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    Home » All Recipes » Pasta » Chicken Riggies

    Chicken Riggies

    Published on Jun 10, 2022 by Tara · Updated on Jun 23, 2022 · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 26 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Chicken Riggies is a comforting pasta dish loaded with flavor from chicken, bell peppers, and hot cherry peppers that are tossed with rigatoni in a creamy tomato-based sauce and topped with fresh basil. This dish hails from Utica, New York, and is one of the most requested dishes we get to add to the website and YouTube.  We hope we've done Utica proud!

    Chicken riggies in large stainless steel pan.

    Combining rigatoni, boneless, skinless chicken thighs with hot cherry and bell peppers in a pink cream sauce sounds like a fabulous idea.

     

    But it wasn't until we received multiple requests for "Chicken Riggies" that we knew this dish existed and that it had a name.

    The dish is traditionally made with rigatoni, hence the "riggies", and is one we think you'll want to add to your pasta rotation.

    Chicken Riggies is easy to make, spicy, creamy, and just all sorts of delicious!

    Ingredients shown: rigatoni, tomatoes, bell and cherry peppers, cream, wine, garlic, chicken thighs, and Pecorino.

    How to make it

    Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

    1. Chop 5 medium cherry peppers and remove the seeds and stems.  Slice 2 red bell peppers lengthwise.  Chop 8 cloves of garlic.  Set these ingredients aside and bring a large pot of salted water (2 tablespoons of kosher salt per gallon of water) to a boil.
    2. Pat 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides.

    Chicken riggies recipe process shot collage group number one.

    1. Heat a large pan to medium heat and sear the chicken in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until cooked through (about 5-6 minutes per side).  Place the chicken on a plate and tent it with foil.
    2. If needed, add a touch more olive oil to the pan and saute the bell peppers for 7-10 minutes or until they brown a bit and soften.  Add the garlic cloves to the pan and cook for 2 minutes or until the garlic turns golden.
    3. Add the cherry peppers and cook for about 1 minute.
    4. Add 1 cup of dry white wine and turn the heat to high, cooking until the liquid reduces by half (about 2-3 minutes).  Using a wooden spoon, dislodge the brown bits from the pan.  At this point, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook to 1 minute less than al dente.

    Recipe process shot collage group number two.

    1. Add 1 28-ounce can of crushed plum tomatoes to the pan and turn the heat back down to medium.  Cook the sauce over a lively simmer for about 5 minutes.
    2. Add 1 cup of heavy cream to the pan and mix to combine with the tomatoes.  
    3. While the sauce continues to thicken, slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
    4. Add the chicken to the pan and continue to simmer, turning down the heat a bit while waiting for the pasta to finish.  Note:  Be sure to reserve at least 2 cups of pasta water as you'll need it in a bit.

    Recipe process shot collage group number three.

    1. Once the pasta is 1 minute less than al dente, add it to the sauce and mix well to coat.  If the sauce is too thick, add a ½ cup more of the reserved pasta water and continue to cook until the pasta reaches al dente (about 1 more minute).  Turn off the heat and remove the pan from the burner.
    2. Add ½ cup of grated Pecorino Romano cheese and mix to combine.  Add a touch of pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.  Add ¼ cup of hand-torn basil leaves to the chicken riggies and serve immediately.  Enjoy!

    Rigatoni with cherry pepper cream sauce in blue plate.

    Top tips for Chicken Riggies

    • The pasta.  The dish is called "chicken riggies" because it's traditionally made with rigatoni.  But if you need to use penne, ziti, fusilli, or any other pasta shape, don't worry.  You'll still be ok, really!
    • The pasta water.  We say this in almost every pasta recipe, but stress it even more so when making cream-based sauces.  Save your pasta water!  You will definitely need some to loosen up the sauce if it starts to dry out. 
    • The peppers.  We used a combination of bell pepper and hot cherry peppers.  If you love spice, definitely add more cherry peppers or even some Calabrian chili paste.  If you prefer no heat, use bell peppers and sweet cherry peppers.  
    • The chicken.  We used boneless skinless chicken thighs because we think they have great flavor and are economical, but if you prefer to use chicken breasts you can definitely add them here. 

