Best Italian Cook: Chicken Braciole by Bethany & Heather
Our recipe for Chicken Braciole with Hearty Trottole begins with a fun and flavorful interpretation of two Italian classics – Pasta all’Amatriciana and Braciole. We begin the sauce with typical components of butter, onions and pancetta. However, that is where the similarity to a traditional amatriciana ends. We scaled back the spiciness, smoothed it out with rich tomato paste, and added depth with robust Chianti to arrive at our delicious Hearty Pancetta Tomato Sauce.
Our braciole resembles a traditional recipe only in that we roll thinly pounded meat around a rich and flavorful filling, sear it quickly, then finish it by roasting it in a velvety red wine sauce. We substituted succulent chicken thighs for the traditional beef, and replaced the typical bread crumb/raisin stuffing with a piquant and flavorful ricotta and herb filling to arrive at our mouth-watering Chicken Braciole.
The whimsical top-shaped trattole not only stand up to our hearty sauce, but provide a nice mouth feel along with the tender, flavorful bites of chicken.
We believe that the flavors of our rich tomato sauce combined with the savory stuffed chicken, represent a beautiful and appealing dish that would blend in very well on Maggiano’s Menu.
Residents of Cedar Park, TX, Heather and Bethany began cooking together and developing recipes several years ago when they started an informal neighborhood cooking club. Bethany had the privilege of hosting her wedding reception at the original Maggiano’s restaurant in Chicago in 2003 and has continued to be an ardent fan ever since.
Tomato Sauce:
½ Large Yellow Onion, finely diced
6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
8 oz Pancetta, diced
1 inch slice Parmigiano Reggiano Rind
1 ½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
½ to 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
6 oz Tomato Paste
¾ cup Chianti Riserva bottled by Renzo Masi & C., Rufina, Italy
1 ½ cups Chicken Broth
3 medium sprigs of fresh Oregano
Filling:
7 oz Whole Milk Ricotta
Zest of 1 small Lemon
½ cup Pecorino Romano, grated
2 Tbsp chopped Fresh Oregano
2 Tbsp chopped Fresh Sage
½ tsp Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
3 medium Garlic Cloves, crushed
¼ cup coarsely chopped Flat Leaf Parsley
Braciole:
4 lbs Chicken Thighs, pounded to ¼ inch thick
Garlic & Herb Filling (instructions above)
Kitchen Twine
4 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
½ cup Chicken Broth
¼ cup Chianti Riserva bottled by Renzo Masi & C., Rufina, Italy
Juice of ½ small Lemon (approx. 1 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Fresh Italian Parsley, coarsely chopped, for garnish
2 Tbsp Fresh Pecorino Romano shavings, for Garnish
Pasta:
16 oz Trottole Pasta
¾ cup grated Pecorino Romano
Water
2 Tbsp. Salt
Instructions:
1. In a heavy bottomed Dutch oven, sauté onion in butter over medium high heat until translucent.
2. Add diced Pancetta and continue to sauté until lightly browned and onions are just beginning to caramelize.
3. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir mixture until pepper is fragrant, approximate 5-10 seconds. Add tomato paste, incorporating well with onions and pancetta. Continue to sauté, stirring frequently, until tomato paste begins to darken slightly in spots, and becomes fragrant. Add wine, drop in Parmigiano Reggiano rind and bring to a simmer. Add chicken broth and drop in Oregano sprigs.
4. Cover and Simmer for 30-40 minutes to allow flavors to develop.
5. While the tomato sauce is simmering (approx. 1-2 minutes), mix all ingredients for the filling until just combined. Set aside while preparing chicken thighs.
6. Lay the chicken thighs flat with smooth side facing down. Spoon scant 2 Tbsp of garlic & herb filling onto the center of each thigh. Roll each thigh loosely around filling until ends overlap slightly. Tie each thigh with kitchen twine in two places to secure the roll. Do not roll too tightly, or the filling will come out!!!
7. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan on high. Generously salt and pepper chicken rolls and sear well on all sides.
8. Once the chicken rolls are browned on all sides, remove from the pan and set aside. Deglaze the pan by adding the wine and scrape up all the browned bits. Bring to a simmer, then add chicken broth, lemon juice, and butter. Bring back to a simmer. Add chicken rolls, along with their juices, back to the pan and roast in a 375 degree oven for 7 – 8 minutes until juices run clear.
9. Just before placing the chicken in the oven, add salt and Trottole to 4-5 quarts of rapidly boiling water. Cook for 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until al dente. Drain pasta. Add pasta to tomato sauce, and toss with ¾ cup grated Pecorino Romano. Keep warm until ready to serve.
10. Before serving, remove butcher’s twine* from the braciole. Begin the plate with a generous portion of pasta. Top with 2 Chicken Braciole, and garnish with chopped Italian Parsley and Pecorino Romano shavings.
