3-4 Slices Pancetta – Chopped
Olive Oil
8 Chicken Thighs – with skin and bones
All Purpose Flour
2 – 28 oz Cans Italian Tomatoes
1 1/2 C. Chicken Broth
1 C. White Wine – not too dry – a little fruity
1/2 C. Basil – freshly chopped
2 – 15 oz Cans Cannellini Beans – drained
1/2 tsp. Sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

HEAT OVEN TO 325º

Put olive oil in a large heavy-duty oven proof pot and add pancetta cooking until slightly translucent. Add onions and cook until limp. Remove all to a small bowl and save. Meanwhile coat chicken with flour, salt and pepper. Shake off extra and add to pot a few at a time and turning until slightly brown. Add a little more olive oil if needed to keep chicken from burning. Using a slotted spoon remove cooked chicken to a separate dish keep for a while. Put onions and pancetta back in to the pot and add the garlic and cook for about 5 minutes over a low flame. Add white wine stirring to scrape any bits that have stuck to the bottom or sides of the pot. When the aroma of wine has left, add chicken broth, tomatoes, basil and sugar and simmer for a few minutes until hot. Return chicken and any juices that have accumulated back to the pot. Add drained beans and after a few minutes taste for salt and pepper and adjust. Cover and put in heated oven for 2 -3 hours. 

TO COAT CHICKEN: I put the flour in a plastic bag, sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, rubbed in well, and put a few pieces in the bag at a time and just shake until coated and toss the bag with excess flour. 

Note: This is a meal in itself served with crusty Italian bread and a salad. Any leftovers can be saved for a second night’s supper and served over pasta or with rice. Sometimes I add a few small potatoes to the sauce on either night. They need about 1/2 hour to cook through. 

BUON MANGIATA!