Chicken Rigatoni

I admit, I catch Rachel Ray on the Food Network  once in a while usually when I am on treadmill, and there is nothing else is on.   Despite my annoyance at her saturation of the television airwaves, her Pasta in Vodka Sauce is a standard dish in my house and now I am adding another one - her chicken rigatoni. Apparently, this dish is common in upstate New York and it is quite good especially if you like things a little spicy.

Spicy Chicken Rigatoni

serves 4 to 6 adults

1 pound rigatoni

¾  pound chicken

¾  pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Black pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped

2 large or 3 small cubanelle peppers, seeded, chopped - I used Anaheim peppers available in my supermarket

3 roasted red peppers, chopped

6 hot cherry peppers pickled in jar, in Italian section of grocery stores - I used a spicy pepper

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1/3 to ½  cup cream

½  cup grated Romano or Parmigiana plus more to pass at table

½  cup basil, about 10 leaves, thinly sliced

Bring a pot of water to a boil for pasta. 

Salt water and cook pasta to al dente. 

Reserve 2/3 cup of cooking water just before you drain the pasta. 

Trim 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. 

Add onions, garlic, local mild fresh peppers such as cubanelle or anaheim 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. 

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 ½  cup. 

Reduce heat to lowest setting and simmer a couple of minutes. 

Add pasta and ½  cup cheese and toss to combine.

Top the pasta with shredded basil.

Serve with crusty bread.

I plan on making this dish without the pasta and making grinder style sandwich out of it with melted mozzerella.