Ragù Rendezvous
Oven-Baked Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Sautéed Onions and Bell Peppers, Finished with a Southern Italian Tomato-Garlic Sauce
1 hour
Serves 4
DinnerItalian
Herb's take
Tonight we're heading south, Italy south. You'll learn the classic Italian trick of stuffing chicken with a sweet pepper-onion mix, then blanketing it all in a garlicky tomato ragù. Maximum flavor, minimum drama.
Ingredients
Yield
4
Instructions
- 01Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- 02Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and bell pepper with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté until softened and lightly golden, 7-8 minutes.
- 03Stir in half the garlic. Cook 1 minute until fragrant, then transfer mixture to a bowl and let it cool slightly.
- 04Lay chicken breasts flat. Using a sharp knife, slice a pocket into the thickest side of each breast, being careful not to cut all the way through.
- 05Stuff each chicken breast with the pepper-onion mixture. Secure the openings with toothpicks or tie with kitchen twine.
- 06Season the stuffed breasts all over with 1 teaspoon salt and the black pepper.
- 07In a large oven-safe skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high. Sear the stuffed chicken 2-3 minutes per side, until golden.
- 08Transfer seared chicken to a plate. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining olive oil and remaining garlic. Sauté 30 seconds.
- 09Add crushed tomatoes (with juices), oregano, and half the basil. Simmer 5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits.
- 10Return stuffed chicken to the pan, nestling in the sauce. Spoon sauce over the top.
- 11Transfer whole skillet to the oven. Bake 18-22 minutes, until chicken is cooked through (internal temp 165°F).
- 12Remove skillet from oven. Let chicken rest in the sauce for 5 minutes before serving.
- 13Plate each chicken breast with plenty of ragù. Sprinkle with Parmesan, remaining basil, and chopped parsley.
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