Fall-apart tender chicken thighs with pasta, braised with sun-dried tomatoes in a tangy white wine sauce. Serve over pasta and dinner is served!

Slow-cooking is all about convenience and simple pleasures.

This Italian-style braised chicken vino bianco delivers on that front.

It’s based on tender, tasty chicken thighs with pasta that’s a perfect one-dish and done meal.

The dish cooks on the stovetop in white wine, aromatic seasonings and sun-dried tomatoes.

You end up with moist, fork-tender meat and a delicious tangy pan sauce that’s perfect with fettuccine pasta. Yum!

It’s so easy to rely on chicken when you’re searching for dinner ideas.

Yes, boneless, skinless breasts cook quickly and go with just about everything, but let’s agree to agree: White meat is too often dry and boring.

On the other hand, bone-in parts like chicken thighs and legs are where the flavor is.

My recipe calls for chicken thighs (and legs, if you like), with the skin removed.

After an hour and a half cooking time, the meat becomes tender and falls away from the bone, making it little effort to pull the bones out and tear the meat into bite-sized pieces.

What’s the best white wine to cook with?

Generally, the best advice I can give is to cook with white wine that tastes great on its own.

Look for wines that are on the dry (not sweet) side, such as:

• Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Dry Rosé

Similar recipes I’ve seen for this dish, like this “copycat” Olive Garden chicken vino bianco includes cream to enrich the sauce.

I prefer a lighter sauce, but if you’d like to add a touch of richness, just stir in a few tablespoons of heavy cream before serving.

Yield: 4 - 6 servings

Braised Chicken in White White Sauce

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This is such a tasty one-dish dinner! Fork-tender braised chicken "vino bianco", in a light white wine pan sauce with sun-dried tomatoes. Serve over pasta. 

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs or a mixture of half chicken thighs and legs 
• Kosher salt (I use Diamond brand)
• Black peppercorns in a grinder
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed); coarsely chopped
• 1 1/4 cups dry white wine, such as pinot grigio
• 1/4 cup chicken stock or water
• 3 fresh rosemary or thyme sprigs
• 1 pound dried fettuccine or tagliatelle pasta
• 2 or 3 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Season the chicken on all sides with 2 teaspoons of the salt and 15 grinds of black pepper. Sprinkle the flour over the chicken and turn it to coat.
2. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a 3 or 4-quart deep skillet or saute pan. Add the chicken in 2 batches and sear until golden on both sides. Remove to a platter.
3. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and add the tomatoes.
4. Pour in the wine. Add the stock or water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Put the herb sprigs on top of the chicken. Cover the pan and turn the heat down to a very low simmer. Cook 1 1/2 hours. The chicken meat should be tender and falling off the bone (if not, cook an additional 15 minutes).
5. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.
6. Using two forks, shred the chicken in the pan into large chunks. Discard the bones and stir the meat to combine with the pan sauce. If you're using cream, stir it in.
7. Pour the chicken and the pan sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle with the cheese and parsley and toss everything together. 

Notes

The best pan to use for this stovetop braised chicken is a 3 or 4-quart capacity deep skillet or heavy saute pan with a lid.

Look for dried tomatoes that are plump, pliant and brightly colored, rather than very hard, brown ones.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 688 Total Fat: 28g Saturated Fat: 9g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 19g Cholesterol: 219mg Sodium: 568mg Carbohydrates: 47g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 6g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 50g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Nutritionix. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate with your favorite calculator.

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