Mrs. Clay’s Roasted Pepper Parmesan Rigatoni Dinner with Lemon-Parmesan Salad & Brown-Butter Peaches
Silky roasted bell peppers, real Parmigiano-Reggiano, beautifully seared chicken and rigatoni come together in a sauce so rich and flavorful that you may forget you’re eating bell peppers at all.
Bell peppers and I have never had a particularly warm relationship.
I don’t like them raw. I don’t particularly enjoy biting into chunks of them in cooked dishes either.
And yet, I love the smell of bell peppers cooking.
There is something about that aroma when peppers and onions hit a hot pan that always smells like something wonderful is about to happen.
Which made me wonder if perhaps I didn’t dislike bell peppers nearly as much as I thought I did.
Maybe I just didn’t like the way I had been eating them.
That distinction matters.
I learned something similar years ago with onions. I don’t necessarily want noticeable pieces of onion throughout everything I eat, but mince them finely enough, cook them until they practically disappear, and suddenly they aren’t something I’m tolerating.
They’re part of what makes the dish delicious.
So I decided to give bell peppers the same opportunity.
But if I was going to do it, I wasn’t going to gingerly sauté a few peppers and hope for the best.
We were going all in.
The Magic Is in Roasting the Peppers
Want to make just the pasta? You can find the standalone Roasted Pepper Parmesan Rigatoni with Seared Chicken recipe here.
Red, yellow and orange bell peppers are roasted at high heat until their skins blister and blacken.
And I mean really blister.
They come out of the oven looking like you may have gone a little too far.
You haven’t.
That high heat transforms them.
The raw grassy flavor disappears and the peppers become soft, sweet and just a little smoky.
After roasting, they are covered and allowed to steam for about 15 minutes. The loosened skins peel away, leaving behind nothing but that soft roasted flesh.
Then those peppers are blended.
And blended.
And blended some more.
The goal isn’t a chunky pepper sauce.
I wanted something silky.
Almost velvety.
Something where you taste what the peppers bring to the dish without thinking, Oh. There’s a bell pepper.
That turned out to be exactly the right approach.
Then We Build Flavor
The peppers may be the star, but they aren’t working alone.
Finely chopped onion cooks slowly until it is soft and sweet.
Tomato paste goes into the pan and cooks until it changes from bright red to a darker brick color.
That little step matters.
Raw tomato paste tastes like tomato paste.
Cooked tomato paste begins to taste like part of a sauce that has been simmering much longer than it actually has.
Then comes garlic, paprika, a touch of smoked paprika and just enough red pepper flakes to add warmth without turning dinner into a test of endurance.
The roasted peppers and chicken broth join everything in the pan before the whole thing gets blended until exceptionally smooth.
At that point, you could probably stop and have a perfectly respectable sauce.
But we are not aiming for respectable.
The Chicken Gets Its Own Moment
The chicken is seasoned with garlic, onion, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper before being seared in a hot skillet.
And one of the most important instructions in this entire recipe happens immediately after the chicken goes into the pan:
Leave it alone.
We want browning.
Not pale chicken that was nervously moved around the skillet every 14 seconds.
Letting the chicken sit undisturbed gives it that gorgeous golden crust that adds an entirely different layer of flavor.
Butter goes into the skillet after the chicken is flipped, and that buttery goodness gets spooned over the chicken as it finishes cooking.
Then the chicken comes out to rest.
But all those beautiful browned bits left behind in the skillet?
We aren’t washing those down the drain.
Absolutely not.
A little chicken broth goes into that hot pan, loosening every bit of flavor stuck to the bottom.
That intensely flavored liquid gets poured directly into the roasted pepper sauce.
It is one of those tiny extra steps that takes perhaps two minutes and makes you wonder why you would ever skip it.
And Then It Becomes Pasta Sauce
Heavy cream softens everything.
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano makes it rich and savory.
Butter makes it glossy.
