Chicken Sausage and Pepper Rigatoni

Instructions

1. 1

   Choose dry rigatoni with a 10-minute package cooking time, frozen sliced peppers and purchased fully cooked, ready-to-eat sausage explicitly labeled 100% chicken and pork-free. Slice the sausage into thin rounds. Cut the raw boneless, skinless chicken breast into small pieces no thicker than 1 cm.

2. 2

   Heat the olive oil in a deep 30 cm skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute, with the lid off.

3. 3

   Add the chicken, sausage and frozen peppers. Cook uncovered for 3 minutes, stirring frequently; the chicken will finish cooking with the pasta.

4. 4

   Stir in the crushed tomatoes, 500 ml water, garlic powder, oregano, salt and black pepper. Cover, increase to high heat and bring to a brisk simmer, about 2 minutes.

5. 5

   Stir in the dry rigatoni, pressing it into the liquid. Maintain a steady simmer over medium-high heat for the 10-minute package cooking time: keep the lid partially covering the pan for the first 7 minutes, stirring thoroughly every 2 minutes, then uncover for the final 3 minutes and stir frequently. The pasta should be tender and the sauce thick enough to cling without a pool of liquid.

6. 6

   During the final minute, use a food thermometer to check that the thickest chicken pieces and sausage rounds reach 165°F/74°C; continue cooking if needed. Turn off the heat and stir the finely grated Parmesan into the hot pasta until melted. Divide into four portions.