Chicken riggies is a specialty dish of the Utica-Rome area of New York state. Stories of how the dish originate vary, but it’s believed chicken riggies was created in the late 1970s or early '80s. That area of upstate New York is known for its authentic Italian cuisine, and one credible story places the dish’s origins at an Italian restaurant in Clinton. The dish was made regularly for a group of men who came in for card night, with the dish eventually becoming popular in the region. The simple pepper, pasta, and chicken dish has its own annual festival, Riggiefest, in Utica.
Recipe Servings: 4
Prep Time
25 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Total Time
45 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 1 package (16 oz) rigatoni
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cubanelle chili peppers, deseeded and thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 3 roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
- 2 hot cherry peppers, deseeded and minced
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat.
- Add rigatoni and cook under tender yet firm, about 8–10 minutes. Drain and keep warm.
- Heat olive oil in large pan over medium high heat.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook in hot oil until lightly browned on all sides, about 7 minutes. Remove from pan and keep warm.
- Stir onion, Cubanelle peppers, and garlic into pan. Cook until onion softens, about 4 minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes, roasted peppers, and hot cherry peppers. Bring to a simmer.
- Stir in cooked chicken and heavy cream, simmering 2–3 minutes.
- Stir in cooked pasta.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.
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