Chicken Riggies

By smleonard

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup jarred sliced hot cherry peppers, chopped fine, plus 3 tablespoons cherry pepper brine (see note)
• 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 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
• 1 pound rigatoni
• 1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese (see note)

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from cookscountry.com

Preparation

Step 1

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.

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.

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.

2. 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.

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.

Riggies just wouldn't be riggies without jarred cherry peppers. Normally, they add heat to the sauce. To flavor the chicken with their spicy tang, we marinate it in oil plus brine from the pepper jar.