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Bacon, peas and fennel add extra flavor to an easy, creamy chicken ragu that's tossed with pappardelle pasta.

Ingredients

  • 1 small rotisserie chicken
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • ⅓ pound smoked pancetta or meaty bacon, small dice
  • 1 bulb fennel, quartered, cored and finely chopped, reserving a handful of fronds
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 2 tablespoons thyme, chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • ⅓ - ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup fresh peas
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 1 pound pappardelle pasta
  • 2 tablespoons butter, cut into thin pieces
  • 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for topping
  • ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup mint, finely chopped

Yield

Serves: 4

Preparation

Pull skin from chicken and remove chicken from bones. Pull or chop meat into small pieces.

Heat a large pot of water to boil for pasta.

Heat a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, add pancetta or bacon and render 2-3 minutes, add fennel and onions and soften a few minutes, add garlic, lemon zest and thyme, salt and pepper. Add wine and let it absorb, add the stock and reduce heat a bit. Add cream and stir, add peas and heat through, about 2 minutes, add lemon juice and chicken and simmer over low heat.

Cook pappardelle to 1 minute less than package directions to al dente in salted water. Reserve ½ cup salty water. Drain pasta and toss with butter and a bit of water, cheese, half the ragu, toss, adjust salt and pepper. Arrange pasta in bowl or shallow dinner bowls and top with remaining ragu, cheese, parsley, mint and fronds.