Braised Chicken Thights with Slow Cooked Marinara

By ctaubenheim

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. ripe tomatoes, cored & chopped (about 5 cups)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion (from 1 small onion)
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 (3 inch) piece Parmesan cheese rind
• 1 bunch fresh basil stems, plus 1/4 cup basil leaves
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 lbs)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. uncooked fettuccine (or RICE), cooked according to package directions
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• NOTE: NEED TO ADD MORE SALT, PEPPER & BASIL, MAYBE A SPLASH OF RED WINE AND WOULD BE BETTER SERVED WITH RICE INSTEAD OF FETTUCCINE.

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 30mins
Cooking time 90mins

Preparation

Step 1

1. Combine tomatoes, garlic, onion, tomato paste, Parmesan rind, and basil stems in a 5 to 6 qt slow cooker.
2. Sprinkle chicken thighs evenly with pepper and 1 tsp of salt. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high. Add chicken to skillet and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to slow cooker, and nestle into tomato mixture. Cover and cook on LOW until tomatoes have broken down and chicken is very tender and done, 2 to 3 hours.
3. Transfer chicken to a cutting board to cool slightly. Remove and discard basil stems and Parmesan rind from slow cooker. Stir in remaining 1 tsp salt. Process mixture using an immersion blender until mostly smooth, about 30 seconds. Shred chicken into 1 inch pieces, and stir into slow cooker.
4. Toss past with tomato-chicken mixture and divide evenly among 6 bowls. Top with basil leaves and grated Parmesan.