Spicy Chicken Rigatoni - Buca di Beppo Copycat Recipe

Have you ever gotten an overwhelming craving for delicious Italian food, only to realize you've already used your full "Restaurants" budget for the month? As a devout Italian food lover, I can assure you this happens regularly. One of my favorite dishes of all time is the Spicy Chicken Rigatoni from Buca di Beppo. For those times where you don't have $30 to purchase a large dish at Buca di Beppo, or when there's no coupon available, here's a copycat recipe that can be made for a fraction of the cost!

*Note: This recipe is geared towards beginners, looking for a quick and easy alternative. There are ways to make it more fancy including making your own homemade sauce, but it involves more time and effort.

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Time: 10 minutes preparation + 20 minutes cooking

Yield: 4-5 servings

Ingredients:

3 Chicken breasts

1 box of Rigatoni noodles

1 jar of Rosa sauce (also called Vodka sauce, half marinara and half alfredo)

1 tablespoon of Garlic (fresh, chopped)

Olive oil

Seasonings: red pepper flakes (if you want it spicy), black pepper, italian seasoning

Grated parmesan cheese

Peas (optional)

Instructions:

1. Thaw out the chicken breasts, and begin boiling a large pot of water. 
2. Mince the garlic. Slice the chicken breasts into small chunks.
3. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil, and begin sauteing the pieces of chicken with the minced garlic.
4. In a small pot, start letting the rosa sauce simmer on low, season with red pepper flakes.
5. Once your large pot is boiling, turn heat down slightly and add a full box of rigatoni noodles. Let the pasta cook for 10-12 minutes (you want to avoid it getting too soft, so make sure to taste around 10 minutes). Stir occasionally.
6. Cook the chicken until lightly browned, season with black pepper, italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
7. Once pasta and chicken are both fully cooked, they are ready to be served. Combine pasta, chicken, and rosa sauce in a bowl. Original recipe uses a light amount of sauce, but it's all personal preference. Top with grated parmesan cheese and more red pepper flakes until desired spiciness is reached. Add peas if you desire.

There you have it, a SUPER simple copycat recipe to make your own Spicy Chicken Rigatoni, similar to Buca di Beppo. Try it out and let us know how you like it! To save even more money, buy the necessary ingredients in bulk from Costco or Sam's Club, and then make an even larger batch. The larger the batch you make, the smaller the cost per serving will be.

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