Ingredients

1 whole roaster chicken (about 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 onions, quartered lengthwise
10 garlic cloves, peeled
6 sprigs thyme, plus more for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Rinse chicken pieces; pat dry. Brush chicken with butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Place chicken in a small roasting pan. Arrange onions, garlic, and thyme sprigs over and under chicken. Roast; after 20 minutes, baste with pan drippings. Continue roasting until chicken is golden and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a platter, and set aside.
3. Pour pan drippings through a sieve into a small bowl; discard solids. Arrange onions and all but three garlic cloves around chicken on platter. Whisk remaining garlic cloves with pan juices. Strain juices again; discard solids. Pour sauce over chicken; serve garnished with thyme sprigs.

Serves 4.

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Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped (scant 4 cups)
8 ounces crimini (baby bella) mushrooms
1 very large red onion, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
1 4-1/2 to 4-3/4 pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, excess fat trimmed
1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1/3 cup thinly sliced basil, divided
2 tablespoons drained capers, divided
12 ounces gemelli or penne, freshly cooked

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine plum tomatoes, mushrooms, and onion in large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons oil and vinegar; toss to blend. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Spread vegetable mixture in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until onion slices are golden brown and all vegetables are tender, stirring frequently, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
2. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon rosemary. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large deep ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté until golden brown, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to bowl.
3. Add wine to skillet and boil until wine is reduced by half, scraping up browned bits, about 1 minute. Stir in canned tomatoes with juice, then broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors. Return chicken to sauce in skillet. Place skillet in oven and roast uncovered until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear when pierced with knife, about 25 minutes. Remove skillet from oven.
4. Stir in roasted vegetables, remaining 1/2 tablespoon rosemary, half of basil, and half of capers. Simmer over medium heat until vegetables are heated through. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Place pasta in large shallow bowl. Top with chicken and sauce. Sprinkle remaining basil and capers over.

Serves 6.

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Ingredients

1/2 lb portabella mushrooms, caps and stems cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lb shallots, left unpeeled, quartered
1 lb carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs (including stems)
5 fresh thyme sprigs
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
2 bay leaves (not California)
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
2 qt water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Toss together mushrooms, shallots, carrots, bell peppers, parsley and thyme sprigs, garlic, and oil in a large flameproof roasting pan. Roast in middle of oven, turning occasionally, until vegetables are golden, 30 to 40 minutes.
3. Transfer vegetables with slotted spoon to a tall narrow 6-quart stockpot.
4. Set roasting pan across 2 burners, then add wine and deglaze pan by boiling over moderate heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 2 minutes. Transfer to stockpot and add bay leaves, tomatoes, and water.
5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes. Pour through a large fine sieve into a large bowl, pressing on and discarding solids, then season with salt and pepper. Skim off fat.

Makes about 2 quarts.

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