    Chicken riggies in stainless steel pan.

    More great creamy pasta dishes we know you'll love

    Here are a few of our favorite creamy pasta dishes.  Let us know if you have a favorite pasta dish you'd like us to make!

    • Creamy lemon chicken pasta - Lemon zest and seared chicken in a creamy sauce.
    • Chicken Alfredo pasta - Blackened chicken in a creamy Parmigiano Reggiano sauce.
    • Pasta alla Norcina - Sausage and pasta tossed in a creamy white wine sauce.
    • Mushroom brandy pasta - Spaghetti and mushrooms tossed in a creamy pink sauce with a touch of brandy.
    • Rigatoni Primavera - Pasta tossed with veggies in a white wine pink sauce.

    If you’ve enjoyed this chicken riggies recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and leave a review.

    We strive to satisfy a number of learning styles.  If you are someone who prefers to learn by watching, you can find most of our recipes on YouTube and our Facebook Page.

    Chicken riggies featured image.

    Chicken Riggies

    5 from 8 votes
    Prep Time: 5 mins
    Cook Time: 40 mins
    Total Time: 45 mins
    Servings: 6
    Print Pin Rate
    Author: James

    Ingredients

    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 1 lb rigatoni
    • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
    • 8 cloves garlic chopped
    • 2 red bell peppers sliced
    • 5 medium cherry peppers chopped, seeds and stems removed
    • 1 cup dry white wine
    • 1 28 ounce can crushed plum tomatoes
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • ½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated
    • 2 cups reserved pasta water will most likely not need it all
    • ¼ cup basil leaves hand-torn

    Instructions

    • Bring a large pot of salted water (2 tablespoons kosher salt per gallon of water) to boil.
    • Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a large pan to medium heat and sear the chicken in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until cooked through (about 5-6 minutes per side). Place the chicken on a plate and tent with foil.
    • If needed, add a touch more olive oil for the saute process. Add the bell peppers to the pan and saute for about 7-10 minutes or until they take on some color and soften. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more or until it turns golden.
    • Next, add the cherry peppers, cook for 1 minute, then add the wine. Turn heat to high and cook until the liquid reduces by half (about 2-3 minutes). With a wooden spoon scrape up all of the brown bits from the pan. At this time begin boiling the pasta to 1 minute less the al dente.
    • Add the tomatoes and turn the heat back down to medium. Cook the sauce over a lively simmer for 5 minutes or so.
    • Add the cream and mix to incorporate. Slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Once the sauce starts to thicken add the chicken and continue to simmer. You can turn the heat down a bit at this point while waiting for the pasta to finish.
    • Add the pasta to the sauce and mix well to coat. If too thick, add a ½ cup or more of reserved pasta water. Cook until the pasta reaches al dente (about 1 minute more) then turn off the heat and remove the pan from the burner.
    • Add the Pecorino and mix together. Add a touch of pasta water if required to loosen up the sauce. Add the basil right before serving. If the pasta dries up before serving just add a bit more of the reserved pasta water. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • Always reserve pasta water.  If the pasta dries out before serving, just add a few ounces of the pasta water to bring the consistency back to perfect.
    • If you'd like to increase the spice level you can use more cherry peppers.  Alternatively, if you prefer no spice, you can opt for sweet cherry peppers instead.
    • Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 806kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 60.6g | Fat: 29.2g | Saturated Fat: 10.2g | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 488mg | Potassium: 547mg | Fiber: 8.2g | Sugar: 14g | Calcium: 197mg | Iron: 7mg
    Did you make this recipe? Mention @sipandfeast or tag #sipandfeast
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Janine

      June 10, 2022 at 4:14 pm

      Born and raised Utica girl here! Love Chicken Riggies.
      You should try Utica Greens next! They are amazing!

      Reply
      • Jim

        June 10, 2022 at 4:23 pm

        Hi Janine, thank you for the comment and yes, we read about Utica Greens while researching chicken Riggies and we're planning on that one as well!

        Reply
    2. eatliveescape

      June 11, 2022 at 5:07 am

      It looks really tasty!

