Spicy Chicken Rigatoni

I got through restaurant phases where I want to eat at the same place EVERY single time we go out.  It drives Mr. C crazy.  Apparently he likes variety or something crazy like that.  Anyhow, after we ordered the Spicy Chicken Rigatoni at Buca di Beppo I was hooked.  I was so excited to find a knock-off recipe on pinterest and I’ve been making it ever since.  It’s cheaper to make at home and I love that I know exactly what’s going into it.  There are peas in the original Buca recipe but I’ve never been a big fan so I leave them out.

You can cook the chicken on the stove, oven, or grill.  Based on my experience, the grilled chicken is by far the best so I’ll have Mr. C grill it the night before and just slice it when I get home from work.  It helps make this a quick weeknight dinner.

Cook the pasta al dente according to the package directions.  Once done drain water, put in a bowl, mix in a little olive oil (about 1 tsp.), and set aside.  The olive oil will prevent the noodles from sticking together while you prep the rest of the meal.

Heat the garlic in a saucepan over medium heat and add the garlic and crushed red peppers.   Sauté until fragrant, about one minute.  Add the chicken and stir until well coated in olive oil mixture. 

Add the marinara sauce, then the alfredo and bring to a simmer.  Cook a few minutes until sauce thickens slightly.   Add salt and pepper, butter (I leave this out frequently and think it tastes great without, the butter just gives it a slightly richer taste) and peas (we aren’t a pea family so these are always omitted at our house).

Remove from heat and add pasta, stirring until noodles are well coated.  The peas would add a bit of color to this dish....  Enjoy!

This usually makes enough for about 6-8 servings.  It’s great for dinner and even better as leftovers for lunch!

Spicy Chicken Rigatoni

Adapted from: http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/2423433-Spicy-Chicken-Rigatoni

6-8 servings

Ingredients

¼ c. olive oil

½ Tb. crushed red peppers (add more if you like it spicier)

dash salt and pepper

1 Tb. garlic, minced

Chicken breasts, grilled (I use 2 -3 chicken cutlets)

1 c. marinara sauce

¾ c. alfredo sauce

2 tsp. butter (can omit this – I usually do since it has plenty of flavor without)

¼ c. peas (if you like that sort of thing)

1 lb. Rigatoni pasta, cooked al dente according to directions

Cook chicken and slice.

Cook pasta al dente and set aside, tossing with olive oil.

Heat the garlic in a saucepan over medium heat and add the garlic and crushed red peppers.   Sauté until fragrant, about one minute.  Add the chicken and stir until well coated in olive oil mixture. 

Add the marinara sauce, then the alfredo and bring to a simmer.  Cook a few minutes until sauce thickens slightly.   Add salt and pepper, butter (optional) and peas (optional).

Remove from heat and add pasta, stirring until noodles are well coated.  Enjoy!

Garlic Green Beans

One of my favorite side dishes is fresh sautéed green beans.  If you've never made fresh green beans you are missing out!  They are so much better than the canned ones and make for a quick and healthy side that goes great with anything. 

Here’s my favorite way to make them.  I typed a condensed version of the directions at the bottom as well.  Sorry for the shadowy pics; my camera and I weren't getting along so well...

Set a pot of water to boil while you prep the beans.

I start by snapping off (or cutting) the ends of the green beans and snapping them into reasonable bite-sized pieces.  Wash them and set aside.

Once the water is boiling dump the beans in and cook until tender.  You want them tender but not mushy – this is very important, so make sure to check them often.  I tend to cook mine a bit crispier, usually somewhere between 5-7 minutes. 

While the beans are boiling throw some ice in a large bowl and fill about halfway full with cool water.  Be careful not to fill the bowl since you'll need room for the beans.  This is the key to keeping the beans crunchy instead of mushy so don’t skip this step.

When the beans are done drain them and then dump them immediately into the bowl of ice water.  Allow to cool for a few minutes, adding ice or more cool water if necessary.  Once the beans have cooled you'll drain them again, making sure to remove any pieces of ice that may be hiding.

Heat up some olive oil in a skillet.  It depends on how many beans you have but I’d start with 1 Tb.  Add the garlic - as Mr. C can confirm, I don't measure garlic very well but just for you I measured this time and came up with about 4-5 garlic cloves.  Then throw in about ½ tsp. crushed red peppers, adding more if you want them spicier.  Sauté this for about a minute, until the garlic becomes fragrant.  

Add the beans and stir to coat in olive oil mixture.  Sauté until the beans are warm, adding more olive oil if necessary. 

Ingredients

Fresh green beans, ends removed

1 Tb. Olive Oil

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

½ tsp. crushed red pepper

Directions

Add green beans to boiling water and cook until tender but still crunchy, about 5-7 minutes. 

Fill a large bowl halfway full of cool water and ice, leaving enough room to add the beans later.

Once the beans are tender strain them and immediately add to the cool ice water.  Let cool for a few minutes.  Strain beans again.

Heat olive oil in a skillet.  Add garlic and crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add green beans and sauté until warm and well coated in olive oil mixture.