Summery Chicken Ragu

Summery Chicken Ragu is a lighter take on a traditional bolognese but echos the same fundamentals with plenty of veggies and a tomato-based sauce. We use fresh cherry tomatoes, tangy goat cheese and ground chicken to make sure you finish this meal still light on your toes.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Chicken ragu, healthy bolognese, summer pasta, goat cheese pasta

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 435kcal

Author Nicole

Cost $25

Equipment

1 Large skillet

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 carrot, shredded (about 1/2 cup shredded carrot)
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
4 large garlic cloves
1 lb ground chicken
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp tomato paste
3/4 cup white wine
1 lb cherry tomatoes
3/4 lb linguine
4 oz goat cheese
1/2 cup basil, chopped (plus more for garnish)
1/2 cup pasta water

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Season generously with salt. It should be almost as salty as the sea.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet with high sides to a medium heat. Add olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, carrot, celery and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sweat the veggies, stirring often until they are slightly softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minutes.
Add the ground chicken to the pan along with another 1/2 teaspoon salt and thyme. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat into very small pieces. Continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through.
Stir in the tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in the white wine. Use your wooden spoon to scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the wine is slightly reduced. Add cherry tomatoes. Stir. Cook the mixture over a medium heat until the cherry tomatoes start to blister. Use the back of your spoon to smash 3/4 of the tomatoes. This should create a sauce. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer for another 3-4 minutes.
After you add the tomatoes, drop the pasta into the boiling water. Cook until just under aldente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
Add the goat cheese and basil to the tomato mixture. Stir until the goat cheese has melted. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
Use tongs to transfer the cooked pasta to the chicken and sauce. Toss until coated. Add a little bit of pasta water to loosen the sauce up and to reach desired consistency (I used 1/2 cup). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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