      Reply
      • Jim

        June 11, 2022 at 11:05 am

        Hi there, thanks for the comment!

        Reply
    3. Neny

      June 23, 2022 at 1:36 pm

      Yumm!! Comfort food definitely going to be one my dinners.

      Reply
      • Jim

        June 25, 2022 at 8:43 pm

        Thank you, Neny!

        Reply
    4. Melissa

      June 29, 2022 at 9:48 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing and can’t wait to try some other recipes!

      Reply
      • Jim

        June 30, 2022 at 8:55 am

        Hi Melissa, thank you for the comment and so happy you liked this recipe!

        Reply
    5. Nancy

      August 15, 2022 at 1:54 pm

      5 stars
      You're going to be a regular go-to source for me this winter. Your recipes are legit and I'm so glad I found you! Bravo!

      Reply
      • Jim

        August 16, 2022 at 10:18 am

        Hi Nancy. Really glad you're here. Thanks!

        Reply
    6. Anne M.

      August 27, 2022 at 6:59 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks, Jim. Always a pleasure to watch you cook. As for cherry peppers, we have them readily available in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island as well. Love'em!

      Reply
      • Jim

        August 27, 2022 at 9:46 pm

        Thank you, Anne! I'm happy you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    7. Lee

      October 28, 2022 at 5:20 pm

      Can you use boneless chicken breasts instead?

      Reply
      • Jim

        October 28, 2022 at 10:16 pm

        Hi Lee, yes you can use chicken breasts.

        Reply
    8. MaryAnne

      October 29, 2022 at 8:09 am

      5 stars
      Jim is the best! We do have this in Buffalo to but I’m moving to SC soon… I better grab some jars of cherry peppers!!!

      Reply
      • Jim

        October 29, 2022 at 1:35 pm

        Hi MaryAnne, thank you for the comment and so happy you liked the riggies! Good luck with your move!

        Reply
    9. Eileen

      October 31, 2022 at 10:43 am

      Going to try this tonight, love your recipes. Is this meant to use jarred hot cherry peppers? love the vinegar idea but it looks like fresh...??

      Reply
      • Jim

        October 31, 2022 at 10:45 am

        Thanks for the comment, Eileen. I used jarred hot cherry peppers. Hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    10. BAM! :-)

      December 13, 2022 at 9:02 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you! Newly discovered your cooking and look forward to trying this 😋😋😋😋

      Reply
      • Jim

        December 13, 2022 at 10:06 pm

        Thanks, and hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    11. lawrence gibson

      January 02, 2023 at 10:53 am

      5 stars
      i give this dish a 10 of 10.the thicky sause tasty cheery pepper,hard to find upstate ny.did find jared peppers walmart.nice spicy with some heat.and the pecorino cheese all gives this dish great flavor.keep on cooking i'll keep on watching

      Reply
      • Jim

        January 02, 2023 at 2:36 pm

        Hi Lawrence, I appreciate the comment and am so happy you enjoyed the chicken riggies!

        Reply
    12. Steve W

      January 15, 2023 at 7:56 pm

      5 stars
      Made the recipe as written. Ours came out perfect and absolutely delicious!! This will go into our "favorite" recipes...Cheers!

      Reply
      • Jim

        January 16, 2023 at 9:29 am

        Hi Steve, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed the riggies!

        Reply
    13. Max Davis

      January 25, 2023 at 7:23 pm

      5 stars
      I have made a ton of your recipes over the past few months. Was already in love with many of the recipes but this might be my favorite. Wow.

      Have learned so much cooking tips and feeling like a super chef after watching and recreating a ton of your videos. Just wanted to say thanks!

      Reply
      • Jim

        January 26, 2023 at 9:05 am

        Hi Max, thanks for the comment. I'm so happy you're enjoying the recipes and really appreciate the review for this one!

        Reply

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    Welcome! I'm Jim and I'm here to help you make awesome Italian food that you would normally enjoy at some of your favorite New York style Italian restaurants. While my recipes are typically Italian, you'll find some other great ones as well. Take a look around, and get cooking!

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