Red Hot Rhapsody
Spicy Tomato Chicken Ragu with Steamed Rice, Italian-Style
30 minutes
Serves 4
DinnerItalianGluten-freeDairy-freeNut-freeShellfish-freeSoy-free
Herb's take
This riff on Southern Italian ragu keeps things rustic, letting tomatoes and garlic do the heavy lifting while chili brings the drama. If you’ve only ever met your chicken over pasta, tonight rice gets its time in the limelight.
Ingredients
Yield
4
Instructions
- 01Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Place rice and 2.5 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 16 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and let steam, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- 02While the rice cooks, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and brown for about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate (it doesn’t need to be cooked through yet).
- 03Lower heat to medium. Add remaining tablespoon olive oil, onion, and a big pinch of salt. Sauté until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.
- 04Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
- 05Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute until deep red.
- 06Add diced tomatoes (with juices), chicken broth, sugar, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- 07Return chicken (plus any juices) to the pan. Gently submerge in the sauce. Simmer uncovered for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and sauce is rich and slightly thickened.
- 08Stir in fresh basil and taste for seasoning, adjusting salt or pepper if needed.
- 09To serve, mound rice in shallow bowls. Ladle chicken ragu over rice and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
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