The best Italian dish you've never heard of

Chicken Scarpariello is a beloved classic Italian-American dish, and I'd never heard of it.

I came across this delicious sounding sweetand-sour chicken, with sausages and fresh and pickled peppers, in the process of researching another recipe. It sounded so good that, like a dog chasing a squirrel, I forgot all about my original project.

I landed on an easy version that (I think) preserves the essence of the dish while making it doable any night of the week.

Chicken Scarpariello

Serves 4 to 6

Juicy, tender chicken thighs and sausages are bathed in a slightly sweet, slightly sour sauce to make scarpariello, the ItalianAmerican dish you didn't know you needed. Serve with roasted potatoes or over creamy polenta. From Meredith Deeds.

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp. olive oil

12 oz. (4 links) Italian sausage

2 1/4 lb. skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 4 to 6)

3/4 tsp. salt, divided

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced

5 cloves garlic, finely grated 1 1/2 tsp. Italian herbs

1/2 c. dry white wine

1 c. low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 c. chopped pickled Peppadew peppers, plus 1/4 c. of the pickling juices

1 tbsp. white wine vinegar

Chopped parsley, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet or sauté pan over medium-high. Cook sausages, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 3to 5minutes (they will not be fully cooked). Transfer to a plate and slice in half crosswise. Season chicken on both sides with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook in same skillet, turning occasionally, until golden brown on both sides, 6to 8minutes. Transfer to plate with sausage.

Add onions, bell peppers and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to same skillet over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 6to 8minutes. Add the garlic and Italian herbs and continue to cook for 1 minute. Add wine and cook, stirring and scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the skillet, until liquid is almost entirely evaporated, about 5minutes. Add broth, peppers and pickling liquid and bring to a boil; cook until slightly reduced, about 5minutes. Nestle chicken and sausages into vegetable mixture, then transfer skillet to oven and roast until chicken and sausage is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken and sausage to a serving platter and stir the vinegar into the sauce. Taste and season with more salt, pepper and/or vinegar, if necessary.

Ladle the sauce over the chicken and sausage. Garnish with parsley and serve.