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In May, Piccino moved to a new part of its Dogpatch neighborhood to 1001 Minnesota St. (at 22nd), where it still offers an ever-changing, seasonal menu chock full of pizzas, tender meatballs, and, of course, pasta. This week, they're bringing back a braised chicken pappardelle. The chicken is tender, pull-apart good—a rare kind of ragu you'd normally only see with beef or lamb. Blink and you'll miss it though, so just in case, here's the recipe to try at home. 

Serves 4

4 chicken legs (thighs and drumsticks)

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 yellow onions, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 celery ribs, diced

6 garlic cloves, smashed

2 rosemary sprigs

1/2 bottle white wine

32 ounces chicken stock

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

2 bunches beet greens, washed

8 ounces pappardelle

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Lemon juice, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  

2. Season chicken legs with salt and pepper. Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat, and sear chicken legs skin-side down until they are nicely browned. Remove them from the pot, and add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and rosemary sprigs. Season the vegetables lightly with salt, and continue to cook until they begin to caramelize. Deglaze with the white wine, reduce it by half, and be sure to scrape up any brown bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot. Return the chicken legs to the pot, and add the chicken stock. Bring the stock to a boil, remove the pot from the heat, cover it, and place it in the oven. Cook the chicken legs for about 2 hours or until the meat pulls away from the bone easily. Let cool.

3. Remove the chicken legs from the liquid.  Pass the braising liquid with the vegetables through a food mill and reserve. Pick the chicken meat from the bones, removing all skin, bones, and tendons. Return the meat to the sauce.  

4. To assemble the pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a sauté pan, heat olive oil and chili flakes, add beet greens, and cook until they are wilted. Add braised chicken ragout to beet greens. Cook pasta in salted water until al dente, drain, and add to beet greens and chicken. Finish pasta with butter, parsley, and a squeeze of lemon. Divide between four plates and serve.