Spicy Chicken Rigatoni

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Y’all, this is one of the easiest and freshest pasta dishes you can make.  It is not a heavy sauced dish and can be adjusted to fit your taste when it comes to the heat factor.  I love using fresh ingredients to make dinner.  It gives me peace of mind using fresh ingredients instead of canned goods.  I hate all those preservatives and extra salt.

Having just moved to south Florida, I was able to find some great cherry tomatoes and peppers at a local farmers market.  I believe y’all are going to love this dish.  Both the ease of making and the flavor.  Let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

• • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2-3 chicken breasts – diced in 1 inch squares
  • 1 large sweet onion  – diced
  • 1 1/2 – 2 pints cherry tomatoes – left whole
  • 4 cloves garlic – chopped
  • 1 red pepper – chopped
  • 1  small jalapenos – seeded and minced (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons oregano – chopped
  • 1/2 cup Italian parsley – chopped
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste.
  • 1 pound rigatoni (or whatever pasta you prefer)

1. Bring large pot of heavily salted water to boil for the pasta. (do not throw out water after cooking pasta)

2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the diced chicken.  Cook till done.

3. Add the diced onion, pepper, jalapeno, garlic, oregano  and red pepper flakes.  Cook for a few minutes until just becoming tender.

4. Add the tomatoes to the pan and cover.  Let cook covered until the tomatoes begin to burst. (about 10 minutes) If using boxed pasta, add it to boiling water now to cook.  If using fresh pasta, wait about 7 minutes because fresh pasta does not take as long to cook as store bought boxed.

5. Uncover the tomato mixture and add the parsley, linguine, and cheese and toss.  Taste and season with salt and pepper per taste.  You can use a bit of the pasta water to thin the sauce if you find it to thick.