Chicken Riggies

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta aldente, per instructions on the package.

Step 2

Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides.

Step 3

Add two tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat and cook the chicken until fully cooked (5-6 minutes per side). Place the chicken on a plate and tent with foil.Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the chicken is at least 165 degrees F.

Step 4

Add the bell peppers to the pan and saute for 4-5 minutes. Peppers should be soft and start to brown.

Step 5

Add the chopped garlic to the mixture and cook for 1 - 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Don't let the garlic burn!

Step 6

Add the cherry peppers to the pan and continue cooking for another minute.

Step 7

Add the red wine to the pan, scraping all the tasty browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Step 8

Increase the temperature to high heat and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes until the liquid reduces by half.

Step 9

While you're finishing up the chicken riggies, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook to package instructions for al dente.

Step 10

Add the tomatoes to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Let the mixture cook for another five minutes.

Step 11

Add the cream to the sauce, stirring to mix it into the sauce. Let the sauce simmer until it begins to thicken.

Step 12

While the sauce is simmering, cut the chicken thighs into small bite-sized pieces.

Step 13

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

Step 14

Add the pasta and chicken to the sauce and mix well until the pasta and chicken are well coated with sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add ½ cup (or more) of reserved pasta water to loosen up the sauce. Let the sauce simmer for 1 minute.

Step 15

Add the grated Pecorino Romano to the pan and blend into the ingredients. Add a little more of the pasta water if the sauce is starting to look too thick.

Step 16

Garnish with chopped basil, and serve with additional grated cheese.