reduced by half.
Now open up your two cans of whoop ass. Oh my! I mean, open up your two cans of crushed tomatoes. Then pour them right into the pan.
Stir to combine.
Add in a healthy pinch of salt and…you heard me…a healthy pinch of sugar. The sugar will cut down the acidic bite of the tomatoes.
Now reduce the heat to a simmer and let it cook for a while.
About fifteen minutes into the simmering process, dump in all the chicken, making sure to get all the juices from the plate in there.
Stir to combine, then keep simmering for at least another fifteen minutes. That way, if any of the chicken wasn’t totally cooked, it’ll finish cooking all the way through. Also, the sauce will become richer and absorb some of the wonderful chicken flavor.
Meanwhile, throw a package of dry linguine into a pot of boiling, lightly salted water.
Now, toward the end of the sauce’s cooking process, chop up some fresh herbs. I like to send my punks out to the herb garden, tell them the herbs I need, and see what they come back with. Sometimes, when I say “Parsley”, they’ll come back with a big honkin’ Hosta—roots, dirt, and all. I need to work on them.
Well, whadda ya know? They actually brought back parsley this time! Will wonders never cease?
Go ahead and chop it pretty finely.
Now, stack up about 7 or 8 basil leaves…
And roll them into a nice, horizontal…well…roll.
Then cut the roll into small slices, which will result in a Chiffonade. Everyone say that with me: Chiffonade. Shiff-oh-nod.
Throw all the herbs into the sauce…
And stir to combine. And oh, baby. Let me tell you—it may just look like a boring old chicken/marinara sauce, but those chicken thighs really, really take it over the top.
To serve, just throw the cooked (al dente, please) noodles onto a platter. I bought this particular platter at Sam’s Club in the summer of ‘04 in a fit of impulsiveness. I was eight months pregnant and I also bought the then-new Ashlee Simpson CD, which I listened to the whole way back to the ranch. A week later, I dyed my hair black.
I still can’t explain my peculiar actions that summer. But at least I have a bitchin’ platter to show for it.
Okay, now you can pour the sauce right over the top.
And grate some fresh Parmesan over the top. Feel free to go overboard.
I like to slice storebought herb/garlic bread, drown the slices in olive oil, and brown them under the broiler. Then I like to stack them abundantly around the perimeter of the platter. Don’t ask me why. It probably has something to do with Ashlee Simpson.
Now serve up individual portions, heaping plenty of fresh Parmesan over the top. And yes, you can use the stuff in the green can if you want. I give you permission.
Now hurry up and eat!
That’s what I just did.
*Burp* Excuse me.
Pioneer Woman’s Linguine with Chicken Thighs
Olive Oil
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
Salt
Pepper
1/2 to 1 medium Onion, chopped
2 to 3 cloves Garlic, chopped
1/2 cup White Wine (or Chicken Broth)
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
Pinch of Sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped Fresh Parsley
8 large fresh Basil leaves, chiffonadededededed
1 package Linguine noodles, cooked. (Can use any pasta you’d like.)
Fresh Parmesan Cheese, grated, in abundance
Boil a pot of water for the pasta. Cook linguine noodles until al dente.
Heat olive oil in a hot skillet, then add diced chicken thighs in single layer. Don’t stir around; just let them brown on one side. Flip over with spatula, allow to brown, then remove to separate plate. In same pan, over medium heat, add onions and garlic and stir to combine. Pour in wine (or broth) then scrape bottom of pan with whisk to loosen brown bits. Next, pour in crushed tomatoes, add salt, pepper, and pinch of sugar, then simmer for fifteen minutes. After fifteen minutes, throw in all the cooked chicken, including its juice from the plate. Allow to simmer for fifteen more minutes. Add chopped fresh herbs at the end, then pour over cooked linguine in large bowl or platter. Top with lots and lots of fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Eat. Faint. Then feel grateful you’ve discovered boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Vow never to be without them again.
