Chicken Cacciatore: An Italian Classic

Simple ingredients with big flavor. That’s what this dish is all about. “Cacciatore” comes form the Italian word for “hunter”, so while it is most commonly done with chicken, I suspect it was originally made out of rabbit and other wild game. Feel free to substitute pheasant, boar, rabbit or wild turkey.

CHICKEN CACCIATORE

SERVES 4-6

INGREDIENTS ·

• 1 qt. crushed tomatoes

• 12 each crimini mushrooms-quartered

• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced

• 1/8 cup olive oil

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 4 pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces

• ¼ cup smoked slab bacon

• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary

• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano

• 1 cup low-salt chicken broth

• 1/4 cup thinly sliced basil (1 tablespoon reserved)

• 2 tablespoons drained capers

• Cracked black pepper

• ¾ pound Penne pasta, cooked

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle chicken with black pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large deep ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken skin-side down and sauté until brown. Turn the chicken over and cook another 5 more minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Add bacon, onions and mushrooms to skillet and sauté until onions are golden brown, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, red wine vinegar, rosemary and oregano. Season with black pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Return chicken to sauce in skillet. Place skillet in oven and roast uncovered for 10 minutes. Baste the chicken with the sauce and cook another 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear when pierced with knife. Remove skillet from oven. Stir in basil (reserving a tablespoon) and half of capers.

Place hot pasta in large mixing bowl. Spoon approximately 2 cups of sauce into the bowl with the pasta and gently toss. Pour pasta into a large bowl. Arrange chicken on the pasta and top with the sauce. Sprinkle remaining basil and capers over and serve.