Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• Italian seasoning (for chicken)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2-3 zucchinis (chopped in half and sliced to desired thickness)
• 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 3-6 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more, to taste
• 2 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 jar julienned sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ½ cup basil leaves, chiffonade

The sauce is doubled from the original recipe. The larger batch helps the sauce reduce properly.

INSTRUCTIONS

Skillet method

Prepare the Chicken

• Pat chicken thighs dry.
• Season generously with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.

Cook the Chicken

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a little olive oil.
• Sear chicken thighs skin-side down first until golden brown, then flip.
• Cook until the internal temperature reaches 155–165°F.
• Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. (Optional: slice before returning later.)

Cook the Vegetables

• In the same skillet (with the leftover chicken drippings), add zucchini.
• Lightly sauté until just tender.
• Add garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking until fragrant (about 30 seconds).

Make the Sauce

• Stir in chicken broth, heavy cream, thyme, oregano, dried basil, Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, and butter.
• Bring to a gentle simmer, scraping up browned bits from the pan.

Finish the Dish

• Return chicken thighs to the skillet.
• Simmer until the sauce reduces by about 1/3 and thickens slightly.
• Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
• Stir in ¾ of the fresh basil, reserving the rest for garnish.

Serve

• Plate chicken and zucchini with sauce.
• Sprinkle with remaining fresh basil.
• Serve over cooked elbow pasta or penne.

Traditional method (Original recipe)

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; set aside.
• Melt remaining tablespoon butter in the skillet. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, heavy cream, sun dried tomatoes, Parmesan, thyme, oregano and basil.
• Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Return chicken to the skillet.
• Place into oven and roast until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 175 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes.
• Serve immediately, garnished with basil, if desired.