Pan Roasted Chicken with Garlic and Shallots

When I make this, my entire house smells so good. Roasting whole garlic and shallot cloves along with the chicken give this dish its extraordinary flavor, but it’s the pan juices mixed with cream that really make this dish so wonderful.

Pan Roasted Chicken with Garlic and Shallots

4 boneless chicken thighs, with skin
1 pound rigatoni pasta
12 whole garlic cloves
8 whole shallots
¾ cup white wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken, skin side up with shallots and garlic in an oven-proof skillet. Pour over wine and drizzle chicken skin with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast chicken until cooked through and skin is crisp and golden, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove chicken, garlic and shallots. Transfer pan to stove top and bring pan juices to a simmer over medium high heat. Snip off the tops of the garlic and shallots with kitchen sheers and squeeze out the soft centers into the pan. Add cream and stir constantly until heated through, about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile cook pasta until al dente in a pot of salted boiling water. Drain. Add pasta to skillet and toss well to coat. Place pasta into 4 serving dishes. Cut each chicken thigh crosswise in 3 pieces. Top each plate of pasta with chicken, shallots and garlic.

Notes - You can also use boneless chicken breasts instead of the chicken thighs or a combination of both.