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Friday, October 15, 2010

Linguine with Chicken Ragú

Okay, Giada.  I was looking for something simple that my whole family would adore this week.  I flipped and I contemplated and I bookmarked.  I was on the fence...teetering between a roast chicken and some pasta.  Deciding factor.  Cash.  Surprise, surprise.  I already had everything on hand for the pasta dish...so pasta it was.  Despite the fact that you wanted me to finely chop the raw chicken thighs which is a task that is tedious and slippery beyond compare, so I just sort of cut it into smallish chunks, the end result was something everybody happily wolfed down.
Linguine with Chicken Ragú
slightly adapted from Giada's Family Dinners
yield: ~6 main course servings

2 Tbs. olive oil
1½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, finely chopped um, not too fine...that's a pain in the side
½ c. finely chopped shallots onions
1 Tbs. minced garlic  2 Tbs.
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
2/3 c. dry white wine  red wine
4 c. marinara sauce
salt
1 lb. dried linguine  whole grain
½ c. freshly grated parmesan

Heat oil in large, heavy skillet over medium-high.  Add the chopped chicken and cook until juices evaporate and chicken is golden, ~10 minutes.  Add shallots, garlic, and rosemary and sauté until tender, ~2 mins.  Add wine and stir up fond.  Add marinara sauce.  Bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently, ~10 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add linguine and cook according to package directions, until al dente.  Drain, reserving one cup of cooking water.  Add linguine to ragú and toss to coat, adding some reserved cooking water to moisten.

Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle with parmesan to serve.
You win this round, Teeth.  Serving this meal up Family Style is something I'll do again.


*This post is linked to:
Claire of Chez Cayenne is hosting Presto Pasta Nights this week...
IHCC PrestoPastaNights familyfoodfridays

Would you like to comment?

  1. A beautiful comfort meal in a bowl....love it. I love that creamy reddish look....yum

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  2. Looks wonderful - perfect "family dinner". I often beat the "chicken chopping" thing (especially when using thighs) by cooking them whole, and then chopping them. Not only is it easier to chop a cooked chicken thigh but also much less effort to cook - much easier to turn over one whole thigh in the pan than a whole lot of little pieces.
    Sue :-)

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  3. Wat a droolworthy pasta and chicken ragu, feel like finishing that wonderful dish..makes me hungry..

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  4. Loved reading Sue's comment above. Great thinking Sue!

    You and Giada in the kitchen together is quite funny :) I've been looking forward to your Giada posts each week and I don't expect that will change over the next 6 months. I'm loving the looks of this chicken ragu and am definitely adding it to my list. However, I have to agree with you. What was she thinking when she wrote finely chopped chicken thighs? I think I would prefer the chunks, for both texture and ease.

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  5. Pasta is always the way to go if you are looking for something simple! This sounds amazing! I always prepare a super huge pot of ragu and freeze the leftovers - great for lazy days.

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  6. I prefer the thigh to the white meat and this pasta dish looks wonderful. I think Giada's recipes are so flavorful and reliable. She and Ina usually run "neck and neck" for me.

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  7. Great looking dish! I've been known to put my thighs, well not my thighs, but the thighs I need to chop, in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Seems to make them a little less ornery.

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  8. Love chicken thighs but big chunks are tastier, meatier, and juicier!

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  9. I also add the chicken thighs whole and chop later - the bones do add flavor. This is a recipe my family would sink into - hearty for the cooler eves, pasta is always a yes and the dish is filled with flavor.

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  10. I am in a chicken mood - especially thighs, I too would cook them whole and chop later, but I am lazy like that!
    Delicious dish my friend!

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  11. Heather, I make this exact same recipe all the time and we absolutely love it. I don't finely chop the thighs either. What a pain and I like bigger chunks anyway. You never know you might even end up LIKING Giada by the end of all this. Hee hee.....

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  12. girlichef, thanks for bringing this to the Friday Potluck - it looks simply stunning. I love pastas and tomato sauces and garlic in all of their glory!

