Chef John's Chicken Riggies

I have never made a bad recipe from Chef John but this one is insanely good! I used more italian sausage and less chicken but only because thats what I had. My husband raved about this dish. I will be making it regularly. If you haven't been to Chef Johns blog Foodwishes go there and watch hm make this recipe, I have been cooking for 30 years and still I find his videos helpful! Thanks again Chef John

I RARELY give a 5 star rating. I'm not a picky person but to me 5 star signifies top restaurant quality, and THIS dish does that. I was searching for a chicken based pasta dish that was not the norm, this fit the bill and will become a regular dish in my house. I followed the recipe pretty close except doubled the meat. I used pepperoncinis and sweet yellow bell peppers (on-hand). Asiago and Romano cheeses. Marsala can make some dishes a little too sweet for my blood so I used Merlot. It came out GREAT. It was my 1st Chef John but wont be my last.

Very good overall with excellent flavor. We followed the recipe as written since we’ve not eaten chicken riggies before and wanted to taste something resembling the local version (an image search using a search engine shows numerous versions based on ‘tweaks’ by different cooks). Used red, yellow and orange sweet peppers, along with 2 jalapenos. The creamy tomato sauce was spicy with moderate heat for our tastes. The sauce seemed to be about the right consistency in step 2 when it called for adding water if needed. The water was not added to avoid a runny sauce (btw, the video version is correct but the AR edited written version is in error by saying to add water to thicken the sauce as it will thin it). After adding the pasta in the final step, what liquid existed in the sauce was quickly absorbed. Next time, I would add 1-1/2 cups chicken broth and not be concerned about the sauce looking runny in step 2. This is another excellent recipe by Chef John.

i am a prepper. I prep all the ingredients and then start cooking. I didn't have marsala so I used white wine and therefore got the wine and the water mixed up and put the water in when the wine was supposed to go in. Sigh. I drank the 1/2 cup of wine and all was good. I left out olives because I hate them. Other than that, made it as written and was great. Thank you Chef John for another great recipe with my favorite meat....chicken thighs.

Fantastic Recipe. I slightly changed it b/c I don't like mushrooms or olives, so I added a jalapeno & half a red & green bell pepper. Extremely tasty.

Really good, and the leftovers were excellent too. Chef John tends to season a little hotter than my family likes, but easy enough to add a little less hot peppers and I also used mild italian sausage. Will make again. I didn't have any olives, but I think they would have made a good addition.

Chef John does it again. Awesome dish. Family loved it. I made it as written and used some of my peppers/chilis in my garden.

I am from Central NY (Syracuse, specifically) and Chicken Riggies is something my family makes every time I am home, because as Chef John says, you don't see this on a menu anywhere else. This recipe is awesome and I will continue to make it again and again!

OMG...I never made this dish before nor did I ever hear of it but after watching the video and just loving all of Chef John's recipes and my success with them, I thought well, sounds good, let's give it a shot. I followed the recipe pretty closely only substituting black olives for the ones he has because they were a lot cheaper. I normally don't like olives in hot foods but did it anyway and loved it. My husband loved this meal and I did as well. I give it 5 stars and a really big pat on my own back for this one....it took 2 hours from the very beginning to the first mouthful but boy it was worth it and I will say company worthy for sure.

Tried it two ways. Exactly as written and found it a little spicy and rich. In the second attempt I did not add hot peppers and subbed a half can of Carnation milk for the heavy cream. It tasted wonderful both ways.

CHANGES; 1/4 lb sweet Italian sausage !/2 onion. 1/4 red pepper chopped and semi cooked in the microwave.. 4 boneless chicken thighs. 14 oz can diced tomatoes w/o much juice,( pureed tomatoes may have been better) 4-5 oz fresh mushrooms, 3/4 c marsala. 1/2 c. chicken broth mixed with 1 T tomato paste and 1 tsp cornstarch - warmed in microwave until thick 2 lg cloves crushed garlic, 1/2 C. kalamata olives This is a real play it by ear recipe in terms of when to add what, I like my chicken, mushrooms and peppers less cooked!!! Next time I won't use the cornstarch!!!! Add more tomato paste if necessary.

