One pot braised chicken thigh, fennel and whole wheat pasta

Cut the stems off a fennel bulb, halve it, cut out the fibrous core with two triangular cuts and slice thin.

Make a paste of finely chopped rosemary leaves, two or three crushed garlic cloves, the zest of one lemon, a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flake and two tablespoons of olive oil.

Season four chicken thighs with kosher salt and pepper, set them in a cold stainless steel pan with about a tablespoon of vegetable oil, coat them, then bring to medium-high and leave undisturbed three to six minutes. Starting cold renders the fat out of the skin so it crisps.

Cook one minute on the other side, remove the thighs, pour off about half the fat and saute the onion and sliced fennel over medium three to four minutes until softening and lightly browned.

Make a well in the centre, add the herb and spice paste, cook one minute on the pan surface, then mix into the vegetables and cook one to two minutes more.

Deglaze with one cup of dry white wine, two cups of chicken stock and the juice of the zested lemon, scraping up the fond, and bring to a bare simmer.

Return the thighs skin side up with the skin above the liquid.

Braise in a preheated 350F oven 35 to 45 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by about a third and the thighs are tender with crisp skin.

Set the thighs aside, bring the braising liquid to medium-high, add eight ounces of whole wheat pasta, lower the heat to a simmer and cook until done, mixing every few minutes. The pasta absorbs the liquid and the released starch thickens what is left.

Stir in two or three ounces of grated Romano and a handful of chopped basil.

Return the thighs to heat through and top with a little parsley.