Chicken that Nonna would love.

Byline: Barbara M. Houle

An absolute favorite recipe in Linda Nardella's home is Nonna's Apricot Chicken.

The versatile, virtually one-pot meal works both for family meals and entertaining.

There is something about the luscious juice, tender meat and flavor-infused vegetables in the dish that warms the soul and nourishes the body.

It's simply wonderful.

For Nardella, of Worcester, the dish brings back lots of memories. The recipe originated with her grandmother, the late Mary Nardella, who Nardella said inspired her.

"I had a special relationship with Nonna (Italian for grandmother)," said Nardella. "I remember following her around the kitchen with a notebook, writing down ingredients as she cooked. Nonna didn't measure ingredients. She knew instinctively how much, but now and then would taste and adjust. She was a wonderful cook."

The same goes for Nardella.

She loves to cook, rarely measures ingredients when she's "casually cooking" at home, preferring to use recipes as a guideline.

Baking is another story.

"Precision counts in baking," said Nardella, "and I am not a baker. Maybe an occasional birthday cake and that's it."

Nardella's featured dish is not only sumptuous, but a snap to make. Mix the ingredients together, put them into a pan and pop it into the oven.

You can substitute just chicken thigh meat for the thighs and breast meat combination in the recipe. Chicken thighs not only are loaded with flavor, they also maintain moisture while cooking, said Nardella.

Another of Nardella's ideas is to leave half of the chicken thighs with skin on, removing skin from the remaining thighs.

A tasty appetizer to serve before the meal is Cheese Bread with Garlic Bean Dip.

Nardella said the bread is always a big hit with kids, and the adults like to use the bread to dip.

A simple leaf salad with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and dressing mix of olive oil and lemon juice completes the meal.

About the chef: Linda Nardella is the director of dining services at the College of Holy Cross in Worcester, where she started out as a chef 20 years ago.

The college provides a variety of eateries for students in addition to catering. Nardella estimates that from 3,000 to 4,000 meals are served daily at the college.

Holy Cross has won numerous regional and national awards through its affiliation with the National Association of College and University Food Services. The college also has been recognized for its allergy-free dining, which provides meals...