Delicious Chicken Riggies (Chicken and Rigatoni)

I’ve had this dish teed up in my que since the recipe for it appeared on Dennis’ “Ask Chef Dennis” blog.  So, when the occasion arose for us to cook a meal for our neighbors, this one fit the bill.  According to Dennis “Chicken Riggies aka Utica Chicken Riggies is spicy comfort food that takes pasta dishes to a whole new level of deliciousness.  Chicken riggies or Utica riggies is a popular Italian-American pasta dish native to the Utica area in New York State. They’re a local specialty dish, that you’ll find at almost every restaurant in central New York.”  I used the recipe ingredients except I subbed chicken breasts and I changed the assembly method a little.  You can click on the link above for the original recipe and Dennis’ pics.

Chicken Riggies - Adapted from Ask Chef Dennis

Ingredients:

1 lb. rigatoni

2 T. olive oil

2 lbs. chicken breasts, boneless skinless

½ t. salt

¼ t. black pepper

1 T. olive oil

1 c. bell peppers chopped

2 T. garlic finely chopped

3 cherry peppers chopped (hot or sweet peppers) seeds and stems removed

1 c. dry red wine

28 oz. crushed tomatoes San Marzano crushed by hand or with immersion blender

1 c. heavy cream

1 T. fresh basil finely chopped

½ – 1 t. table salt season to taste

¼ t. red pepper flakes optional

¾ c. Pecorino Romano cheese grated

1 c. reserved pasta water use if needed

1 T. Italian parsley finely chopped for garnish

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta al dente, per instructions on the package.

2. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides.

3. Add two tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat and cook the chicken until fully cooked (5-6 minutes per side).  Place the chicken on a plate and tent with foil. (I put it in a 160F toaster oven).

4. Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the chicken is at 160F when pulled from the skillet.

5. Add the bell peppers to the pan and saute for 4-5 minutes. Peppers should be soft and start to brown.

6. Add the chopped garlic to the mixture and cook for 1 – 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Don't let the garlic burn!

7. Add the cherry peppers to the pan and continue cooking for another minute.

8. Add the red wine to the pan, scraping all the tasty browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

9. Increase the temperature to high heat and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes until the liquid reduces by half.

10. While you're finishing up the chicken riggies, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook to package instructions for al dente.

11. Add the tomatoes to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Let the mixture cook for another five minutes.

12. Add the cream, stirring to mix it into the sauce. Let the sauce simmer until it begins to thicken.

13. While the sauce is simmering, cut the chicken into small bite-sized pieces.

14. Stir the Romano cheese and basil into the sauce.

15. Stir the chicken into the sauce. 

16. Taste and adjust seasoning.

17. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water and add back to the pan.

18. If the sauce is too thick, add ½ cup (or more) of reserved pasta water to loosen up the sauce. Let the sauce simmer for 1 minute. (mine didn't need any).

19. Pour the sauce over the pasta and mix well until the pasta is well coated with sauce.

We served the riggies with a side salad.

The Verdict:

We thought it was delicious, especially with the addition of the cream to the sauce and our neighbors made a special call to say it was fabulous and give us a big thanks.  I would definitely make it again add you will enjoy it if you like cream of tomato soup.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

10/26/23 meal date