One-Pot Italian Chicken Casserole

Tempo

35 min

Picante

Dificuldade

Fácil

Rende

4porções

Ingredientes

1½ tbsp

extra virgin olive oil

small red onions, cut into thin wedges (cebolas roxas em gomos finos)

garlic cloves, crushed

160 g

(1 cup) Sicilian green olives (azeitonas verdes sicilianas — *Castelvetrano* if you can find them; or any large green olives, pitted or whole)

1 tsp

fennel seeds (sementes de erva-doce)

125 ml

(½ cup) white wine (vinho branco seco)

700 g

bottled passata (passata de tomate)

250 ml

(1 cup) chicken stock (caldo de galinha)

1 kg

chicken thigh fillets, trimmed, halved (sobrecoxa desossada em pedaços grandes)

400 g

tin cannellini beans, drained, rinsed (feijão branco / cannellini em lata)

½ bunch

fresh basil, half shredded + half reserved as leaves (manjericão fresco)

lemon, finely grated rind (raspas de 1 limão siciliano) + juice

Black pepper

Modo de preparo

01**Aromatic base.** Heat oil in a flameproof casserole dish (or PCC20 inner pot on P5 Refogar) over medium. Add onion + garlic + olives + fennel seeds. **Cook 3-4 min**, stirring, until aromatic.
02**Wine + tomato.** Add wine + passata + stock. **Bring to the boil.**
03**Chicken in.** Add chicken pieces. **Cover; simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 min.** (PC: P14 Carne 15 min.)
04**Beans + basil.** Add cannellini beans + half the shredded basil. **Simmer uncovered 10 min** to reduce and thicken sauce slightly.
05**Lemon.** Stir in lemon juice + half the lemon rind. **Simmer 5 min** until chicken is tender. Season with black pepper.
06**Top + serve.** Scatter with remaining shredded basil, the reserved whole basil leaves, and the remaining lemon rind.

One-Pot Italian Chicken Casserole

Mediterranean weeknight one-pot. Chicken thighs braised in white wine + tomato passata + green olives + cannellini beans, finished with basil and lemon. Easy elegance.

Heat: 0/5.

Notes

Olives matter. Sicilian green olives (especially Castelvetrano) are buttery and mild — different from the salty Greek-style. Empório Santa Maria and Eataly São Paulo both stock Castelvetrano. Brazilian green olives in brine work but rinse the brine off and add 1 tbsp olive oil at end to compensate.
Fennel seeds: essential — they give the Italian sausage flavour without sausage. Toast them in the pan for 30 sec before adding onion for max impact.
Cannellini beans: feijão branco sold in cans. Homemade cooked beans are better — soak overnight, simmer 1 hr.
Wine: Pinot Grigio, Vermentino, or any dry white you'd drink.
Variations: add 2 tbsp capers; or swap cannellini for chickpeas; or add 1 tsp dried oregano.
Make-ahead: dish reheats beautifully next day. Flavours deepen.
Freezer: without the lemon and final basil — add those fresh on reheat.
Pairing: crusty bread, polenta, or orzo. Lighter side of pasta. A crisp white in the glass.