LEAN GROUND CHICKEN CARROTS CELERY YELLOW ONION GARLIC SAN MARZANO TOMATOES OLIVE OIL TOMATO PASTE WHITE WINE FRESH ROSEMARY & THYME BAY LEAVES PARMESAN RIND CHICKEN BROTH HALF & HALF GRATED PARMESAN BUCATINI
Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven (or large, heavy-bottomed pot with lid) over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot & shimmering, add the carrots, celery, & onion. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned & fragrant, 15-20 minutes. If the veggies begin to brown too quickly, reduce the heat to medium or medium-low. Once browned, push the soffritto mixture to the outer edges of the pot.
Add the ground chicken to the center of the pot, such that it’s surrounded by the soffritto mixture, & season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Reduce heat to medium. Let the chicken brown 2-3 minutes without touching it, then turn it over & brown the second side 2-3 minutes before using a wooden spoon to break it apart into bite-sized pieces. Stir to combine with the soffritto mixture.
Add garlic & tomato paste to the Dutch oven, stirring to coat. Cook 2-3 minutes, until browned & fragrant. Deglaze the pan by slowly pouring in the white wine. Once wine is almost completely cooked off, add in the chopped tomatoes & their juices, fresh herbs, bay leaves, parmesan rind, & chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Partially cover the pot & simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, until thickened.
Meanwhile, as the chicken bolognese sauce simmers, cook the pasta. Add the pasta to the boiling salted water from Step 1. Cook to al dente according to package directions, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Once cooked, carefully dip a liquid measuring cup into the pot to reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, & set aside. Carefully drain the pasta.
Stir the half & half and grated parmesan into the bolognese. Cook 1-2 minutes, allowing everything to meld together. Add the pasta straight into the pot, tossing to coat. From here, adjust as needed so the chicken bolognese sauce evenly coats the pasta – if the mixture is too thick, toss in a little of the reserved pasta water; if the mixture is too loose, toss in an extra handful of parmesan cheese, etc. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, allowing the pasta to meld with & absorb some of the sauce.