Creamy peri peri rigatoni recipe
It doesn’t get more comforting than a big bowl of warming pasta, and this creamy peri peri rigatoni ticks all the boxes.
Tasty, satisfying and easy to pull together, it’s also brimming with flavour. The light cream cheese adds a rich smoothness, the peri peri seasoning provides plenty of spicy punch and a sprinkling of umami-rich Parmesan is the ideal final flourish. Generous handfuls of spinach are stirred through the dish right at the end, while slices of lean chicken breast up the protein count nicely.
This dish features in Niall Kirkland’s latest cookbook, The Good Bite’s High Protein Meal Prep Manual, which is filled with easy, calorie-counted, high-protein recipes. As well as nutritious twists on classic dishes and traditionally indulgent treats, it also contains plenty of clever ideas for meal prepping that really do take the stress out of cooking.
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Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts (approx 400g)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp peri peri seasoning
- 300 g rigatoni
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 sweet Romano pepper, finely chopped
- 4 tbsp light cream cheese
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 200 g spinach
- 50 ml single cream (optional)
- 30 g Parmesan, grated, plus extra to serve
Details
- Cuisine: Italian-inspired
- Recipe Type: Main
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 10 mins
- Cooking Time: 20 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Place the chicken breasts between layers of cling film (plastic wrap) on a chopping board and pound with a rolling pin or mallet until 2 cm (0.8 in) thick all over.
- Transfer the chicken to a bowl and coat with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp peri peri seasoning.
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the rigatoni according to pack instructions, until al dente. Drain well, reserving the pasta water in a jug or bowl.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a large, deep frying pan (skillet) or saucepan set over a medium heat. Add the chicken and fry for 4-5 minutes on each side, until slightly charred and cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Deglaze the pan with the red wine vinegar, then add the shallots and Romano pepper. Fry for 5 minutes over a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Add the cream cheese, tomato purée (tomato paste), the remaining peri peri seasoning, smoked paprika, oregano and a large ladle of pasta water. Mix well to create a creamy sauce.
- Stir in the spinach, cream (if using) and the cooked rigatoni.
- Once the spinach has wilted, remove the pan from the heat. Add the Parmesan and a little more pasta water, if needed to make a smooth, silky sauce.
- Thinly slice the chicken breasts, then transfer the pasta and chicken to plates (if serving immediately) or to airtight containers if meal prepping. This will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. When you're ready to eat, finish with a little more grated Parmesan.
Recipe adapted from The Good Bite’s High Protein Meal Prep Manual by Niall Kirkland (published by Penguin Michael Joseph, £22). Photography by Haarala Hamilton.
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