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.
Chicken and Leek Pasta
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.
What a beautiful pan! Soups and casseroles, for sure.
I think I would use to it make sauce. It is beautiful
I would make Spring Pasta! Tomatoes, asparagus, sausage and TONS of garlic.
Actually, I’d start with THIS recipe,lol. It sounds fantastic. I newly love boneless, skinless chicken thighs so it would be great. I also make a huge batch of cabbage-veggie soup every week so this would SO help, my old big pot is really thin on the bottom so stuff tends to burn. Crossing my fingers!
I would make my homemade macaroni & cheese with roasted broccoli and bacon.
Definitely Sunday chicken and rice!
One pot pasta!
I am not sure what I would make, but I’m sure it would turn out tasty!
I would make a big pot of veggie soup.
I’m planning to make braised round steak this weekend, with beef from the family farm. this would be perfect for that!
The first thing I would make is beef chile verde! OMG, my mouth just watered! 🙂
I would make minestrone!!
The possibilities are endless! Nice to see a preserved lemon use. (I bought 10lbs of lemons from your favorite source! LOVE them!)
I would make some oven baked macaroni and cheese, with that golden brown layer of cheese on top.
Chili!
I think I’d try the Chana Masala recipe on the Lagostina Facebook page!
Mmm, I’d make white chicken chili in it!
I make spaghetti sauce a lot. This would be great for that.
Soups & stews on the menu here.
Probably would make a lot of soup and dal.
I would use this pan first to make a pork chop and potatoes dish that we like.
Beautiful and useful! Soups!
Soups and stews 🙂
I would make this recipe – it is exactly what I was looking for and I can’t wait to try it. Thank you!
This chicken & leek casserole looks like a perfect thing to make in this pot! 🙂 But chili or some curries would be wonderful too.
Arroz con pollo would cook up beautifully in this pan.
Beautiful! Perfect for soups or my long over due chutney!
Any of your wonderful recipes!!!!
This pasta!!!!! Sounds amazing!
I would make cajun chicken pasta
What a delicious looking dinner! I’d use this to make my baked beans, stews and soups for my soup club, and one-pot dinners.
A pasta maybe with some broccoli rabe and some fresh mozzerella and parm – throw in some good pasta water and let it just simmer or maybe put in the oven and let it get all crunchy on top. Thanks for the giveaway
I’d make some of my Hubby’s favorite food…chili!!!
I would make mac n cheese with bacon and caramelized sweet onions.
I would make pad Thai or a green curry.
Looks like a great pan for jam and jelly making!
So many good things could come from this pan! Just my style of cooking.
The receipe featured here looks delicious! I’d probably try that.
A gorgeous pan and an inspiration to try this recipe.
This looks like it would be lovely for stews. And for making jam.
beautiful! the dish and the food 🙂
your recipe looks good!
I love one pot meals!
This pot is lovely and I would love to try this chicken recipe in it!
What’s more awesome than a nice looking, one pot meal, prepared in a terrific casserole? It’s still winter here; rain, rain, rain…and this casserole would make meal prep fun!
I also am a fan of the one pot or one skillet dinners. Love having something satisfying, healthy and easy to feed the family without a huge cleanup.
Mmmm… your recope looks tasty! So many great dishes could be made in that gorgeous pan… pork green chili… sundried tomato marinara… hard to choose just one!
I would make a pot of soup in this beautiful pan.
This is a beautiful pan that would be very useful!
A pan like this would be great for homemade tomato sauce.