Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chicken Puttanesca with "Buttered" Noodles
This saucy, briney chicken dish will get you out of the "we just had chicken the other day" rut. This recipe is fresh, flavorful, and makes enough for leftovers.
The Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 3 lb chicken leg quarters, or use a mix of thighs and legs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 4 anchovy fillets, oil-packed
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste, double concentrated in the tube
- 3/4 cup white wine
- 1 cup olives, Castelvetrano, black, or green, or a combination. Pitted and crushed
- 2 bay leaves, fresh
- 3 lemon peel strips, 2 inch
- 2 tbsp capers, drained
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup pasta water
- Kosher Salt and ground pepper to taste
For the Noodles
- 1 package Gluten-free spaghetti, Ronzoni, Barilla, or your favorite
- 1 tbsp Kosher salt
- 2 tbsp Earth Balance Buttery Spread
Garnish
- 2 tbsp Italian parsley, chopped fine
The Process
Mise en Place
- Gather all your ingredients and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Pat the chicken dry and season both sides liberally with kosher salt and ground pepper.
- Measure out the tomato paste, wine, red pepper flakes, and chicken stock. (Remember, never cook with wine you would not drink!)
- Using a peeler, create your lemon peel strips. Thinly slice the garlic. Drain and measure out the capers. If you are using pitted olives, crush, measure. If you are using olives with pits, crush them to remove the pits. Remove 4 anchovy fillets for the container and put in a prep bowl.
Cook the Noodles
- In a large pot, heat 6 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon Kosher salt to boiling. Add the noodles, reduce heat to medium-high, and stir frequently. After five minutes, pluck a noodle from the pan and test its doneness. Do this every minute until the noodles are al dente. Drain the noodles (reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water) and return to noodles to the pan. Do not rinse the noodles.
- Add the Earth Balance to the noodles and stir gently. Taste and add kosher salt and pepper if needed.
Sear the Chicken
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy, oven-proof skillet (cast iron works wonderfully) over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the chicken to the pan and cook, without moving until the bottom side is golden brown. About 4-5 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook until the other side is golden brown.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate. Remove all but 3 tablespoons of the fat left in the pan. Reduce heat to medium.
Add Nearly Everything Else
- Add the garlic and anchovies to the pan and cook, stirring often. Cook until the garlic is softened and the anchovies have broken up considerably. About a minute or two.
- Add the red pepper flakes and tomato paste to the pan, stirring often, until the tomato paste begins to stick to the pan. Season lightly with kosher salt and ground pepper.
- Add the olives, capers, bay leaves, lemon peel, and wine. Bring to a simmer, stirring, and cook until much of the wine has evaporated, about 4-5 minutes.
Chicken Back in the Pan and Into the Oven
- Nestle the chicken pieces back into the pan, skin side up, in a single layout. Pour in the chicken stock. Transfer pan to the oven and cook for about 20-25 minutes, 30-35 if using leg quarters at 350 degrees.
Plate and Eat!
- Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest about 5 minutes. Taste the sauce to make sure you do or do not need more salt. Most likely, you will not need it.
- Plate the noodles, add a piece of chicken, and spoon sauce over both. Garnish with parsley. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 834kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 40gFat: 46gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 192mgSodium: 1914mgPotassium: 553mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 441IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 3mg