Penne with Chicken Thighs

8 whole chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 jars (24 oz each) marinara sauce
Fresh basil - to taste
Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling
16 oz penne or rigatoni

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown chicken thighs quickly on both sides until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to a separate pan.
3. Pour off all but 1 Tbsp grease/oil. Add onions and garlic to pan and stir around to cook, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in marinara sauce and stir to heat. Add chicken thighs back into the sauce. Cover and place in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. (You may also simmer on the stovetop on the lowest heat possible, or place in crock pot for 4 hours on high - see note below.)
4. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Serve one chicken thigh with sauce over pasta, adding more marinara if needed. Sprinkle with Parmesan and basil strips and serve.

Source: thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/10/penne-with-chicken-thighs/

Try #1 - November 1, 2012
Megan made this for me after Lucy was born, and it was delicious! My first try was just as good.  I used a mix of one jar of marinara sauce, plus about 14oz diced tomatoes, plus about 1/2 cup of leftover homemade pasta sauce.  I used 6 thighs.  I ended up having to split it into two casserole dishes for baking (I don't have a Dutch oven), but it worked fine.  We ended up with about a cup of leftover pasta sauce, which is fine with me - it was delicious and I'll gladly use it for a quick pasta lunch!

Try #?? - January 9, 2014
I've made this several times, and it's been a hit every time.  This time I decided to try it in the crockpot... and the end result seemed to be the same.  I still browned the thighs in the skillet, although they were still partially frozen on the inside and went into the crock pot that way.  I cooked it for 4 hours on high, and it came out great!  My crock pot is much roomer than any of my oven casserole dishes, so I think I'll use this method from now on.  Plus it's more energy efficient. :)