4oz.of white wine such as chardonnaya wine you would drink
2cupsheavy cream
8oz.sliced white mushrooms
4large handfuls of baby spinach roughly chopped
1/2cupof grated Pecorino Romano cheese.
1/2onion diced
4-5clovesof minced garlic
1tsp.of Italian seasoning
1tsp.of garlic powder
1tsp.of onion powder
1tsp.of paprika
2tsp.of dried basil
chopped fresh Italian parsley for garnish
salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Season the chicken room temperature, chicken thighs with the listed seasonings. Make sure the chicken thighs are dry with no moisture before seasoning. Allow them to marinate 30 minutes before cooking.
In a stock pot brown the chicken thighs in olive oil until they are browned on each side and cooked through. No pink!
Remove the chicken thighs and let them rest on a plate while you are cooking the rest of the meal. Slice them on the diagonal before adding them to the pot, after the pasta is done.
In the same stock pot add the onions and garlic and sauté until golden. Then add the sliced mushrooms and add plenty of salt and pepper and sauté until lightly browned and golden.
If a little more olive oil is needed add now.
Deglaze the pan with white wine and let the alcohol burn out for a couple minutes.
Then, add the chicken stock and heavy cream and bring the pot to a boil and cook with the cover off.
Add 1 lb. of rigatoni pasta and boil until the pasta is al dente.
Once the pasta is about 5 minutes away from being aldente add the chopped spinach.
You will notice the liquid has reduced and when this happens and the pasta is done turn the heat off and stir in the Pecorino Romano cheese. Taste and add more cracked black pepper and salt if needed.
Add 3 of the sliced chicken thighs into the pot and stir. Then, add the pasta to a large bowl.
The 4th chicken thigh will be placed on top of the dish along with some chopped fresh parsley and cracked black pepper.
The pasta sauce will thicken as it settles, so let the pasta set for 5 minutes or so before serving.
Enjoy! Make it!
Notes
I used boneless skinless chicken thighs in this recipe. I love for the juicy and delicious flavor. In this recipe you are cooking the chicken all the way until it's done in the pot. Chicken thighs are very forgiving, so just brown on each side without moving them around too much for about 5 minutes each side. Then, flip and cook a little more until they are no longer pink.
If you aren't a fan of chicken thighs, simply substitute with chicken breast.
Dutch Oven: Use a heavy 7 quart Dutch oven to make this dish. This is the Dutch oven I use: https://amzn.to/3e3OG2I