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!
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!
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
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- 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.
- Pat 2 pounds of boneless, skinless 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 it with foil.
- 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.
- Add the cherry peppers and cook for about 1 minute.
- 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.
- 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.
- Add 1 cup of heavy cream to the pan and mix to combine with the tomatoes.
- While the sauce continues to thicken, slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- 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.
- 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 1/2 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.
- Add 1/2 cup of grated Pecorino Romano cheese and mix to combine. Add a touch of pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Add 1/4 cup of hand-torn basil leaves to the chicken riggies and serve immediately. Enjoy!
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. As we do in our chicken cacciatore pasta recipe, 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.
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.
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Chicken Riggies
Chicken Riggies is a comforting pasta dish that combines seared chicken, bell peppers, and hot cherry peppers in a creamy tomato-based sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454g) rigatoni
- 1/4 cup (60g) olive oil
- 2 pounds (908g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 8 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 large red bell peppers sliced
- 5 medium cherry (vinegar) peppers chopped, seeds and stems removed
- 1 cup (240g) dry white wine
- 1 28-ounce can crushed plum tomatoes
- 1 cup (240g) heavy cream
- 1/2 cup (45g) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 2 cups (480g) reserved pasta water will most likely not need it all
- 1/4 packed cup basil leaves hand-torn
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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 1/2 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This is my third of your recipes and all so, so good. For the record, and please no hate, pickled jalapeños do work. I know the cherry peppers are better but totally satisfying flavor with the substitute too. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Hi Jesper, thanks for the comment and I’m so happy you’re enjoying the recipes! I’m sure pickled jalapenos would be great – the thing I try to stress most with my recipes is to use what’s available to you and for many it’s hard to find cherry peppers.
I’m from Central NY, riggies are amazing, I also use fresh mushrooms cooked down also. Utica has a lot of authentic Italian Restaurants. And remember you do not have to make riggies. I personally do not like spicy riggies.
Hi Melissa, thanks for the comment and the rating! Mushrooms sound like a great addition!
I’m from Utica. Great recipe.
Hi Paul, I really appreciate the comment and so glad you as a Utica native approve of the recipe – thank you!
Fresh red cherry peppers or pickled?
Hi Angi, these are pickled cherry peppers.
This recipe is definitely a Keeper! Everyone in the family absolutely loved it. There was none left for my lunch the next day 🙁 and they are already asking me when I can make it again. Thanks for another great recipe!
Thanks so much for the comment and so happy you and your family enjoyed it!
Made this tonight for dinner, both my husband and myself loved it! We watch your channel regularly and appreciate the time you take to not only make videos but also type up the recipes! Thanks
Hi Danielle, so happy you both enjoyed this one and really appreciate the comment!
Fabulous recipe! Rave reviews. Thank you
Hi Merry, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed!
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!
Hi Max, thanks for the comment. I’m so happy you’re enjoying the recipes and really appreciate the review for this one!
Made the recipe as written. Ours came out perfect and absolutely delicious!! This will go into our “favorite” recipes…Cheers!
Hi Steve, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed the riggies!
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
Hi Lawrence, I appreciate the comment and am so happy you enjoyed the chicken riggies!
Thank you! Newly discovered your cooking and look forward to trying this 😋😋😋😋
Thanks, and hope you enjoy it!
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…??
Thanks for the comment, Eileen. I used jarred hot cherry peppers. Hope you enjoy!
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!!!
Hi MaryAnne, thank you for the comment and so happy you liked the riggies! Good luck with your move!
Can you use boneless chicken breasts instead?
Hi Lee, yes you can use chicken breasts.
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!
Thank you, Anne! I’m happy you enjoyed it!
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!
Hi Nancy. Really glad you’re here. Thanks!
This recipe is absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing and can’t wait to try some other recipes!
Hi Melissa, thank you for the comment and so happy you liked this recipe!
Yumm!! Comfort food definitely going to be one my dinners.
Thank you, Neny!
It looks really tasty!
Hi there, thanks for the comment!
Born and raised Utica girl here! Love Chicken Riggies.
You should try Utica Greens next! They are amazing!
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!