Chicken Riggies

"With a colloquial name like chicken riggies (short for rigatoni), this regionally famous pasta dish is the epitome of "if you know, you know." But in case you don't: It's as if a creamy tomato vodka sauce had a spunkier cousin, boosted by the zing of pickled hot cherry peppers. It's an Italian American hybrid dish with origins in the "Littler" Italys of central and upstate New York."

"In the early 20th century, small Rust Belt cities like Utica and Rome were home to a large wave of immigrants who created new-age renditions of familiar dishes such as chicken riggies, Utica greens, and tomato pie in their homes and restaurants. Today the pasta is a comforting regional favorite for serving at everything from festivals to funerals in the upper stretch of New York State."

Chicken riggies is a regional Italian American pasta from central and upstate New York that pairs rigatoni with a creamy, spicy tomato sauce enlivened by pickled hot cherry peppers. The dish originated in early 20th-century Littler Italys in Rust Belt cities such as Utica and Rome, where immigrant communities adapted traditional recipes. The pasta functions as a local comfort food served at festivals, funerals, and community events, inspiring traditions like the Riggies Run in Utica. Typical preparations combine fresh mini sweet peppers with jarred hot cherry peppers, while optional additions include sautéed mushrooms or olives.

Read at Epicurious