This recipe is amazing. Family loved it, I omitted the olives but other than that I followed the rest of the recipe and directions. Chef John needs a show on foodnetwork!

I've made this probably three times. It makes a ton for our two-person household (like at least six servings IMO), but luckily the sauce freezes pretty well. So after step three I divide the sauce and freeze two thirds of it in two containers, then cook about 5 ounces of pasta and follow the remaining steps 4 and 5. Then I have two more meals waiting in the freezer. Mix up the peppers but make sure one kind is at least a little spicy. Also, in the Food Wishes vid I think Chef John used a combo of green and Kalamata olives so that's what I do.

Delicious!

I made no changes to this excellent recipe. Chef John has perfectly captured the Riggies I loved from my Central New York boyhood home. Do NOT substitute anything for the Cherry Peppers! They are bright, sharp, and essential. I've made this a number of times since first trying it out, and it has become a major part of our dinnertime Rota!! Thanks Chef John!!

This is very good. It’s not a quick recipe, but worth the wait.

Chef John’s recipes have literally never disappointed, and this one goes well above that reputation. This is probably our favorite home-made dish of all time. The kalamata olives are a GREAT twist...DO NOT SUBSTITUTE with a different variety before trying them.

I figured I would try this recipe to switch my usual riggie recipe up a bit, figured the sausage and Marsala wine would be an interesting twist. Boy, was I wrong. The sausage overpowers everything, and the kalamata olives clash with the flavor of the sauce, leaving an awful flavor on the back of your tongue. Remove the sausage and replace the kalamata olives with black olives and this recipe might be decent.

EVERYTHING I'VE EVER MADE FROM YOU HAS BEEN SPOT ON. THANK YOU, CHEF JOHN. I FOLLOW YOUR RECIPES, BECAUSE THEY ARE DELICIOUS. THANK YOU.

My family loves this recipe with some minor changes. I only use one jalapeno pepper , the rest are red orange and yellow for color. I also use half n half instead of cream. I toss the al dente pasta with the sauce and added black olive slices. I will then place in a 9x13 pan and bake with Italian cheese blend on top at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until cheese is to liking. I have made this , stopped at tossing placed in refrigerator and cooked later with cheese for about 10 minutes longer . I have also frozen it in a lined aluminum pan and given to a friend who's wife had surgery their family loved it.

Chef John never dissapoints! This was excellent. I will make it again.

This dish was really good and even better the next day! My only concern is there are just so many ingredients that I really didn’t think were necessary and I didn’t even include the mushrooms because DH won’t eat them or the olives because I won’t eat them. I tasted the sauce before I added the peppers/garlic and it was phenomenal – so much so I almost didn’t add them. The sauce wasn’t hurt by adding them but I didn’t think they added enough flavor boost to warrant the extra pre-time for chopping the peppers (or the cost) – maybe I need better peppers? Before I prepared this dish I noticed another reviewer complain that sausage doesn’t belong in Chicken Riggies and then proceeded to share their “real” recipe -- I have to say I really liked the combo. If you want Chicken Riggies without the sausage either skip it or follow another recipe, don’t rip on this one. I will make this again but skip the peppers, maybe add more sausage and try it with chicken breasts or tenders instead. Thanks for another dish to add to the family rotation.

This has been Chef John's recipes at our house this week and I haven't had one fail me yet and this one was outstanding. I usually like sauce to be sitting on my pasta and this sauce was thin but omg, the flavor was unbelievable!! I had to leave out the kalamata olives because I had none, but followed the recipe exactly.

