This summer chicken ragù is the best of summer in each bite–a deeply savory but bright tomato sauce paired with tender, shredded chicken.
Bright, savory, and the perfect chicken ragù for summer.
I love this ragù because you get the best of both worlds—marinating the tomatoes in a generous amount of salt and olive oil intensifies their natural savoriness, but a quicker simmer preserves the bright, fresh acidity of those gorgeous summer tomatoes.
What you need
- Chicken: Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and a head of garlic
- Ragù: Ripe tomatoes, onion, Aleppo pepper, extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, sugar, and tomato paste
- For serving: Cooked pasta–I love tagliatelle for this–mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil.
How to make it
Step 1: Marinate the tomatoes.
Combine the chopped tomatoes with a diced onion in a large bowl with kosher salt, extra virgin olive oil, and Aleppo pepper. Refrigerate until needed; you can marinate the tomatoes the night before.
Step 2: Cook the chicken.
Place the chicken, garlic, and kosher salt in a large pot (large enough to later hold your pasta) and cover with 10 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken and head of garlic from the pot. Once they’re both cool enough to handle, pick the meat from the bones and shred it, and pop the cloves from the garlic’s paper and mash them into a paste. Set aside. Be sure to leave the pot of water on low heat.
Step 3: Make the ragù.
While the chicken boils, add the tomatoes to a wide pot and turn the heat to medium. Simmer until the tomatoes soften before adding tomato paste, the mashed garlic, and seasoning it with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Add the chicken to the sauce as soon as it’s ready.
Step 4: Cook the pasta.
Add enough water to the pot of chicken broth to cook your pasta and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve a bit of the water before draining the pasta.
Step 5: Finish it up.
Add the cooked pasta to the ragù and add the reserved pasta water if needed. Toss to coat. Cover the pasta with shredded mozzarella cheese and finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese is browned and bubbly. Remove from the oven and scatter fresh basil leaves on top, if desired.
Summer Chicken Ragù
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 to 2½ pounds total)
- 1 head garlic (top cut off to expose the cloves)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 10 cups water
Ragū:
- 2 pounds tomatoes (ripe; trimmed, cored, and diced)
- 1 yellow onion (peeled and diced)
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or use a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, to taste)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Pinch sugar (optional)
- Black pepper (to taste)
For serving:
- 12 ounces tagliatelle (or use linguine)
- 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (low-moisture)
- Fresh basil leaves (torn)
Instructions
Marinate the tomatoes:
- Combine the diced tomatoes, diced onion, kosher salt, Aleppo pepper, and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large bowl and toss to combine. Refrigerate until needed.
Cook the chicken:
- Place the chicken in a large pot (see Note 1) with the garlic, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 10 cups of water. Add more water if needed to ensure the chicken is covered by 1 inch.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and can be shredded easily. Periodically skim any foam from the top of the water.
- Carefully remove the garlic and transfer to a small bowl to cool. Remove the chicken from the pot and transfer to a bowl. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones and shred it. Discard skin and bones or reserve for stock, if desired.
- Once the garlic is cool enough to handle, carefully pop the cloves from the paper and mash them into a paste.
- Skim off any remaining foam or scum from the pot. Replenish the pot with enough water to cook the pasta and add 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Return to a boil. See Note 2.
Make the sauce:
- As the chicken boils, add the bowl of tomatoes to a wide, ovenproof pot and turn the heat to medium. Once the tomatoes come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 minutes until the tomatoes begin to soften. Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste and the reserved garlic paste and stir until smooth and incorporated. Taste and season with a pinch of sugar, more kosher salt, or more Aleppo pepper, if desired.
- Reduce the heat to low and continue simmering, uncovered, for 30 minutes until the onions are soft and the sauce is thick and jammy. Add a splash of water as needed to prevent the sauce from sticking.
- Once you’ve shredded the chicken, add it to the sauce.
Cook the pasta:
- Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook according to package directions. Scoop out ¼ cup of the liquid before draining the pasta.
Finish the pasta:
- Turn on the broiler. Add the cooked pasta and reserved pasta water to the pot and toss to coat. Turn off the heat and scatter the shredded mozzarella on top. Transfer to the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes until browned and bubbly. Remove from the oven and scatter the fresh basil leaves on top. Finish with a few cracks of black pepper, if desired.
To serve:
- Divide the pasta between bowls and serve with more basil, if desired. Enjoy!
