There is just something about a chicken thigh that gets me. Such a humble piece of poultry, the hard working muscles that propel the chicken around the yard, being that their wings are pretty useless (except for hot wings, of course.)  The workout those thighs get makes for a really succulent and flavorful piece of chicken.  And before you start in on how the boneless, skinless (and pretty damn flavorless) chicken breast is lower in fat, well I agree. But I still prefer my thighs. . .

Occasionally I develop recipes for Smart & Final, a warehouse grocery store found on the West Coast. I have been a Smart & Final customer since I was a child, although technically my parents were doing the shopping then. But I remember wanting to go with them when they were stocking up for a party or holiday, because they always had the coolest candy, and you had to buy a big package of it because it was packaged for resell. I remember begging for a box of Now or Later candies from my mom (please mommy, please mommy, please mommy!)  I eventually wore her down. . .

This chicken recipe was developed using Smart & Final’s La Romanella line of Italian products, including pasta, sauces and condiments, many of them organic.  Smart and Final is featuring the products this month, and running a special promotion in which a lucky shopper will get a chance to win a trip to Sonoma’s wine country in Northern California. To enter the contest go to the Smart & Final Facebook Page.

I received some samples of La Romanella products, and went to my local Smart and Final to fill out the ingredient list for my recipe.  Finding good quality products to stock your pantry is probably one of the most important things you can do to making cooking an easier process.  Once I gathered all my ingredients, the only thing that needed to be added was the chicken! I found a value pack of chicken thighs, and I was set.

This recipe is layered with flavors, from the briny olives to the sweet roasted peppers. And it could not be any easier to make, although it looks and tastes like you spent a ridiculous amount of time in your kitchen.

Season your chicken with salt and pepper, then brown it.

Remove and reserve the chicken, deglaze the pan with the red wine, add the sauce, artichoke hearts, olives, peppers and the reserved chicken.

Simmer it for 30 minutes or so while you cook your pasta, and you have a fabulous dinner!  How easy is that?

So head on over to your nearest Smart & Final and pick up some of these La Romanella products to stock your pantry!

 

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Braised Antipasto Chicken and Linguine

by Cheryl D Lee October-13-2011

Sometimes the difference between yet another takeout meal and a fabulously impressive dinner is having really good items in your pantry!

Ingredients

• 8 chicken thighs
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons La Romanella extra vrigin olive oil
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 1/2 cups La Romanella marinated artichoke hearts
• 1 cup La Romanella roasted red peppers, thinly sliced
• 1 cup La Romanella green manzanilla olives
• 1 26 ounce jar La Romanella Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce
• 1 pound La Romanella linguine
• to taste La Romanella grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Sprinkle the salt and pepper onto both sides of the chicken thighs. In a large, deep skillet or braising pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken thighs, and brown them well, about 5-6 minutes. Do this in batches if needed.Remove the browned chicken from the pan, and reserve on a plate. Discard the oil in the pan, and return it to the heat. Carefully add the red wine, stirring and scrapping the bottom of the pan to dissolve any browned bits.
Reduce the wine by about 1/2, then add the pasta sauce. Stir to blend the wine and sauce.Return the chicken and any accumulated juices back into pan. Add the artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and olives. Lower the heat and simmer the chicken for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is done.While the chicken is cooking, boil your pasta according to package directions. Drain the cooked pasta well, then place onto a large platter or into a serving bowl.Place the chicken thighs onto the pasta, then spoon the sauce over the chicken and pasta.Garnish with grated parmesan cheese.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: 8 servings

*”This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for #collectivebias #cbias. I received a gift card from Smart & Final to buy all groceries.