In Western New York State the Italian American community has a specialty – Chicken Riggies. It is a dish made in many versions but they all have chicken and rigatoni in common tossed with sweet and hot peppers and tomato sauce. Here’s my Chicken Riggies. It’s my mom and my hubby’s new favorite meal. Spicy escarole makes a perfect partner to this dish.¶
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 50 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Cook: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 4 servimgs |
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 50 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Cook: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 4 servimgs |
Ingredients
- Salt
- 1 pound rigatoni
- 3/4 pound chicken tenders, 1 package
- 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 1 package
- Black pepper
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 7 to 8 garlic clove, grated or finely chopped, divided
- 2 large or 3 small cubanelle peppers, seeded, chopped
- 3 roasted red peppers, chopped
- 6 hot cherry peppers pickled in jar, in Italian section of grocery stores
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup cream, eyeball it
- 1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more to pass at table
- 1/3 pound thick cut capocolo hot ham, chopped
- 2 heads escarole, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup basil, about 10 leaves, thinly sliced
- 4 pieces crusty bread
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil for “riggies”. Salt water and cook pasta to al dente. Heads up: you will need to reserve cup of cooking water just before you drain the pasta.
- Trim up the thighs and chop all the chicken into bite size pieces. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Heat 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large high sided skillet over medium-high to high heat.
- Add chicken to hot pan and brown all over, 7 to 8 minutes then remove. Add onions, 3 to 4 cloves of garlic, cubanelle peppers then season with salt and pepper and cook 6 to 7 minutes to soften then add roasted red peppers. Cut tops off the hot peppers and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon then chop the hot peppers and add them to the skillet. Stir in tomatoes and add chicken back to the sauce. Bring sauce to a bubble then stir in some starchy cooking water from the pasta – about a cup, then add the cream, twice around the pan, about 1/3 to 1/2 cup. Reduce heat to lowest setting and simmer a couple of minutes. Add pasta and 1/2 cup cheese and toss to combine.
- While the chicken and peppers are cooking, heat 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped ham and cook 2 minutes, add reserved pasta water and garlic and reduce heat a bit. Add greens and wilt down, 2 minutes. Season the greens with salt and pepper, add stock. Simmer greens 5 to 6 minutes and serve.
- Top the pasta with shredded basil. Pass cheese to top both pasta and greens and serve with crusty bread.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 1394 |
| Total Fat | 59 g |
| Saturated Fat | 17 g |
| Carbohydrates | 151 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 16 g |
| Sugar | 24 g |
| Protein | 69 g |
| Cholesterol | 185 mg |
| Sodium | 2232 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 1394 |
| Total Fat | 59 g |
| Saturated Fat | 17 g |
| Carbohydrates | 151 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 16 g |
| Sugar | 24 g |
| Protein | 69 g |
| Cholesterol | 185 mg |
| Sodium | 2232 mg |
Reviews
It’s an interesting take on our fav dishes “Utica Greens” and Riggies. Thanks for spreading the word. If people like your recipe, they can google some from 13501. People from CNY, be nice! Rachel is celebrating the dish, and spreading it’s fame, what’s wrong w that?
I add Italian sausage to the mix. my family loves it! It’s great the next day too.
My husband and I thought it was wonderful! As my husband says, ‘Like restaurant quality’.
Rachael I luuvvvv this recipe. I make as a regular now! And it gets better and better! I can!t stay out of the fridge after dinner lol. As far as Utica NY? Never been there, never ate their Riggies . Share the love people. I live in Cincinnati where Chili is our thing. I wouldn’t waste my time being offended that someone cared enough to make their own version . Kudo!s to you Rachael!,,
I live in Central NY and let me just say nobody outside of this area has ever heard of “Chicken Riggies” before (I was raised near Albany, NY and we’d never heard of them there) but they are a staple and most restaurants in the area have their own version. We have Chicken, Steak and Shrimp Riggies. You can pretty much add any type of protein to the dish and it works. Vary how hot or mild you like them…it’s “Italian comfort food”. They are so popular in Central NY we have our own “Riggie Fest” to seek out who makes the best riggies! 🙂
It is very delicious I was very tired of pasta at the time I tried this recipe and I was pleasantly surprised. I make this recipe often thanks.
This is my go to meal when we are having a crowd. It makes an unbelievable amount of food and I get raves from adults and kids alike. It is economical and delicious.
I tried this recipe today and WOW!!! Great stuff…Will make it again!!!!
Wow, I am so surprised at all the negative feedback. I am not from NY, and although I understand paying respect to certain cultures and different parts of our country, I think some people are being too sensitive. Rachel said this was her take, fair and square. I haven’t even made the dish and I am giving it 5 stars.
Wow evebc, she wasn’t even there to try it! Her husband was! This is HER TAKE, and personally it looked so good I thought I could smell it. I will definitely try soon..