Chef John’s Utica-Style Chicken Riggies
Chef John’s Utica-Style Chicken Riggies layers tender chicken and bits of spicy Italian sausage in a creamy tomato sauce brightened with Marsala, peppers, and briny olives. The rigatoni catches every silky, pepper-flecked bite, finished with a shower of Parmigiano or Romano. It’s a bold, comforting dinner perfect for weeknights or casual gatherings when you want pasta with a little heat.
- Prep20 mins
- Cook1 hr 15 mins
- Serves4
- DifficultyMedium
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Chef John’s Utica-Style Chicken Riggies, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 49 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 26 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityGood
- 90 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
- 2 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 30
- Heart Health
- 40
- Metabolic
- 55
- Digestive
- 26
- Inflammatory
- 47
- Performance
- 52
- General Wellness
- 1
Warm olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, sausage, salt, and black pepper; cook and stir until the vegetables soften and the sausage is browned, 6 to 7 minutes.
- 2
Stir the chopped chicken into the sausage mixture; cook and stir over medium-high heat until browned, about 5 minutes.
- 3
Pour in the Marsala wine; cook while scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon until the wine is mostly evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.
- 4
Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, cream, and water; simmer for 30 minutes. Add more water if the sauce becomes too thick.
- 5
Stir in the peppers, olives, and garlic; simmer until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.
- 6
Season with salt and black pepper; stir in the parsley.
- 7
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
- 8
Cook the rigatoni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet slightly firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain.
- 9
Combine the sauce and rigatoni, stir in the cheese, cover, and let sit until the rigatoni absorbs the sauce, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Calories 1195.62 kcal High 60%
- Protein 61.16 g Good Source 122%
- Carbohydrate 134.75 g 49%
- Total Fat 44.94 g High 58%
- Saturated Fat 16.57 g High 83%
- Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Cholesterol 222.17 mg High 74%
- Sodium 2220.1 mg High 97%
- Dietary Fiber 16.83 g Good Source 60%
- Total Sugars 34.9 g --
- Added Sugars 22.3 g High 45%
- Calcium 298.84 mg Good Source 23%
- Iron 9.52 mg Good Source 53%
- Potassium 946.4 mg Good Source 20%
- Vitamin A 46.88 mcg Low Source 5%
- Vitamin C 24.5 mg Good Source 27%
- Vitamin D 0.09 mcg Low Source 0%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Milk 🥛
- Wheat 🌾
- Gluten
- Tomatoes 🍅
- Garlic 🧄
- Onions 🧅
- Alcohol 🚫🍷
About This Recipe
Chef John's Utica Style Chicken Riggies is an Italian dinner recipe made with 17 ingredients. It takes about 1 hr 35 mins, serves 4, and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Boneless Chicken Thigh, Chicken Broth, Crushed Tomatoes, and Fresh Parsley. Each serving provides about 1195.62 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Chef John’s Utica-Style Chicken Riggies?
- It is an Italian recipe made with 17 ingredients, usually served for dinner or lunch.
- What is Chef John’s Utica-Style Chicken Riggies made of?
- The main ingredients are Boneless Chicken Thigh, Chicken Broth, Crushed Tomatoes, Fresh Parsley, Grated Parmesan Romano Cheese. The full list of 17 is above.
- What goes well with Chef John’s Utica-Style Chicken Riggies?
- Explore these Italian side-dish recipes.
- How long does it take to make Chef John’s Utica-Style Chicken Riggies?
- About 1 hr 35 mins in total: 20 mins to prepare and 1 hr 15 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 1195.62 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Chef John’s Utica-Style Chicken Riggies easy to make?
- This recipe is rated medium, with 17 ingredients and 9 steps.
- Is Chef John’s Utica-Style Chicken Riggies healthy?
- Chef John’s Utica-Style Chicken Riggies has an easyChef Pro health score of 49/100. Per serving, it provides 1195.62 calories and 61.16 g of protein, or 122% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of dietary fiber, calcium, iron, potassium and vitamin C. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 2220.1 mg (97% of the Daily Value), saturated fat at 16.57 g (83% of the Daily Value) and added sugars at 22.3 g (45% of the Daily Value). It contains Milk, Wheat, Gluten, Tomatoes, Garlic, Onions and Alcohol, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products
easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.
The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.
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