Chicken Riggies is a pasta dish native to Utica, NY consisting of chicken, peppers, and rigatoni in a spicy tomato-cream sauce. So why exactly is a Philadelphia-based blog posting a version of Smoked Chicken Riggies?
I had my first taste of this dish while visiting Utica earlier this year and loved how comforting the dish is!
A few months prior, I also had the opportunity to try some dishes from Cry Baby Pasta, an Italian restaurant that recently opened in Queen Village. Since then, I’ve been back for dinner as well, the food it awesome!
The restaurant, owed by restaurateurs Bridget Foy and Paul Rodriguez, offers a casual and warm atmosphere with a menu focusing on Italian fare prepared by husband-and-wife team chefs David Gilberg and Carla Concalves. (Gilberg and Concalves’ previous restaurant Koo Zee Doo was one of my absolute favorite restaurants in Philadelphia!)
The menu’s Italian fare is a mixture of traditional Italian dishes along with influences from Gilberg’s upbringing in Rochester, NY. Favorite items of mine include the meatballs with tomato and smoked ricotta, Bainbridge greens (Gilberg’s twist on Utica greens), the grilled sardine brochette, and, of course, the Rigatoni with vodka sauce, pancetta, smoked chicken and cherry peppers– an elevated version of Chicken Riggies.
My version, Smoked Chicken Riggies, is an at-home version of Cry Baby Pasta’s dish. Chicken Riggies (especially when using smoked chicken sausage and pancetta) has a ton of flavor and comes together in no time, perfect for weeknight meals!
Ingredients:
- 1 (12 oz) package fully cooked smoked chicken sausage (can substitute in shredded rotisserie chicken)
- 1 (16 oz) box rigatoni
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 oz diced pancetta
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more, if you like it spicy)
- 1/2 cup vodka (can substitute in chicken broth)
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- salt, to taste
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped, plus more for garnish