Tasted pretty good, but seemed like a lot of chopping of ingredients. Used New Mexico chiles and Japanese chilies, along w the hot sausage, but it didn't seem all that hot to me. I'd use more sausage next time, because the bites I got that did have it were better than the ones without.

Great recipe! I made this for some friends that came over and everyone loved it.

This is a great dish. Stayed true to the recipe and it was a hit!

I followed the recipe with the exception of added spicy peppers. Hot Italian sausage was more than enough heat for my family. It was a hit. I will make this again. Next time I will add basil or oregano, because it needed something.

Made this for my sister and brother-in-law ......they loved it. Had to omit the wine but next time I will try it with the wine even though I can't imagine it tasting better!

"Wow - this is really good," said DH who doesn't like pasta or tomatoes. Then he asked, "Is there more?" and proceeded to have a second helping. So glad I made this because I could live on pasta! Plan to make this often. I made following to a T Chef John's recipe and served with Chef John Corn Salad with Creamy Italian dressing. Yum!

Chef John is my favorite chef in here !! He makes a dish great for us folk who aren't always the best cooks this recipe came out fantastic.

No changes! I will definitely make this again!!

I added tomato paste with the tomatoes and a handful of spinach at the very end. Fantastic!

I was unsure of this recipe until the final reduction, at which point all of the flavors came together. This tasted amazing over some homemade pasta. Alterations: Replaced the Marsala wine with a Merlot. My wife is lactose intolerant, so I replaced the heavy cream with coconut milk. Additionally, I used a handful of mini bell peppers with a Serrano pepper for the pepper mix, which was the right amount of spicy for me. Also, I used shiitake mushrooms, which blends really well with the other flavors. The only change I would make to the recipe is cooking the chicken separate from the sausage mix, as the recipe as written overcrowds the chicken. Even with that being said, this recipe is very flavorful, and I will be revisiting.

Kids loved it (ages 6-10 yrs) partly because it is called “Chicken Riggies”. Delicious new Italian recipe.

I wanted to thank Chef John for this recipe. I do plan to make it again with a few modifications. It was a bit spicy so next time I make it I will use mild Italian Sausage links vs. the ground sausage since I like the texture of the sliced links better. I will put one serano pepper in it with a red pepper. I used some of the bottled red sweet peppers and hot peppers too when I made this and think that is why it was a bit hot. I think you could add some sun dried tomatoes too and it would make the dish better too.

An absolutely delicious recipe. I enjoy most of Chef John's videos and recipes. He is like a breath of fresh air in the Chef world! This dish only got better with time. I don't normally enjoy leftovers, but we ate this until it was gone! Great crowd pleaser.

What a delightful recipe! I made it last night and was all set to have leftovers today, but someone (and not me) got up and ate it all in the middle of the night. I thought that it was just a tad greasy, so today I’m draining most of the grease before adding the onions. Otherwise, followed the recipe exactly minus olives. What a winner! Thanks for sharing, Chef John.

White wine more sausage meat

Oh my goodness, this is so good and so different from my other pasta recipes. Right now it's my new favorite BUT I'm going to make Chef John's "Pasta alla Genovese" tomorrow and am excited to see what that recipe will bring. Thank you Chef John!! Definitely a keeper! (and so is this recipe)

As with most all of Chef John's recipes, WE LOVED IT!!! Since Chef John frequently grants us permission to do so, I did make a few adjustments based on what I had on hand. I had no hot Italian sausage, so substituted 1/4 pound ground sausage that I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase from a friend who raises cattle and pigs and makes his own sausage. I added a good sprinkle of red pepper flakes. I used Merlot instead of Marsala. Used 1 large jalapeno, 1/2 of a large pablano and 1 smallish green chile (all seeded). Otherwise, followed the recipe exactly. Follow Chef John's suggestion and stick with things rather than breasts. To die for!! This made ALOT. More like 8-10 servings. No prob! Lefties are on the menu for tonight.

