Cookbook:Chicken Riggies

| Cuisine of the United States

Chicken Riggies (recipe by P.A. Johnson) is a Utica, NY classic. It is well known throughout the greater Mohawk Valley and once a year there is a festival in honor of this dish called Riggiefest, held to benefit the YWCA of the Mohawk Valley. Here is a recipe based from a Mohawk Valley native: http://miocibo.com/2008/12/21/chicken-riggies/.

Ingredients

 * 1 stick margarine (not butter), melted
 * 1 onion, minced
 * 2–5 cloves garlic, minced
 * 1 jar (20 oz) sweet peppers, sliced and seeded
 * 3 sliced hot cherry peppers (jarred ones with oil)
 * 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
 * 2 lb boneless chicken breast, cubed
 * 1 can chicken broth
 * 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
 * ½ pint cream
 * 1 small can sliced black olives
 * 1–1½ lb rigatoni pasta, cooked

Procedure

 * 1) Sauté onion, peppers, and garlic in the margarine slowly over low/medium heat until the onions are clear.
 * 2) Add the Parmesan, chicken breast, chicken stock, tomato sauce, cream, and olives. Simmer for about an hour.
 * 3) Serve over the cooked pasta.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * It is important to use jarred peppers—the flavor of fresh peppers completely changes the recipe.