A take on the simple puttanesca sauce, but this time spooned over chicken and baked.
Most people know the story of Spaghetti alla Puttanesca, about a tomato-based savory sauce that the “ladies of the evening” could prepare very quickly, or literally translated to “spaghetti of the whore.” It is a very popular, delicious and quick sauce to make, with just a few quick-cooking ingredients you can serve it over pasta in a matter of minutes.
With today’s recipe, I decided to make this simple sauce, but instead of tossing it with spaghetti, I topped oven-roasted chicken pieces with this tangy sauce, to make it a new entrée that can be served as an easy, flavorful and healthy chicken dinner.
Find more delicious Italian main meat dishes here.
Buon Appetito!
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN
- 5 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 whole chicken cut into pieces
- 2 garlic cloves smashed
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
FOR THE PUTTANESCA SAUCE
- 28 oz canned San Marzano diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup Kalamata olives pitted and sliced
- 2 tablespoons capers rinsed
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
- 3 garlic cloves quartered
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves torn
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In large cast iron skillet heat the olive oil and garlic cloves over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces, skin side down and brown, turning once, for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Discard the excess oil.
- In the same skillet add olive oil and garlic and sauté until translucent for 2 minutes. Stir in olives, capers, basil and oregano and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Season with salt and chili flakes.
- Return the chicken to the skillet, spooning the sauce over the pieces. Add the chicken stock, cover with an oven safe lid or aluminum foil and bake at 350° for 1 hour or until chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh basil leaves. Serve hot.
