CHICKEN RUSTICO

CHICKEN RUSTICO image

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 large onion, sliced.
3 cloves of garlic, or to taste.
1/4-1/2 cup of carrots, sliced to 1/4" rounds.
1/4-1/2 chopped red bell pepper
1 can of organic diced tomatoes (Muir Glen is great.)
1/2 Tbsp. dried basil
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
Good olive oil
Rosemary sprigs - 1/2 sprig for each piece of chicken.
4 Chicken legs (or 4 breasts.) Organic, preferred.
Pasta of your preference.
For the table:
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Freshly torn basil leaves

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice the onions, chop the garlic, cut up the carrots and red pepper. Wash the chicken. Place the onions in the bottom of a roasting pan. Add the dried basil and the rest of the sliced veggies, including the can of diced tomatoes. (You can add zucchini if you like too...make the pieces large.) Salt and pepper the veggies, then salt and pepper the chicken. Place the rosemary and some onion underneath the skin of each piece of chicken. Put a few spritzes of olive oil on the mixture. Set timer for 45 minutes. Roast the chicken and veggies for 45 minutes. While roasting the chicken and sauce, start pot of water for pasta. When boiling, add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. At 10 minutes before the chicken will be finished, boil pasta according to directions on box. Drain and reserve in the hot pot with a touch of good olive oil. At 45 minutes, take the chicken out of the oven. If the chicken is done, but the sauce looks like it could use more time, pull the chicken out of the pan and place it on a plate. Tent with aluminum foil. Put the roasting pan with the veggies back in the oven and roast for a few more minutes, turning the oven up to 450 degrees. When the roasted sauce is finished, plate up the pasta with the sauce and add the chicken. At the table, add freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and the torn basil leaves. Mangia!