Spicy Chicken Riggies is an upstate New York classic that is a combination of creamy and spicy. This pasta dish is perfect for a quick sauce and a complete meal for your family.
Looking for another spicy pasta recipe? Try Bucatini Amatriciana or Spicy Vodka Sauce.
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A Utica Special
This is my mother's spicy chicken riggies. She would make this recipe or Italian Mac and Cheese anytime my brothers or I were having a big group of friends over or our teammates for a pasta night before a game. It is so spicy but tempered with a heavy creamy, which makes it the perfect spicy and creamy pasta.
Chicken riggies in an upstate New York creation. People in that area love chicken riggies and Utica greens. There is a considerable population of Italian-Americans that migrated to that area and made it one of the greatest areas in New York for Italian food.
Either way, I still credit my mom with this recipe, because she's the one who taught me. My mom taught me a lot about cooking and still does!
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
Hot cherry peppers. Don't like hot? Substitute sweet cherry peppers. If your cherry peppers aren't seedless, make sure to remove all the seeds.
Chicken breast. Seared chunks of chicken breast are best for this recipe. It is one of the only pasta dishes that I would ever eat chicken in (except Creamy Chicken Parmesan Pasta). Chicken thighs will be a little too fatty.
Calabrian Chili Peppers. I like to add calabrian chili peppers to the shallots and garlic to add some spice to the sauce. You can substitute crushed red peppers.
Cherry Pepper Juice. The juice from the hot cherry peppers can really spice up the sauce as well. I like to add a little in when I add the wine.
White Wine. I use a sauvignon blanc for this recipe. It's light, crisp, and not too sweet.
*Please see all ingredients in the recipe card below.
Step-by-Step Directions
Spicy chicken riggies isn't a difficult recipe. In fact, it's pretty simple and there aren't any difficult techniques. Overall, you can be done with this recipe in an hour and fifteen minutes.
Step 1: Start by chopping the chicken breast into 1-and-a-half-inch chunks. Add them to a bowl and season with a teaspoon of salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. The amount of cayenne pepper used can be increased or decreased depending on the level of spice you want.
Step 2: In a large saucepan bring a tablespoon of olive oil to medium-high heat. Sear chicken with space in between each piece of chicken. If you try to do it all at once, it will not sear. It will just steam and become very tough.
Step 3: With 3 chicken breasts, it will probably take about 4 batches to sear the chicken. Add more olive oil as necessary. Sear each side for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Then set the chicken aside.
Step 4: Lower the heat to medium in the same pan. Add another tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the shallots for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent.
Step 5: Add the garlic and saute for 1-2 more minutes until the garlic is fragrant. Stir in the calabrian chili peppers until completely combined.
Step 6: Stir in the cherry peppers, the cherry pepper juice, and the wine. Bring to a simmer for 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce down by about half. This part of the recipe is what gives the sauce its intense spicy flavor.
Step 7: Once the base has reduced, add in the crushed tomatoes. Stir well until everything is homogenous. Bring the tomato sauce to a simmer. Add 1 teaspoon of salt.
Step 8: Then add the chicken back in and simmer the sauce for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, add the rigatoni to the salted boiling water when you have about ten minutes left on the sauce.
Step 9: Remove the sauce from the heat and add the heavy cream. Stir well until the sauce develops a pinkish color.
Pro-Tip
- Every cherry pepper juice is different. Some are spicier than others. I always recommend tasting the juice with your fingertip before putting it into the sauce. The more juice you add the spicier it will be.
- Sear the chicken in batches so that they don't over cook and steam. This will give you a juicier chicken at the end.
Recipe FAQs
You can substitute crushed red pepper for calabrian peppers. 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper for every tablespoon of calabrian peppers.
You can leave out the calabrian peppers and substitute sweet cherry peppers for the hot peppers!
If you love spicy, then chicken riggies are for you. It can be intensely spicy if you want it to be. Add more calabrian peppers and hot cherry pepper juice if you really want to crank up the heat. It can definitely make you sweat.
If you're looking for something with a little less kick, try our Pasta alla Norma or Artichoke Pesto Pasta.
Video Recipe
More Pasta with a Kick!
Let us know what you think of this recipe by leaving a review below. We'd love to know what you think. You can also follow us on Instagram @vindelgiudice.
📖 Recipe
Spicy Chicken Riggies
Equipment
- 1 large pot
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 1 lb rigatoni
- 2 shallots, chopped
- ¾ cup hot cherry peppers, chopped
- ½ cup cherry pepper juice
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 tablespoon calabrian peppers
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine chicken and 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Combine well. Bring a large saucepan to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sear chicken in 3-4 batches until each side is golden brown. Add more olive oil when necessary.
- Set chicken aside. In the same saucepan, lower the heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Saute shallots until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and calabrian chili peppers and saute for 1 minute. Add in the cherry peppers and stir until well combined. Pour in the cherry pepper juice and white wine and simmer until reduced by half.
- Add the can of crushed tomatoes and slowly bring to a simmer. Add the chicken back in and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in heavy cream until sauce is slightly pink.
- Boil rigatoni until al dente. Combine rigatoni with the sauce while the pasta is still hot. Serve with parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Every cherry pepper juice is different. Some are spicier than others. I always recommend tasting the juice with your fingertip before putting it into the sauce. The more juice you add the spicier it will be.
Vinny
This pasta is one of my favorites from childhood. My mom used to make these spicy chicken riggies all the time in the summer!