Name: One-Pan Braised Chicken Thighs and Fennel Pasta
Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yield: Serves 2
Ingredients: 3 garlic cloves, minced or crushed in a garlic press; 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves removed and finely chopped; 1 large lemon, zested and juiced; 2 Tbsp. light olive oil; Red pepper flakes, to taste; 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil; 1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced; ½ large yellow onion, minced; 2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade; 1 cup dry white wine; 8 oz. whole-wheat pasta; 3 oz. Pecorino Romano cheese; ½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped; Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Onepan crispy braised chicken thighs and fennel pasta.

Photo by Evan Sung

This crispy braised chicken thigh and fennel dish is a one-pot dinner recipe I’ve been fiddling with over the years, a continual effort to align equal levels of richness, satisfaction, health, wholesomeness, and ease. Something that’s definitely pasta and butter, but is rich with fiber and protein. Something that’s both bright and crisp on its surface, contrasted against its more saucy and savory underbelly. Something that’s on the table in less than an hour with flavors that tasted like they took all day, yada yada yada, I’m running out of cookbook jargon. Really, you can look at this dish as an opportunity to exercise all your basic cooking skills—chopping, crushing, mincing, slicing, searing, deglazing, braising, emulsifying, seasoning, finishing—virtually everything you need to succeed in the kitchen is on display here. It is to the kitchen as the rowing machine is to the gym: a low-impact, full-body, aware and engaged process that grows easier with time and yields visible, demonstrable results. But I’m not selling you rowing machines—I’m buying you dinner. Not like, literally.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘Basics with Babish' by Andrew Rea. Buy the full book on Amazon. Get more chicken thigh recipes →

What you’ll need

Light Olive Oil
$7 At Amazon
Whole Wheat Fusilli
$3 At Amazon
Red Pepper Flakes
$6 At Amazon

Troubleshooting:

The chicken is tough, kind of slippery: Sounds like the thighs definitely needed more braising time—make sure the thighs reach at least 175°F, don’t be afraid to top off the pan with more chicken stock if it becomes too dry!

The sauce is broken: Take the pan off the heat and add a splash of water to re-emulsify the fat back in.

The sauce tastes too harsh: More butter!

The sauce tastes too flat: More lemon juice! More herbs!

The sauce needs more body and salt: More Parmesan!

Recipe information

Total Time
1 hour 25 minutes
Yield
Serves 2

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves, minced or crushed in a garlic press

2 fresh rosemary sprigs, leaves removed and finely chopped

1 large lemon, zested and juiced

2 Tbsp. light olive oil

Red pepper flakes, to taste

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced

½ large yellow onion, minced

2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

1 cup dry white wine

8 oz. whole-wheat pasta

3 oz. Pecorino Romano cheese

½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Preparation

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Step 2
In a small bowl, combine the garlic, rosemary, lemon zest, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine, then set aside.
Step 3
Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper.
Step 4
Add the vegetable oil to a cold ovenproof stainless-steel skillet, then add the chicken skin-side down. Make sure each piece is thoroughly coated in the oil. Turn the heat to medium high and let the chicken sit undisturbed until the skin is crisp and well browned, 3 to 6 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 minute on the other side. Transfer to a plate and set aside (the chicken will continue to cook later).
Step 5
Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet. Add the fennel and onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and slightly brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Make a small well in the center and add the garlic-herb paste. Cook on the direct heat of the skillet, stirring, for about 1 minute before mixing into the surrounding vegetables. Continue to cook until all of the vegetables are tender and evenly coated in the herb mixture, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock, wine, and lemon juice and bring the sauce to a bare simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Return the chicken thighs to the skillet, skin-side up, making sure the skin is not submerged in the liquid.
Step 6
Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs reaches 175°F. Remove from the oven and set the chicken aside on a plate.
Step 7
Return the skillet to the stove and bring the braising liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until the pasta is al dente, anywhere from 5 to 12 minutes, depending on the type of pasta. Add the cheese and basil and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 8
Return the chicken thighs to the sauce and cook until warmed through, 4 to 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Excerpted from Basics with Babish: Recipes for Screwing Up, Trying Again, and Hitting It Out of the Park. Copyright @ 2023 by Andrew Rea. Photography Copyright © 2023 by Evan Sung. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, and imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved. Buy the full book from Amazon or Simon & Schuster.