I had been wanting to try this recipe, but couldn't find a couple of things at our local store. So...omitted the marsala and kalamatas, and replaced the chopped peppers with a fine-cut giardinera mix, and it was fabulous! It had so much flavor, and the combination of the sausage and chicken thighs was great.

Made another Chef John winner! Prepared exactly as the recipe. Great pasta dish, sauce was almost like a Bolognaise, lot's of concentrated flavor.

Followed the recipe exactly, with just a little more chicken.

My husband is a very fussy guy, slow to complement and he gave it a its tasty!! Grandson lived it too,

Amazing and by far my favorite dish! I try and make this at least every other week!

Loved it & made it exactly as written

Oh My Gosh! I don't know if I will ever go back to my regular sausage/hamburger sauce recipe again or if I do I'm definitely incorporating some of these ingredients into my sauce. I used chicken breast instead of thighs and I will forevermore hack my chicken up like this, who knew it could be that easy! I added pepperoncini peppers and regular black and green olives and I used Madeira wine as I did not have Marsala. I omitted the chicken broth and water as I used 2 quarts of my home canned tomatoes and they are very juicy but added 2 teaspoons Better than Bullion roasted beef base (I was out of chicken). I also used half and half instead of straight up heavy cream. I added a mix of fresh sliced yellow/ red and orange peppers and along with the snipped parsley, I added fresh basil. This sauce is divine! As a matter of fact, my husband is eating the leftovers for breakfast :-)

I love this kind of dish as its kid and family friendly. I think if I had added salt (which I forgot to add) it would have been a bit bette but it was already good. I used venison sausage which was fine but found I was looking for the taste the the Italian sausage usually adds. I will definitely make again. It's a pretty dish.

I've never had Chicken Riggies before so I can't vouch for how authentic this is, but it is a delicious dish! I made it exactly as written and wouldn't change a thing :)

Very different so my 6 year old didn't like it but my husband and I liked it a lot. I used almond milk instead of cream.

We loved this recipe. The changes I made were few. I used leftover rosé instead of the marsala or white. It worked really well. Then I used Hemp milk instead of heavy whipped cream. I have dairy issues and Hemp is thick. It was delicious. I used Pecorino Romano for the cheese. Beautiful.

Excellent flavor. Family loved it, a little hot for my wife, I'll use less hot peppers next time.

Quick and easy to make, very tasty, but we didn t use enough spicy peppers, kind of chickened out, which was a mistake! still very good.

This recipe is terrific just as it is! Will use less sweet and hot peppers next time because some family members thought it was a bit too spicy for them...but they came back for seconds anyway! A real keeper.

Sooo easy. It took longer than expected, but worth it! I used 6 links of chorizo, no chicken or peppers, and Cabernet instead of Marsala (only because that's what I had in the house). I also added the garlic about 2 minutes before the tomatoes to make sure they were cooked. I paired it with homemade linguini and The result was delicious!!!

Amazing! Highly recommend! Takes longer than advertised but worth it.

First a note to the calorie counters. This is not 4 servings. It serves 8-10, so it's closer to 500 calories per serving. I've made this twice, the first time using a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes, and the second time using a quart of garden fresh cherry tomatoes cut in half. Both times I used a variety of peppers, leaning toward the hot. Both variations were excellent and everyone enjoyed it. The version with canned tomatoes is probably a little more authentic. This is a great dish to feed a crowd because the sauce can be made the day before and when you are ready to eat, just cook the pasta, reheat the sauce and you are done.

Too bland, almost tasteless, except for the red pepper flakes, which were too strong (I used dried Tarragon instead of Rosemary; is that where I went wrong). Consistency of sauce was perfect, though.

All I have to say is "awesome!!"

We absolutely loved this! Basically did everything the way the recipe was written but added a bit more of stuff and didn't have chicken thighs so used some left over breasts we had already cooked! Everyone loved it! Will definitely make this again and again :)

Once again Chef John knocked it out of the park! The flavors were great as usual.

