This Chicken Riggies dish is made with creamy tomato sauce and juicy chicken. You are going to love the spiciness of the hot cherry peppers in this flavorful sauce.
If you love tasty pasta recipes, you should try our chicken and mushroom rigatoni and creamy chicken gnocchi.

Spicy Chicken Riggies recipe
These Chicken Riggies are a delicious dish with big rigatoni noodles, juicy chicken breast, and a spicy tomato-cream sauce. It is so flavorful. Roasted bell pepper and hot cherry peppers add a delicious smoky heat to this creamy red sauce. Some white wine and a generous amount of Parmesan cheese finish off this amazing dish that I think you’re going to love. It’s just so good!
What you’ll need
- For the chicken- Chicken breast, Salt, Pepper, and Olive oil
- For the sauce- Unsalted butter, Garlic cloves, Yellow onion, White wine, Red bell pepper, Hot cherry peppers, Crushed tomatoes, Heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese
- Sauce seasonings- Oregano, Salt, and Pepper
- Pasta- Rigatoni and Reserved pasta water
- Garnish- Fresh basil
How to Make Chicken Riggies
- Slice the chicken. Cut the chicken breasts in half so they are thin cutlets. Then season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Cook the chicken. In a pan over medium-high heat, pour the olive oil. When hot, cook the chicken on both sides until golden brown and cooked through.
- Let it rest. Remove the cooked chicken from the pan and cover it with foil for about 5 minutes. Once cooled, cut it into cubes.
- Cook the pasta. Cook the rigatoni in a pot of salted boiling water. When you drain it, reserve a cup of the pasta water for later.
- Saute the garlic and onion. In the chicken pan, add the butter and then the minced garlic and chopped onion.
- Add the wine and water. Now turn the heat up to high and add the white wine and let it cook out for about 3 minutes. Then pour in the reserved pasta water.
- Add in the peppers and seasoning. Add the chopped hot cherry peppers and roasted bell pepper. Then sprinkle in the oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Simmer. Let the peppers come to a simmer and then add the crushed tomatoes and heavy cream.
- Mix in the Parmesan cheese. Let the sauce come to a simmer again and then remove it from the heat. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese, then add the cubed chicken and rigatoni pasta.
- Combine and garnish. Mix everything together and then garnish with freshly chopped basil. Serve.
How do I roast a bell pepper?
To roast a bell pepper, remove its skin and seeds and place it on a foil-covered baking pan. Broil it in the oven for about 10 minutes before allowing it to cool enough to chop for the Chicken Riggies sauce.
Add-ins and Variations
- Add more vegetables- Try this recipe with additional vegetables, such as asparagus, mushrooms, or squash.
- Substitute a different protein- Instead of chicken, try bacon, sausage, or meatballs.
- Make it gluten-free- To make a gluten-free version, substitute gluten-free pasta.
- Make it a little lighter- If you want a slightly lighter version of this dish, substitute the heavy cream with half & half, or fat free half & half.
- Try it dairy-free- Use vegan butter, full-fat coconut milk, and nutritional yeast in place of the butter, cream, and Parmesan cheese.
How to Store and Reheat
Store any leftover Chicken Riggies in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It will last for 3-4 days. To reheat the dish, place it in a pan on the stovetop and heat until warmed through. If it is a little dry from the fridge, add a splash of heavy cream or hot water.
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Full Recipe Instructions
Chicken Riggies (Spicy Chicken Rigatoni)
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast cubed
- Salt and pepper to season chicken
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 onion yellow diced
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 1 red bell peppers roasted in the oven
- 6 small hot cherry pepper chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 lb rigatoni
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons basil freshly chopped
Instructions
- Slice 1 lb of chicken breast in halves. So you have thin chicken cutlets. Then season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken on both sides until golden brown and fully cooked through.
- Then remove the chicken from the pan and cover it with foil for about 5 minutes. Then cut the chicken into cubes after it has cooled.
- Now, cook 1 pound of rigatoni pasta in a pot of salted boiling water. Reserve one cup of pasta water for later.
- In the same pan add 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, 4 minced garlic cloves, and 1/2 of chopped yellow onion.
- Turn the heat on to high and pour in 1 cup of white wine. Let the wine cook out for about three minutes.
- Then pour in the reserved 1 cup of pasta water.
- Now add 6 small chopped hot cherry peppers, 1 chopped roasted bell pepper (broiled in the oven for 10 minutes, skin and seeds removed). You’ll also want to add 1/2 teaspoon oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Let the peppers and spices come to a simmer, then add a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes and 1/4 cup of half & half.
- Then let the sauce come to a simmer again and remove it from the heat. Stir in 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, then add back the cubed chicken and cooked rigatoni pasta. Mix everything together and garnish with 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped basil.
Nutrition
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Tim says
I see cherry tomatoes in the photo, and they are not in the recipe. Are they just on top to make a better photo, or throughout the dish ?
I like the idea of adding mushrooms, what type would you recommend and how would you prepare them for inclusion. ?
What about olives, I have seen some Riggy recipes that include olives. Would you recommend that ?
Great photo, looks delicious.
Dina says
Hi Tim 🙂 The cherry tomatoes are for the pictures. I do use crushed tomatoes in this recipe though. You can still add cherry tomatoes if you want to as well as mushrooms. I would add them in after you saute the onions. Regarding the olives that is a personal preference. I wouldn’t add them in but if you really love olives then you can give it a try. Hope that helps and I hope you love this recipe! Let me know how it goes 🙂