It’s become popular in recent years to keep a gratitude journal. Often no more than a simple notebook, this practice allows one to list and enumerate the many things for which they feel grateful. I’ve often considered adopting this habit, but have never quite managed to commit to that kind of journaling (sometimes it’s all I can do to keep up this website).
However, I have much that for which I am grateful. And if I were to start making lists, near the top would be my gratitude for my dinner making abilities. It might sound silly, but I am grateful that it’s something I have both the means and the skills to do without a whole lot of heartache or struggle.
Throughout my adult life, I’ve picked up an assortment of know-how related to making dinner. How to make soup. How to roast vegetables. How to toast grains in a little bit of butter before adding water to increase their deliciousness. And how to make a one-pot pasta dish.
I’ve made a number of these pasta dishes over the years (here’s a memorably delicious one) and their original inspiration is always the single skillet pasta recipe from Martha Stewart that took the internet by storm a several years back. This one takes a bit longer than the Martha version, but most of the time is hands off, so it still manages to feel blessedly simple.
This particular one-pan pasta dish features a whole bunch of leeks, braised boneless, skinless chicken thighs, baby spinach, creme fraiche (for creaminess), and several tablespoons of diced preserved lemon peel (about three-quarters of a small preserved lemon).
The resulting meal is hearty, bright, and really comforting. It reminds me of the casseroles of my childhood, only without a can of cream of mushroom soup.
I made this dish this weekend particularly to feature the Lagostina Nera Hard Anodized 5 Quart Casserole. A few months back, a rep from Lagostina emailed and invited me to participate a promotion/giveaway to show off the goodness that is this pan.
And it is good. The wide cooking area and non-stick surface makes for quick cooking and even speedier clean-up. The tight-fitting lid makes a nice braising environment. It’s oven safe (in case you want to crisp the top of your pasta). And it’s pretty enough to go straight from stovetop to the table.
The Lagostina Nera Hard Anodized 5 Quart Casserole is valued at $49.99 (a steal for such a sturdy pan) and can be found exclusively at Macy’s. For more information about Lagostina, check out their social accounts and visit their website.
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Thanks to the kind folks at Lagostina, I have one of these lovely casseroles to give away. Please use the widget below to enter.
Disclosure: Lagostina sent me this casserole to use and write about. No additional compensation was provided. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large leeks, well washed, trimmed of the tough ends and sliced into half moons
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 12 ounces baby spinach
- 12 ounces small pasta
- 4 ounces crème fraiche
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3-4 tablespoons diced preserved lemon peel
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over high heat in a five quart casserole like the one pictured above. Add the cleaned and sliced leeks and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium-high heat, until they wilt and reduce.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Push the cooking leeks to one side of the pan and arrange the chicken among the leeks. Cook the chicken until brown and flip.
- Add the chicken stock to the pan (I dissolved a couple spoonfuls of Better Than Bouillon into 4 cups of boiling water) and cover. Reduce heat to medium and braise for 30 minutes.
- When time is up, add the baby spinach to the pan. Cover and cook for five minutes.
- Stir the wilting spinach into the chicken and use your spatula to break up the chicken into shreds.
- Add the pasta (if the pan is looking dry, add a bit more water). Cover and cook for 12-14 minutes, until pasta is tender.
- Stir in the creme fraiche, parmesan cheese and preserved lemon peel. If the pan looks dry, add a splash of water to loosen the pasta.
- Serve hot.
Looks delicious, I’d love to make this recipe.
I’d make my favorite one-pot meal: AIP/Paleo Chicken Curry from “Nourish” by Rachel Bryant. It’s dairy-free, grain-free, and nightshade-free, but jam-packed with wonderful flavor! Delicious!
I would make soups, stews, sauces, you name it! I would also make this pasta. I am always looking for new ways to use preserved lemons. So many if the recipes I find are heavily spiced, and some of my family are averse to such intense spice flavor in their food. This looks simple and light. Thank you!