Oh my gosh!!! This was so delicious. My husband just fell in love with it. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.

Chef John is amazing

The only thing I changed was the pasta type...i used a smaller pasta type, but other than that the dish was easy to make, my family loved it! I will make it again

1 lb of rigatoni is way too much, 8-10 oz. is more appropriate. Great recipe though.

Chef John! You didn't tell me I would need a 15 inch skillet...of course I may have cheated just a little bit on the sausage...and a few other things. Big hit with the whole family!

Supreme recipe! This was so so good. Followed the recipe mostly as written. I didn't have Masala so used a blend of Amontillado and sweet vermouth. I didn't have enough kalamatas so I had to sub in some black olives. The recipe is very adaptable to tweeks. The recipe is a bit reminiscent of a Puttanesca sauce. My husband loved it.

The only change I made was half and half instead of cream. It really is restaurant quality. I think the olives really make the dish. Not too spicy but livens up your mouth just a bit. Love it

Made this tonight for the family ... It was awesome, as is. Only change I added a lol more spices, p

So the first time I made this, I messed up and added 1 lb of italian sausage. Whoops! My daughter loved it, but I was more of a so-so. But realizing my mistake, I wanted to make it again correctly. I use mild sausage because I'm the only one who likes hot stuff, and sausage doesn't agree with me usually. I love this with the sweet cherry peppers! I still did not care for the sausage but my hubby and daughter gave it 2 thumbs up! I would definitely make this again, but I'm not sure if I will omit the sausage or not.

I would say, and my dad did say, this is probably the best thing I have ever cooked in my life. And I cook a lot and I'm a good cook. This was outstanding. This was amazing. We made a few changes although I'm sure it's amazing the way it is. They only sold the sausage in one pound packages so I used one pound of Italian sausage. I also upped the peppers and mushrooms. This is fantastic. Enjoy enjoy!

This is a six star recipe. So delicious, could't wait to have the leftovers today. It was pretty spicy but that was okay too. I made it exactly to the directions, wouldn't change a thing.

Absolutely love this. Husband says this is one of his new favorites. Will be making this often.

It is the best meal I have ever made. Thank you Chef John

We loved this dish. I made only a few changes based on what I had on hand. Olives were omitted (I didn’t have any), only one red bell pepper was used and penne noddles (all I had).

Winner winner chicken riggies dinner! I followed the recipe precisely. Used red, yellow and orange peppers, along with a half of jalapeno that I had to use up. We enjoyed this. Watch the amount of salt that you add, as the kalamata olives are quite salty. This is one for the recipe box! Thanks Chef John!

Made it without changes and it was Great

This was amazing and will definitely be a go to recipe when I want to impress. I did leave out the olives and went with a sweet Italian sausage because that's what I had. I made a bit more sauce by adding roughly a third more tomatoes, broth, cream and so on because i added extra mushrooms and sausage, and I just feel you can't go wrong with more sauce. My family told me this is the most delicious thing I have ever made and I have to agree. Thank you Chef John, the video was helpful too!

As a Central New Yorker, not far from where this recipe originates from in Utica, NY, I made this over this past weekend and followed the recipe with the exception of the kalamata olives and red peppers. I used a 16 ounce jar of mild banana peppers as I can't eat really spicy food, whereas the hubby can. The tradeoff was well worth it. It was outstanding! Although we've had plenty of chicken riggies at local restaurants, Chef John's was one of the absolutely best home made recipes I've ever had. Kudo's to you Chef John!