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  13. teeth, you called her teeth? Wow now that's what I call cheeky. tee hee.
    This looks wonderful, yum. All the comments lead me to believe that all of you are smartees. Who, besides a cookerator, as Ry would say, would think of fine chopping a slimey chicken thigh....not I said the little red hen. And I have on occasion taken and ground up dark and light chicken meat to appease the god and goddess that live in my house, but not by hand. They love chicken but the smaller the better for my fuss budgets.
    The Olde Bagg
    pssssst....come read our Halloween story...it's pretty funny.

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  14. I just need to get me some wine and I'm totally making this!

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  15. Looks delicious and chunky thighs
    would fit right in.
    Mimi

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  16. Your presentation of the linguine with chicken invites me to have a bowl right now. To bad I have to wait until I cook it which I will...soon.
    Thank you for sharing your recipe and beautiful photo's.

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  17. Que plato de pasta tan rico, te ha quedado genial.

    Saludos

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  18. Finely chopping raw chicken? Probably more like my fingers!
    This looks like a wonderful family meal :)

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  19. Can I come to your place for a big family meal? Wow! This looks delicious. I would easily be satisfied after eating a bowl of this. I'm finally eating meat again (after being a veg head for years) and chicken is certainly my favorite. Thank you for sharing.

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  20. I am drooling. This looks so creamy and comforting. Excellent choice.

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  21. I love to serve pasta family style, too. Yummy dish!

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  22. The pasta looks delicious!
    I just checked to see if you made it to challenge 5 and was sorry and astonished to see that you were not advanced. I think your post was worth advancing!

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  23. Sometimes you just have to show Giada who's boss. This ragu look wonderful. I'll be over for Sunday dinner. K?

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  24. What to stand up for yourself! This looks terrific. I think my crew would enjoy this and it looks fast and easy.

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  25. lovely recipe adore tomato based dishes have a great weekend Heather lol Rebecca

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  26. Looks like a meal my family would happily gobble up too!

    Happy Friday!
    ~ingrid

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  27. "You win this round Teeth" lol! I love it!

    This looks delicious! I agree on finely chopping the thighs though--way too much hassle. ;-)

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  28. Oh man I am so bummed out! :-( I just saw that you are not advancing to the next round of PFB--are they completely crazy!?! You have done a stellar job and I am proud of you taking the challenge and going as far as you did. You are a winner in my book! Here's a virtual hug.

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  29. Wow, that top photo made my tongue curl involuntarily! Deliciously beautiful this dish is...

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  30. Looks fantastic! My daughter's a big Giada fan as am I.
    Wonderful post and lovely presentation as always!

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  31. I've been craving pasta lately and this looks amazing! I love thick, hearty sauces. I'm with you on the chicken...her way sounds like a lot of work!

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  32. On my menu within 2 weeks.. yep, sounds and looks that damn good!

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  33. Isn't it great to be able to cook with what you have on hand? This looks delicious -thanks for sending this to Presto Pasta Nights.

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  34. love it, my girls would love this...oh I totally don't blame you why the extra step,,,chunky is better!!lol

    sweetlife

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  35. ouuuuuuuuu ahhhhhhhhh! this looks delicious!! makes me hungry at 11pm at night - must resist from eating!!!

    have a lovely weekend!
    jen @ www.passion4food.ca

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  36. This looks really good! I'm always on the lookout for chicken recipes- we eat a lot of it. I'm not a fan of raw chicken either- I hate to even touch it.

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  37. Nice and quick ragu. Sounds perfect for a quick week night dinner. TEETH! Too funny. Michael always talks about how big her forehead is, thinks they're both ginormous. He couldn't stop laughing last year whenn they did the Christmas special and they had bobble head dolls of everyone. He said "boy they sure got hers right"! I still like her all the same.

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  38. I like your substitutions. The final dish looks great, looks like warm comfort food.

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  39. Mmm, that would certainly please my family! Looks great, we love larger chunks too. 'Cause we're cool like that. ;-)

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  40. Sounds like a winner, and I would always make things a bit easier too. Recipes should be inspiration, after all.

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