A unique, hearty ragu for pasta made with chicken livers, diced tomatoes, garlic, onion, fresh thyme and a touch of balsamic vinegar.
Although not a common choice, the rich, earthy flavor of chicken liver makes a delicious ragu to serve with pasta. Constructed somewhat differently than a traditional meat ragu, this recipe uses sautéed onion, a small amount of garlic, diced tomatoes, fresh thyme and a bit of balsamic vinegar to complement the hearty flavor of the chicken livers.
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Linguine with Chicken Liver Ragu
A unique, hearty ragu for pasta made with chicken livers, diced tomatoes, garlic, onion, fresh thyme and a touch of balsamic vinegar.
Ingredients
- 10 ounces linguine, or spaghetti
- 1 lb chicken livers, organic if possible
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
- 1-1/2 cups diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Instructions
- Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta.
- Drain the chicken livers and using kitchen shears, cut them into small pieces (about 1/2-inch). Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and add the onion. Sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute longer.
- Add the chicken livers and cook, stirring often, until nicely browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper and simmer gently for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the ragu simmers, cook and drain the pasta according to package directions. Return the pasta to the pan, add the ragu and toss to combine.
- Note: If the pasta seems dry, add an extra drizzle of olive oil.
- Plate individual servings and serve immediately.
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
I’m not sure where I went wrong but this dish had very little taste 🙁
Hello,
I can’t really imagine what the issue could have been as the combination of onion, thyme, and balsamic vinegar in the tomato sauce should have complemented the strong flavor of the chicken livers pretty well. This dish does have less garlic than a traditional marinara sauce, but a subtle garlic flavor is what I intended to pair with the liver. It’s possible you were expecting more of that traditional marinara flavor.
Wondering how this would be done in the instant pot? That’s the only way I cook these days.
Hi Sally,
I’m not sure how chicken livers would hold up in a pressure cooker. I feel like they might break apart.
This looks so good! I love the earth richness of liver, and combined with the acidic tomatoes, and the sweetness of balsamic vinegar it seems like the perfect pairing!
I can’t wait to try this and see how it goes.
Hi Mary,
We’re really fond of chicken livers and really enjoy this dish. Hope you do too!