Description
This rigatoni pie is a showstopper! The pasta, homemade vodka sauce, chicken and lots of cheese are baked to perfection in a cake pan.
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Tenders, Diced Small
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 pinch Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
- 1 whole Onion, Diced Small
- 2 cans (28 oz. size) Diced Tomatoes
- 1 pint Heavy Cream
- ¼ cups Vodka
- 2 pinches Crushed Red Pepper
- 1 pound Rigatoni
- 1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan
- 3 whole Eggs
- ½ cups Mascarpone Cheese
- ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Preparation
First, cook the chicken. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet with deep sides over medium high heat. Add the chicken and let it completely cook through for about 5 minutes while you stir it. Season it with the salt and pepper while it cooks. Remove it to a plate with a slotted spatula and set it aside. Add the onion to the same pan and let it get fragrant for a minute. Pour in the diced the tomatoes and stir it all together. Let the mixture gently boil and reduce for about 30 minutes. Then pour in the vodka, heavy cream and crushed red pepper. Let the sauce cook for another 30 minutes, stirring it occasionally.
While the sauce finishes cooking, you can get everything else ready. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and spray a 9 1/2 inch springform pan liberally with cooking spray. Get a large pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Salt it generously, then cook the rigatoni in it for just 4 minutes. It will finish cooking in the oven. Drain it and transfer it to a large mixing bowl with the parmesan, eggs, mascarpone and garlic powder. Stir it all together well. When the sauce is done, pour it into the bowl and toss everything together.
Pour the whole mixture into the prepared springform pan and press it down to be a firm, even pie. Top it with the mozzarella cheese, then bake it for about 30 minutes. The cheese should be bubbly and the pie should be firm but not dried out. Let it cool for 5 minutes before releasing it from the springform pan, then let it cool for another 10 minutes so that it can set. Slice it with a very sharp knife so that it can cut through the pie easily without squishing it. Serve and enjoy!
