Chicken-Dijon Rigatoni
Submitted by newyorkrich
Creamy Dijon chicken tossed with rigatoni in a silky half-and-half sauce. Only 7 ingredients and 40 minutes stand between you and a bistro-worthy pasta dinner.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
25 minREADY
40 minWhen you want something that feels fancy but takes almost no effort, this creamy Dijon rigatoni delivers.
Seared chicken goes into a reduced half-and-half sauce, and then a generous pour of Dijon mustard gets whisked in at the end to thicken everything and add that sharp, peppery kick.
The rigatoni tubes catch all that creamy, mustardy sauce in their ridges, so every forkful is loaded.
With just seven ingredients and one pan for the sauce, this is weeknight cooking that punches well above its weight.
Variations
- Add a handful of sun-dried tomatoes and baby spinach for color and extra flavor
- Use whole grain mustard instead of smooth Dijon for a more rustic, seedy texture
- Swap rigatoni for penne or fusilli if that’s what’s in the pantry
Kitchen Tips
- Whisk the Dijon in after reducing the cream; the mustard thickens the sauce quickly on its own
- Do not let the sauce boil once the mustard is added or it can turn bitter and break
- Keep the cooked pasta warm so it absorbs the sauce instead of cooling it down
Ingredients
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large sautépan over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
Add half-and-half and salt and pepper to taste, and stir to blend.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture is reduced a bit, about 10 minutes. (Mustard added later will quickly thicken it.)
Transfer warm pasta to a warmed serving bowl.
Whisk mustard into cream mixture.
Return chicken to sauce, reduce heat to low and cook until heated through.
Do not boil. Spoon chicken mixture over pasta and toss thoroughly.
If desired, garnish with chopped parsley.
Serve immediately.
Comments
