Before we dive head first into this Chicken Bolognese situation, which might I add is going to blow your mind, let's take a minute to learn a few things.
The last few weeks have been quite educational for me. I've learned 4 very important lessons about myself and I feel it's my civic duty to share these insights and hopefully prevent any trauma on your end.
1: Heart-wrenching documentaries should not be watched on a stay-at-home date night. Nope. Terrible idea. Don't do it. Because if you're like me, you'll end up ugly crying for 2 hours after watching Virunga and then deciding that you should pick up your life, move to the Eastern Congo and do your part to help save the mountain gorillas.
2: Cross off anything that involves watching man eating snakes right before you go to bed. I don't care how many commercials you see about the new Discovery TV special, watching anything that involves anacondas that are 20 feet long is an AWFUL idea before you doze off into dreamland / nightmare-land.
3: Last, but certainly not least, don't attempt to have a fresh cut Christmas tree if you have a track record killing any and all plants that come in contact with you. All my rosemary / mint / chives and basil - died 2 weeks after planting. My fiddle leaf fig - trashed as of 5 days ago. My current Christmas tree, well, I'll be surprised if it makes it through the holiday without dropping all of its pine needles. And WHY didn't anyone tell me they needed gallons of water???
4: This Chicken Bolognese is 100000% my favorite meal these days. It's quick and easy to whip up on any night of the week - it's loaded with tons of flavor. Kids love it. Adults love it. It's currently stocked in my freezer for a rainy day. And it satisfies by daily cheese obsessed when I load it up with freshly shaved Parmesan!
Chicken Bolognese
Ingredients
- 4 oz pancetta finely chopped
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 pound ground dark meat chicken
- ¼ cup red wine
- 1 24- ounce jar marinara sauce
- kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- fresh basil leaves to garnish
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Add the pancetta to a medium heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Cook the pancetta, stirring frequently, until crisp. Spoon out the crisp pancetta and set aside.
- Using the fat leftover from the pancetta, add the onions and garlic and sauté for 5-6 minutes until soft. Add the red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning and stir to combine.
- Add the ground meat and break apart using a wooden spoon. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until no pink remains. Add the red wine and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook the chicken until the wine has cooked off. Add the marinara sauce and pancetta back into the pan and stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- Serve over freshly cooked pasta and parmesan cheese. Top with basil leaves and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe by What’s Gaby Cooking
Where do you find ground chicken (dark meat)? I can only find ground chicken breast.
either works - I get mine at whole foods
This is such an amazing dish! Simple and so so so flavorful. On a regular rotation in my house. Make it, I promise.
This was tasty and delicious!! Thank you so much for sharing your fantastic recipes!