Rachs Chicken Riggies Are A Personal Family Favorite Food

CHICKEN RIGGIES AND 'SCAROLE WITH SOUL

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil for "riggies". Salt water and cook pasta to al dente. Heads up: you will need to reserve cup of cooking water just before you drain the pasta.
• Trim up the thighs and chop all the chicken into bite size pieces. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Heat 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large high sided skillet over medium-high to high heat.
• Add chicken to hot pan and brown all over, 7 to 8 minutes then remove. Add onions, 3 to 4 cloves of garlic, cubanelle peppers then season with salt and pepper and cook 6 to 7 minutes to soften then add roasted red peppers. Cut tops off the hot peppers and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon then chop the hot peppers and add them to the skillet. Stir in tomatoes and add chicken back to the sauce. Bring sauce to a bubble then stir in some starchy cooking water from the pasta - about a cup, then add the cream, twice around the pan, about 1/3 to 1/2 cup. Reduce heat to lowest setting and simmer a couple of minutes. Add pasta and 1/2 cup cheese and toss to combine.
• While the chicken and peppers are cooking, heat 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped ham and cook 2 minutes, add reserved pasta water and garlic and reduce heat a bit. Add greens and wilt down, 2 minutes. Season the greens with salt and pepper, add stock. Simmer greens 5 to 6 minutes and serve.
• Top the pasta with shredded basil. Pass cheese to top both pasta and greens and serve with crusty bread.

WICKED CHICKEN RIGGIES

Steps:

• For the hot sauce: In a blender, carefully blenderize the chipotle peppers, serrano chiles and pepper oil. This stuff is hot! Be careful with splatter! Reserve.
• For the chicken: In a large braiser or saucepot, warm 3/4 cup of the olive oil over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, basil, oregano, salt, black pepper, cayenne and red pepper flakes. Stir well and cook until the onions are translucent.
• Stir the fresh chopped bell peppers into the onion mixture. Stir to coat. Add the reserved hot sauce. Continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato sauce, heavy cream, Romano and sugar. Whisk well!
• Lower the heat until the sauce slightly bubbles, and stir well. Turn the heat to low or off while sauteing the chicken strips and cooking the rigatoni noodles.
• When the sauce is nearing doneness, cook the rigatoni noodles according to package directions. I like to pre-cook my pasta for sauteed pasta dishes such as this. Pre-cooking rigatoni to near doneness, straining and holding at room temperature, or completely chilling down if holding for several hours or more and then dunking in hot, boiling water prior to sauteing works well.
• For the chicken saute, heat a large saute pan with the remaining olive oil. First, sprinkle the chicken strips with 1 teaspoon salt (more or less), and add to the hot olive oil, one layer at a time. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook in batches if necessary. Add a dash of black pepper if desired. Flip and shake the chicken pieces around in the hot pan to sear all sides. Cook until opaque and lightly brown, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
• Toss the tomato sauce and chicken in a large bowl in half-batches, or altogether. Pour onto a serving platter or individual pasta bowls. Garnish with locatelli cheese and reserved fresh scallions.

CHICKEN RIGGIES

Steps:

• In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add pancetta and onion, and cook 10 minutes, or until pancetta is crispy and onion is soft. Remove pancetta and onion from pan with slotted spoon, keeping as much butter in pan as possible; set pancetta and onion aside.
• Lightly pound chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into 2-inch pieces.
• In a shallow dish, combine flour and salt. Dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture, and cook in pan drippings over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes, or until chicken is lightly browned. Using slotted spoon, remove chicken from pan, and set aside.
• Add tomato sauce, vodka, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and red pepper flakes to pan drippings, stirring well. Cook over medium heat until bubbly.
• Stir in cream, and cook until thickened.
• Return pancetta, onion and chicken to cream mixture. Cook until heated through.
• Toss chicken cream mixture with hot cooked pasta. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

UTICA CHICKEN RIGGIES

Steps:

• In a large pot melt butter and then add chicken.
• Cook chicken over medium heat just until they begin to turn white.
• Add mushrooms to chicken and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add peppers and onions cook 5-7 minutes (I usually season the veggies and chicken with salt and pepper at this point).
• Add water, bullion, tomato sauce, heavy cream, and spices.
• Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 min, stirring occasionally.
• Add olives and simmer for 5 minutes.
• In a small bowl mix corn starch with 2-3 tbsp cold water until dissolved.
• Add corn starch to sauce, stirring continuously until it thickens.
• If it is very runny just let stand to thicken.
• Stir in cooked pasta and serve immediately, sprinkling each serving with grated or shredded Parmesan cheese.