WOW!! So amazing and delicious! I made this as the recipe called, but had to make a few changes due to ingredients available in my area. I couldn't find hot Italian sausage in bulk, so I had to substitute it with mild Johnsonville Italian sausage. I was told it was their spicier variety (compared to their 'sweet' variety). I also wasn't sure what kind of peppers to buy so I bought the mini sweet ones and just chopped them up. I hate olives so they were omitted. I also used chicken breasts because they needed to be used. Since I was unsure how spicy the sausage was, I sprinkled in some red chili pepper flakes. This recipe makes enough to feed an army, so if you're single like me, you need to halve the recipe at least. I loved the flavor and will be making this again for sure!! Now I just need to figure out if I can freeze cooked noodles or else I'll be eating this for more than a week.

Wow, easy to make! I used everything on the recipe and it turned out great! Vary the heat from hot peppers to your liking.

We love love loved this recipe and will make it again!

I love chef johns recipes and I love this dish...... so easy, so simple, so delish...... thanks chef john, you rock!! This will be in my recipe box rotation!

I changed a few things to bring the cost down. Used Prego sauce with roasted red peppers & Basil. Used diced tomatoes with green chiles. Used a full lb of Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage. Used chicken stock and no water. Used sour cream. sprinkled a tbsp of Paprika on chicken and sausage while browning. Skipped adding other peppers other than a green bell.. Used an Italian cheese blend that included 4 different cheeses. Skipped the wine. I find Chef Johns recipes interesting, but am usually overwhelmed by the number of ingredients. I find it difficult to achieve the proper balance between too many ingredients ? ? This made a large dish . . .but the flavor just gets better with each re-heat !

This was delicious! It makes a ton and it is a perfect one dish meal. I served it with a side salad and we kept coming back for more! Very satisfying and flexible. I used red wine, pepperonicinis, jarred jalepenos, kalamata olives, and everything else in the recipe. Totally recommend!

I made this dish last evening for my boyfriend and his 15 year old son and it was a huge hit! His son went back for seconds and asked to take leftovers to school today, which made me very happy. They both asked me if I would make it for them again. I did not find this dish to be too hot and spicy as some reviewers did and the Kalamata olives really make the dish extraordinary. Chef John, thank you for making me look like a rock star!

Okay, so I know people hate it when you rate a recipe you totally changed, but I had some ground sausage and leftover chicken tenders, and this recipe was the first to pop up. I didn't use anything spicy, used evaporated milk and butter instead of cream, better-than-boulloin, fresh red, yellow, and orange peppers and no olives. Mixed into rigatoni. I could tell it was gonna be good before it finished. I also added a pinch of baking soda, which is what i do to most tomato sauce recipe to keep down the acidity.

Incredible!! So delicious!

This is true delectable, but then, why wouldn't it be if Chef John created it? He's never ever let me down and no changes are needed for greatness! Thanks as always John and we DO enjoy as you ask!

Absolutely delicious!

OMG this recipe is TOP NOTCH! Highly recommend. The only thing I changed was I used crushed tomatoes not plum tomatoes and I used basil rather than parsley. Delicious and even better as a leftover. This will be a recipe I used again for sure!

Excellent dish! Thanks for the keeper!!!

I made it according to the recipe and enjoyed it very much. It has given me more ideas for other dishes based off this.

This dish was was probably one of the best pasta dishes I've made. Had great flavor, and the family ate it all up. Definitely will make again.

Yum! Instead of hot & sweet peppers I used hot giardiniera mix.

Followed directions to a T and got rave reviews from family! Combo of chicken and sausage is so good and the hot and sweet peppers give it a nice kick.

VERY good. Used 1 quart frozen tomatoes from my garden, 1 tsp. chicken bouillon and skipped the water. 2 pickled jalapeno peppers and some jalapeno pepper juice. Still not that spicy. I think the cream tempers the spice. Used a little of the pasta water to thin out the sauce at serving time. The al dente pasta really soaks up the liquid. Definitely a keeper.

Added about 3/4 cup of Sriracha, used only jalapeno peppers, no sweet peppers and doubled the garlic. Next time I make this I'll make garlic bread to go with it.

This makes a rich tasting sauce. I will double down on the hot peppers next time. This is my new favorite rigatoni receipe.