Bucatini Chicken Thighs Kalamata Olives

Continuing series "Honey What’s For Dinner?"

Well I have:

Chicken thighs

Pepperioncini

Plum tomatoes

Kalamata Olives

Red Onion

Garlic

Bucatini

Look what I made

This is a very simple recipe you probably have all the ingredients with the exception of Bucatini pasta more about this delicious pasta later.

The first thing I always do is prep all ingredients.  This makes the cooking stress free.

If I am using chicken I clean/prep my chicken last.  Everyone knows about handling raw chicken so keep it wrapped up until you are ready for it.  So let’s start by opening a 28 oz can of plum tomatoes preferably San Marzano.  I will dedicate a future blog on the history of this delicious tomato. Next start with a handful of Kalamata olives remove the pits if you didn’t buy pitted olives and cut in half. Dice half of a medium size red onion.  Add about one tablespoon small capers I’m guessing on the amount we like capers so I add a little more.  Remember this is just cooking so add more or less of what you like.  Also we will be tasting as we go so you can adjust quantities later. Now prep the chicken.  I removed most of the skin and the bone, salt and pepper all sides I will be cutting the chicken in small pieces after its cooked.  

Let’s start cooking! I used my dutch oven covering bottom of pan with olive oil and cook on medium heat add chicken thighs cook until browned on all sides. Remove chicken add more olive oil if necessary add onion sauté about two minutes add olives, capers continue cooking another two to three minutes add plum tomatoes.  Cut chicken into bite sizes pieces cover pot and let simmer 15 to 30 minutes.  With a wooden spoon press on tomatoes they will easily break down.  Now is a good time to taste and add pepperoncini, salt a few more capers or Kalamata olives if you like cover reduce heat to simmer for about one hour.  If the sauce looks dry add water or a splash of wine. 

Start boiling water for Bucatini don’t forget to salt the water it should taste like the ocean.
Bucatini is a long pasta tube.  Buco in Italian means hole.  The hole allows sauce to enter inside the pasta. This thicker pasta goes well this robust sauce.  Also I used “Bronze Cut Pasta” pasta extruded thru a bronze die that gives the surface of the pasta a rough finish so sauce sticks to the surface. 

Use this sauce with or without a protein the flavor is incredible!

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