Love,
Pioneer Woman
I’m sure everyone has his own favorite lasagna recipe, but I’d just like to offer that this really is The Best Lasagna Ever. Part of its appeal is that the ingredients used are totally basic; you don’t have to hunt down fresh basil or buffalo mozzarella or Parmigiano-Reggiano or handmade sausage from from an Italian mama in old Napoli. Anyone can make this, anywhere, anytime. And it’s the easiest thing in the world.
Aside from the simplicity and availability of ingredients, however, this lasagna is just dadgum good. Before Marlboro Man and I met, I cooked this for an older guy with whom I’d had a couple of dates. The next day, he told me he’d added me to his life insurance policy. It’s that powerful.
Since then, I’ve made this lasagna for various categories of humans: men, women, democrats, republicans, dimwits, scholars, and foreign dignitaries. I even donated two pans to a charity auction once. The overwhelming consensus has always been that it’s "The Best Lasagna Ever," which is precisely what I’ve been trying to tell you turkeys. So let’s get started!
The Cast of Characters. See how, um, basic everything is? The recipe even calls for KRAFT Parmesan Cheese, of all things. For goodness sake, please don’t tell Mario Batali.
Are you ready? Here we go…
In a skillet, combine 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, 1 pound hot breakfast sausage, and 2 cloves minced garlic.
Cook until brown.
Then, unless you have a particular fondness for arteriosclerosis and angina and cellulite…
You might consider draining off about half the fat. I like to leave some in there, though, because it tastes better and because I’m a naughty girl. So please don’t be a health nut and drain it all, for pete’s sake.
After that, add two 14.5-oz cans of whole tomatoes, two 6-oz cans of tomato paste…
2 tablespoons of dried parsley flakes, 2 tablespoons dried basil…
And 1 teaspoon salt.
Mix together thoroughly and simmer, uncovered, about 45 minutes…
Stirring occasionally.
In the meantime, boil a 10-oz package of lasagna noodles. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to the water, as well as 1 tablespoon olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking. Cook the noodles "al dente" so they’ll still have quite a bite to them. When they’re finished cooking, drain, rinse with cool water, and lay the noodles flat on a sheet of aluminum foil. That way, they’ll be easier to handle later.
While the meat mixture and noodles are cooking, mix 3 cups lowfat cottage cheese in a bowl with 2 beaten eggs. IMPORTANT: If the thought of cottage cheese makes you want to rent your garments, take heart: you won’t even know it’s there. Marlboro Man wouldn’t touch cottage cheese with a ten foot pole, yet he loved this lasagna so much…he married me.
To the cottage cheese, add 1/2 cup Kraft Parmesan Cheese…
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes, and 1 teaspoon salt.
Mix together well.
Now, go ahead and build your assembly line: meat mixture, 1 pound sliced mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese mixture, and cooked lasagna noodles.
Let the assembly begin! Lay four cooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of the pan, overlapping as you go.
Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the noodles…
Then lay 1/2 pound of mozzarella cheese slices on top of the cottage cheese mixture. This particular brand of cheese was cut very thin, so I had to double up the slices to make 1/2 pound. Don’t let this throw you off—some brands are cut thicker, and would only require a single layer of slices. NOTE: I prefer sliced mozzarella, but you can certainly use grated mozzarella if necessary.
With the spoon, make a line through the middle of the meat mixture so you’ll distribute it evenly.
Spread a little less than half of the meat mixture over the mozzarella cheese slices…
Until it’s evenly distributed.
Now it’s time to repeat the process! Add another layer of four lasagna noodles…
And top with the remaining half of the cottage cheese mixture.
Then top the cottage cheese mixture with another 1/2 pound of mozzarella.
And finish with the rest of the meat mixture.
Spread evenly.
Now grab that trusty-rusty container of good ol’ Kraft Parmesan Cheese and start sprinklin’!
Top with a pretty generous layer.
Now pop it in a 350-degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. (Alternately, you could cover and freeze it, unbaked, at this point. OR cover and refrigerate, unbaked, for up to two days before baking.)
