Rosemary Chicken with Pasta

This rosemary chicken is a set-it-and-forget-it slow cooker dinner that feeds a family with minimal effort. Boneless chicken breasts braise for hours in a tomato sauce seasoned with rosemary, garlic, a splash of vinegar, and bay leaves. By the time you come home, the chicken is tender enough to shred with a fork and the sauce has thickened into something that tastes like it simmered on the stovetop all afternoon.

The vinegar is an important move. Just two tablespoons knock down the sweetness of the canned tomatoes and balance the sauce so it doesn’t go sugary. A teaspoon of sugar does the opposite, softening any lingering tomato acid. Together they hit a proper sauce balance.

Mushrooms go in at the end so they keep their texture rather than turning to mush during the long cook. Pasta cooks separately just before serving; the sauce ladles over.

Chef Tips

• Sear the chicken briefly in a hot pan before it goes in the crockpot. Skipping this step is fine, but browning adds deeper flavor.
• Don’t add fresh mushrooms at the start. Slow cookers turn them gray and watery. Canned or sauteed mushrooms added late keep their texture.
• Remove the bay leaves before serving. Eating one is unpleasant.
• Cook pasta while you warm the mushrooms. Both should be ready at the same time.

Variations

• Swap rosemary for fresh basil stirred in at the end for a more summery, brighter sauce.
• Use chicken thighs in place of breasts for richer, more forgiving meat.
• Stir in ½ cup heavy cream during the last 20 minutes to turn this into a creamy rosemary tomato sauce.