One-Pot Spicy Chicken Rigatoni

This was my first one-pot attempt, and let’s be real. Did any of you think it wouldn't go well?  (And if it did, would I have even blogged it lolol)Seriously, I think the only thing I’d change about this is make it a bit spicier. Not bad for a first shot…especially since the NBA Playoffs on TV were stealing half of my attention.Anyways, I’ll cut to the chase, since I’m writing this during timeouts and commercial breaks. #efficiency

Ingredients

• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• about 1 lb of (uncooked) chicken sausage - I like the Trader Joe’s Sun-dried Tomato and Basil ones the best.
• 2 cans (14 oz. each) of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• 1 box (16 oz) of rigatoni
• 1.5 tbsp of dark brown sugar
• 1/2 a stick of butter
• about 10 leaves of basil, chopped
• 1 cup of cheese (I used a mix of parmesano reggiano, mozzarella, and provolone)
• 1/4 cup of half and half
• about 1 cup of fresh spinach (you can put more, I think I should have done a bit more)

And, now for the (surprisingly) easy part…

Process

Heat some olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of your big pot) and drop in the minced garlic.  Before they actually start browning, but after your kitchen starts smelling like garlic, take the casing off of the chicken sausage and start browning the ground chicken. (Sorry the picture is blurry, it was steaming a lot!)Once the chicken gets nice and cooked, add the two cans of diced tomatoes, the 2 cups of chicken broth (if you're one of those people that cooks with wine, this would be where to split this to be 1 cup chicken broth and 1 cup white or cooking wine), and the rigatoni.  Stir it around and let it cook for about 15-20 minutes on medium-high heat.IMPORTANT NOTE: Remember how I said I was distracted by basketball?  Yeah. It’s SUPER crucial to stir often.  I ended up with a burnt layer at the bottom.  Luckily it wasn't too bad and I just transferred it to another nonstick pot I had available and proceeded to pay more attention to the Cavs game than the food. I MEAN, THE FOOD OVER THE GAME.I like my pasta sauces with just a touch of sweetness as well, so I added a nice heaping spoon of brown sugar.OMG THE WARRIORS JUST WON IN OVERTIME.  I should go to sleep now, but I'm not going to abandon the post. You're welcome :)When you see that the pasta is starting to get al dente, add the half stick of butter and your chopped basil. Mix it around and watch the butter melt beautifully.Once the butter is completely melted, add the 1/4 cup of half & half, 1 cup of cheese, and toss in the spinach.  Stir around until it seems like the cheese is melted and the spinach is wilted.Serve hot with a little bit of cheese and chopped basil on top.

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One-Pot Spicy Chicken Rigatoni

Prep Time: 15 min  |  Cook Time: 30 min  |  Yields: 6 servingsIngredients

• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• about 1 lb of (uncooked) chicken sausage
• 2 cans (14 oz. each) of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• 1 box (16 oz) of rigatoni
• 1.5 tbsp of dark brown sugar
• 1/2 a stick of butter
• about 10 leaves of basil, chopped
• 1 cup of cheese (I used a mix of parmesano reggiano, mozzarella, and provolone)
• 1/4 cup of half and half
• about 1 cup of fresh spinach (you can put more, I think I should have done a bit more)

Process

1. Heat some olive oil to coat the bottom of a big pot.  Drop in the minced garlic and after it cooks for a couple minutes, remove the chicken sausage from the casing and start browning the ground chicken.
2. After the chicken browns, add two cans of diced tomatoes, 2 cups of chicken broth, and the rigatoni.  Mix.   Stir often and let it cook for 15-20 minutes on medium-high heat.
3. Add a spoon of brown sugar for additional sweetness.
4. At the 15-minute mark, add the half stick of butter and chopped basil.  Mix gently (don't break the pasta!).
5. Once the butter is completely melted, add the 1/4 cup of half & half, 1 cup of cheese, and toss in the spinach.  Stir around until the cheese is melted and the spinach is wilted (should take only a few minutes).
6. Serve hot with cheese and chopped basil on top.