Chicken Riggies
By America's Test KitchenPublished on October 4, 2012
Time
1½ hours
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces¼ cup jarred sliced hot cherry peppers, chopped fine, plus 3 tablespoons cherry pepper brine3 tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper 10 ounces mushrooms, quartered2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces1 onion, cut into 1-inch pieces5 garlic cloves, minced1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes ¾ cup heavy cream ¾ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved lengthwise1 pound rigatoni 1 ¼ cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Before You Begin
If you find only sweet cherry peppers, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes with the garlic in step 2. You can use Parmesan cheese instead of Romano.
Instructions
- MARINATE CHICKEN Combine chicken, 2 tablespoons cherry pepper brine, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 teaspoon salt in zipper-lock bag and refrigerate 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- MAKE SAUCE Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Stir in mushrooms, bell peppers, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer vegetables to medium bowl; set aside. Add onion and remaining oil to now-empty pot and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in cherry peppers, garlic, and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, cream, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is very thick, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in chicken and reserved vegetables and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Add olives and remaining cherry pepper brine. Cover and keep warm.
- COOK RIGATONI Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add sauce and Romano and toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.
Time
1½ hoursYield
Serves 6Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup jarred sliced hot cherry peppers, chopped fine, plus 3 tablespoons cherry pepper brine
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
10 ounces mushrooms, quartered
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
¾ cup heavy cream
¾ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
1 pound rigatoni
1 ¼ cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup jarred sliced hot cherry peppers, chopped fine, plus 3 tablespoons cherry pepper brine
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
10 ounces mushrooms, quartered
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
¾ cup heavy cream
¾ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
1 pound rigatoni
1 ¼ cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup jarred sliced hot cherry peppers, chopped fine, plus 3 tablespoons cherry pepper brine
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
10 ounces mushrooms, quartered
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
¾ cup heavy cream
¾ cup pitted kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
1 pound rigatoni
1 ¼ cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
A little onion contributed plenty of sweetness to our Chicken Riggies recipe, while garlic, dried oregano, and a hefty dose of grated Romano cheese gave the sauce real Italian flavor. A relatively conservative amount of heavy cream balanced the high-impact ingredients without turning the dish into a full-fledged cream sauce.
Removing the vegetables after cooking and adding them to the sauce at the very end prevented them from turning into mush. Marinating the chicken in cherry pepper brine, salt, and olive oil hugely improved its flavor. Poaching the marinated chicken in the sauce at the end of cooking kept it extra-tender and tasting great.
Before You Begin
If you find only sweet cherry peppers, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes with the garlic in step 2. You can use Parmesan cheese instead of Romano.
Instructions
- MARINATE CHICKEN Combine chicken, 2 tablespoons cherry pepper brine, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 teaspoon salt in zipper-lock bag and refrigerate 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- MAKE SAUCE Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Stir in mushrooms, bell peppers, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer vegetables to medium bowl; set aside. Add onion and remaining oil to now-empty pot and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in cherry peppers, garlic, and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, cream, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is very thick, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in chicken and reserved vegetables and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Add olives and remaining cherry pepper brine. Cover and keep warm.
- COOK RIGATONI Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water. Drain pasta and return to pot. Add sauce and Romano and toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.
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