I’m going to make this recipe whether I win that pan or not! Thanks!
Question – can you use this pan for small batches of jam, or no?
Soups and maybe even a roast.
I would use this pot mainly for soup making.
Lots of long braises…soup in the summertime.
I would make homemade Cajun chicken pasta for my family! Thanks for an AWESOME GIVEAWAY!!
I would make a stew.
One last risotto before the temperatures rise! Thanks for the recipe inspiration + opportunity to win. Cheers.
I would make red beans and rice! I’ve got a ham bone in the freezer just waiting for it.
I would make all the delicious chicken one pot recipes I find on Pinterest.
Mushrooms – loads of mushrooms. Possibly a mushroom bourguignon?
And if the pan could bring me closer to a Wegmans, even better!
The chicken and leeks looks like a good way to start!
Soups and sauces, juice concentrates for canning…
id make a stew looks like i could fry chicken in it also but im not sure
I love to make creamy chicken soup and also try this pasta recipe with Lagostina Nera Hard Anodized 5 Quart Casserole!
I’d make the pasta featured.
I would make this wonderful looking chicken and leek meal, although I also plan to make it tonight.
I would make this beautiful Shakshuka with Eggplant, Chickpeas, and Chard that I just pinned: http://www.theroastedroot.net/eggplant-chickpea-chard-shakshuka/ though I might also make my own Shakshuka Starter. How hard could it be?
**a note** I do follow LagostinaUSA on instagram but you might want to fix your link which reads http://%2Ahttps//www.instagram.com/lagostinausa/*.com and leads nowhere. Try just: https://www.instagram.com/lagostinausa/
What a lovely pan. I would make soups, stews, braises. I love being able to go from the stovetop to the oven.
I would make sauce and meatballs!
I would make the eggplant orzo baked pasta recipe from Smitten Kitchen that I keep meaning to try but still haven’t.
I would make some smothered pork chops!
I would make Swedish Meatballs
What a beautiful pot! I’d make all kinds of things in a pot like this. First thought was carnitas, but it would also work for soups, the recipe you shared sounds wonderful, beans, italian sausage and pepper sugo and the pasta would fit right in…I made black berry syrup today and I bet this pot could have handled that quite well. What a great pot, thank you for offering this giveaway.
Perfet fore this chilly Spring… Great looking recipe.
Soup!
That recipe looks awesome, thanks for sharing. I would love to win this lovely pot.
I’d make parmesan mushroom polenta.
I would make my great grandmother’s stew…
I would make pastas, soups and any other one pot wonders. I love less dishes to wash!
I’d make all sorts of things in this lovely casserole! It would be perfect for beef stew, and kielbasa with vegetables, and I think it would be good for making jam, too.
I’d make wild mushroom risotto!
I would make Sautéed Apples.
I’d love to make a lamb casserole in this!
Veggie chili made with beer!
all the curries!
I have a preserved lemon I was wanting to use! This recipe sounds great!
I would make my Grandmother’s recipe for Veal Paprikash… yum.
This pan would be a near-constant use in my kitchen. I do a lot of small batches of stock using leftover chicken bones that I then use to make soups with and this looks like the perfect vessel to make the stock and then the soup and without having to break out a stock pot. Two of my most common soups are either a tortilla soup or avgolemono soup This pan would be perfect for either.
Sounds delicious and so simple! I’ll have to give it a try.
Thank you for the chance to win. I love pasta dishes
First thing I would make is potato goulash Viennese style. The second thing is a huge batch of very cheesy batch of Mac and cheese.
i can think of so many things to make in this! Can’t narrow it down. Might be curried lamb.
I would love to make Cheese Cauliflower Chowder in this casserole.
This looks like the perfect pot for making stews
Beans, greens, and sausage pot!
I would make chili!
I would make beans and wonderful stews!
I would make vegan soups and stews.
My fermented kraut and kielbasa. Perfect
I would make curry.
Looks amazing! Sausage and peppers, then marinara sauce