Chicken Riggies

This famous Italian-American pasta will rock your world! In Chicken Riggies, a thick tomato cream sauce smothers marinated chicken and veggie-rich rigatoni.

Course Chicken Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword Chicken Pasta Recipes, Italian chicken recipes

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 1134kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

Marinade:

1/2 cup dry sherry
4 tablespoons olive oil divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
4 pickled hot cherry peppers, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry sherry
1 (4-ounce) can tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
16 ounces rigatoni, uncooked
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes and at room temperature
1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Combine sherry (1/2 cup), 2 tablespoons olive oil, minced garlic (3 cloves), and Italian seasoning (2 teaspoons) in a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add chicken (2 pounds) and seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Place the bag on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any possible leaks) and refrigerate for 60 minutes.
Drain chicken and discard marinade.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot. Cook chicken, in batches, over medium-high heat until there is no longer any pink. Remove cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.
In the same pot, melt the butter (2 tablespoons). Saute red bell pepper (1), green bell pepper (1/2), cherry peppers (4), onion (1 medium), and garlic (4 cloves) over low heat until soft, about 7-10 minutes.
Pour 1 cup sherry into the pot and bring to a boil. Add tomato paste (1 can), crushed tomatoes (1 can), salt (1/4 teaspoon), and pepper (1/8 teaspoon), and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly. Add chicken to the mixture.
Meanwhile, cook the rigatoni (16 ounces) to al dente in a separate pot according to the package instructions.
Combine cream (1 1/2 cups) and cream cheese (8 ounces) in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the cream and cream cheese and well combined and the cream cheese has melted. Pour into the chicken mixture. Stir in Parmesan (1 1/2 cups).
Drain the pasta. Return the drained pasta to the pot. Pour the sauce over the pasta and fold to evenly coat. Serve.

Nutrition