Sprinkle italian seasoning over chicken legs, along with 2 ingredients, into slow cooker for a satisfying dish that disappears faster than anything el

Place the slow cooker crock on a stable surface, like a dark gray granite countertop. Arrange the raw chicken legs in a single layer in the bottom of the slow cooker. It’s fine if they overlap slightly, but try to keep them mostly in one even layer so they cook evenly.

Sprinkle the Italian seasoning evenly over the chicken legs, using your hands to distribute it so each piece is well coated. This is the key step: you should see the dried herbs speckled all over the raw chicken.

Pour the jar of marinara or pasta sauce evenly over the seasoned chicken legs, making sure all of the chicken is mostly covered in sauce. Do not add the dry pasta yet.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is very tender and reaches at least 165°F internally. The meat should pull away easily from the bone.

About 30 minutes before you want to eat, remove the lid and use tongs to carefully transfer the cooked chicken legs to a large bowl or plate. Tent them loosely with foil to keep warm.

Stir the sauce and accumulated juices in the slow cooker. Add the dry rotini pasta directly into the slow cooker, pressing it down gently so it’s mostly submerged in the hot sauce. If the pasta isn’t mostly covered, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup hot water to help it cook evenly.

Cover and cook the rotini on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the pasta is tender but not mushy. Cooking time can vary slightly depending on your slow cooker, so start checking at about 15 to 20 minutes.

While the pasta cooks, pull the chicken meat off the bones if you like and discard the bones and any large pieces of skin. You can also leave the legs whole if your family likes them that way.

Once the rotini is cooked to your liking, return the chicken, shredded or whole legs, to the slow cooker and gently stir to coat it in the herb tomato sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with a pinch of salt or extra Italian seasoning if needed.

Serve the Amish herb chicken and rotini hot straight from the slow cooker, spooning plenty of sauce over each portion.

Variations & Tips