Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients for Chicken Cacciatore

  • 2 pounds of skinless, boneless chicken (thighs or breast), cubed into 1 inch pieces

  • 8 oz of mushrooms (oyster or portabella)

  • 4 slices of pancetta

  • 2 sprigs of rosemary

  • 1 clove of garlic, minced

  • 1 small white onion

  • 12 pitted olives (black or kalamata)

  • 1 peperoncino (or red pepper flakes)

  • 1 bunch of Italian parsley or basil

  • 3/4 cup of wine (Chianti or dry white)

  • 12 oz of canned whole organic tomatoes (crush tomato by hand prior to cooking) or if in season 20 fresh cherry tomatoes (quartered)

  • 1 bay leaf

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as needed for sauteing

  • salt and pepper to taste

  • spaghetti noodles (enough for 4 to 6 people)

Directions for Chicken Cacciatore

  1. In a large stock pot, boil salted water for spaghetti.

  2. Cube chicken into 1 inch chunks. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil, then cook chicken until sides are browned. Set chicken aside.

  3. Saute onion, pancetta, rosemary, and bay leaf in skillet, adding olive oil as needed. Add wine and crushed tomatoes. Check taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Add peperoncino. Reduce heat to low and allow liquid to reduce by half. Add pasta water if liquid gets too low.

  4. Cook spaghetti in boiling water until al dente. Add chicken back to the skillet while the spaghetti is cooking to warm through about 7-8 minutes.

  5. Rough chop the parsley or basil and add to skillet just prior to serving.

  6. Serve chicken cacciatore over the spaghetti. May garnish with Parmesan cheese.