Rigatoni with Chicken, Bacon and Mushrooms

Rigatoni with Chicken, Bacon and Mushrooms
adapted from and with thanks to A Taste of Home Cooking

Ingredients

1 pound rigatoni
6 slices thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, chopped
1 1/4 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder, dried basil, dried thyme, dried oregano (OR 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning)
1 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup apple juice
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake
1 teaspoon dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup half and half
Grated parmesan and crushed red pepper flake, for serving

Method

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook rigatoni according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until about halfway done, remove to a bowl, and pour off all but a tablespoon of bacon fat. Season the chicken with the dried herbs, then add it to the pan and saute until golden brown and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a plate.

Add the bacon back to the pan and cook for another few minutes, until just barely crispy. Add onions and mushrooms and cook until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Increase heat to high and add chicken stock and apple juice. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and let cook for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon of dried basil; season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium/medium low (sauce should still be bubbling) and cook until the sauce begins to thicken, about 15 minutes.

Stir in half and half and reserved chicken with any accumulated juices. Add rigatoni to the pan (or vice versa if your pan is not big enough to hold the pasta) and toss to combine.

Serve immediately, with plenty of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and red pepper flakes at the table.

NOTES

Cuh-razy good pasta. After only a few bites, Steve made me promise to put it in my permanent repertiore (which I did; I made it the second time only a week later). He also made me promise to make it next time we have any family over for dinner. It's that amazing.

I must admit, this one took me by surprise for one main reason: I thought it had a rather strange and jumbled ingredient list. Chicken + bacon + mushrooms + apple = good. Chicken + Italian herbs + cream + cheese + tomatoes + red pepper = good. All together, though? Really? I wasn't so sure.

I WAS WRONG.

This is an unbelievably fantastic combination of ingredients, however "busy" it may look on paper. Trust me. If you don't make this straight away, you're missing out.