Mediterranean Chicken Melange

This chicken mélange is a one-dish Mediterranean feast. Breasts, thighs, and drumsticks bake in a robust tomato sauce loaded with mushrooms, black olives, white wine, garlic, and Italian herbs, then get topped with marinated artichoke hearts and grated Parmesan right before serving.

Using three different chicken cuts gives you variety in every serving: lean white meat from the breasts, rich dark meat from the thighs, and meaty drumsticks. Each cut absorbs the tomato-wine sauce differently, creating a more interesting plate than an all-breast version.

The sauce is a no-cook mix of tomato sauce, tomato paste, sliced mushrooms, green onions, garlic, olive oil, wine, olives, oregano, and basil. It goes over the chicken raw and cooks together during the hour-long bake. The tomato paste concentrates the sauce and helps it cling to the chicken rather than pooling in the dish.

The artichoke hearts go in after baking, just long enough for the residual heat and the cheese to warm them through. Cooking them too long would make them mushy.

Chef Tips

• Start the chicken skin-side down for the first 30 minutes. Flipping halfway through gives both sides time in the sauce.
• Spoon the sauce over the chicken after flipping to build a glaze on the skin.
• Mound the pasta on warm plates first, then place the chicken on top and ladle the pan juices over everything.
• Use marinated artichoke hearts (drained) rather than water-packed for more flavor.

Variations

• Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce for gentle heat.
• Swap the black olives for green Castelvetrano olives for a brighter, buttery olive flavor.
• Use penne or rigatoni to catch more sauce in the pasta tubes.