Pappardelle con sugo di Pomodorini, pollo, rosmarino. (Pasta with tomatoes, chicken and Rosemary)

The Italian kitchen is a simple one.   Take a few ingredients and make the most of it.  Creating a meal out of simple ingredients is what Italian food is all about.   My Grandmother added peeled tomatoes to her chicken and baked it in the oven for added flavor. This variation involved slow, stove top cooking.  Keep your pieces of onion and garlic in large pieces and discard before serving.   The cooked tomatoes make a great addition to any of your favorite pasta's or with some crusty bread alongside.    Don't forget to pass the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.  
Serves 4
Ingredients :  For the Ragu (sauce)
 4-6 chicken pieces including thigh/leg cut up.  Leave the skin on or remove some of it if you like. 
One small white onion cut up in pieces large enough to discard later.   This is an option. 
3 to 4 garlic closes smashed with the back of a knife. 
2 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of pepper
4 tablesspoons of olive oil
a Handful of fresh Rosemary.  Optional basil to add on later before serving.
one cup of white wine
One container of small grape tomatoes.  The container should be about one pound worth. 
One large pot of boiling water
about 8-12 ounces of Papardelle pasta
One large skillet (flat)
One large pasta pot filled with salted water.  Bring to a rapid boil right when the sauce is done and the chicken is resting.
Additional salt and pepper to taste

Method:  Salt and pepper your chicken parts.  Head your oil in a skillet to medium and gently slip in your chicken.  Brown your chicken on all sides.   This should take a good 10 minutes or so.  Be careful not to burn.  Add some fresh rosemary and continue to cook.  Remove your chicken from the pan and let rest.  Using the same skillet,  add your cut up onion and garlic.  Add a pinch of salt.  Mix in the skillet until fragrant.  (Just a few minutes).  Add your tomatoes and put a lid on the pan.  Shake the pan a bit and turn your heat to low.   After about 5 minutes or so, your tomatoes should soften.  With the back of a wooden spoon, flatten them some.   Add your wine and continue to cook slowly scraping the tiny bits from the bottom of the pan. 

 Add your chicken back to the pan and mix with the tomatoes.  Turn your heat down to simmer and put a lid on the pan slightly ajar.   Cook slowly and evenly until the tomatoes begin to stick some to the bottom   If the pan looks a little to dry,  add some water and cook.  Total cooking time should be about an hour or until the chicken is cooked through.  Add some additional rosemary.  Let rest and cook your pasta.   Toss your pasta with the sauce and serve with a little sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Buon Appetito!

 

 I used my sauce for Pasta, kept my chicken warm and served it alongside some crusty bread  as a secondo or second dish.  Italians always serve their salad last, to cleanse the palate.