And pasta water helps the sauce cling to the rigatoni instead of simply pooling underneath it.
That pasta water is important enough that I am going to say this now:
Save the pasta water before you drain the pasta.
I have absolutely remembered approximately four seconds after sending perfectly good pasta water down the drain.
It is a sad moment.
A measuring cup sitting beside the stove helps.
The rigatoni finishes cooking right in the sauce so that every ridge is coated and every little tube catches some of that roasted pepper-Parmesan goodness.
Then the rested chicken is sliced and placed over the top.
And please don’t forget the juices on the cutting board.
Those go into the pasta too.
We worked for that flavor.
We’re keeping it.
A Rich Pasta Needs Something Bright Beside It
You can also save or print the Lemon-Parmesan Salad on its own.
My first instinct with pasta is usually bread.
Garlic bread.
Cheesy bread.
Some form of warm carbohydrate covered in butter because apparently pasta alone isn’t enough. 😂
But I actually wouldn’t serve garlic bread with this.
The pasta is creamy, cheesy and rich enough already.
What it needs beside it is contrast.
So I paired it with a simple lemon-Parmesan salad.
Cold lettuce.
Fresh lemon.
Red wine vinegar.
Dijon.
A little honey.
Parmesan.
Lots of black pepper.
The dressing should taste almost a little too sharp when you taste it by itself.
Once it coats the lettuce and Parmesan, that brightness is exactly what the rich pasta needs.
And Because Dinner Deserves Dessert…
If the peaches are all you’re after, I also have the Brown-Butter Cinnamon Peaches as a standalone recipe.
Warm peaches.
Brown butter.
Brown sugar.
Cinnamon.
Vanilla ice cream.
There are desserts that require an entire afternoon and every mixing bowl you own.
This isn’t one of them.
You brown a little butter until it smells wonderfully nutty, add fresh peaches, brown sugar and cinnamon, then spoon the warm peaches and buttery syrup over vanilla ice cream.
If you have pecans, toast a few and scatter them over the top.
Ten minutes.
Almost no effort.
And very definitely worthy of company.
The Lesson I Keep Learning in the Kitchen
Sometimes we decide we don’t like an ingredient when what we really don’t like is one particular version of it.
Raw versus roasted.
Chunky versus finely minced.
Boiled versus caramelized.
Plain versus seasoned properly.
Technique changes ingredients.
It is one of the things I love most about cooking.
Three ordinary bell peppers can become the foundation of an incredibly silky pasta sauce simply because we roasted them hard, peeled them, blended them thoroughly and surrounded them with ingredients that made them better.
There wasn’t one magical ingredient responsible for this dish.
It was all the little things.
Roasting the peppers until they were truly blistered.
Cooking the tomato paste.
Letting the chicken actually brown.
Deglazing the skillet.
Using freshly grated Parmesan.
Saving the pasta water.
Finishing the pasta in its sauce.
Pouring those chicken juices back into the dish instead of throwing them away.
None of those things is particularly difficult.
Together, though?
That’s when dinner stops being something you made because everyone needed to eat.
That’s when dinner becomes something worth remembering.
Prefer to Save the Recipes Separately?
I love having this whole dinner together in one recipe, but sometimes you may only want one part of it. Each recipe also has its own page so you can save, print or pair it with something completely different:
Roasted Pepper Parmesan Rigatoni with Seared Chicken
Lemon-Parmesan Salad
Brown-Butter Cinnamon Peaches
Roasted Pepper Parmesan Rigatoni Dinner with Lemon-Parmesan Salad & Brown-Butter Peaches
Yield: About 6 generous servings
A complete dinner of silky roasted pepper Parmesan rigatoni topped with golden seared chicken, a bright lemon-Parmesan salad, and warm brown-butter cinnamon peaches over vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
Roasted Pepper Parmesan Rigatoni with Seared Chicken
For the Chicken
- 2 to 2½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
For the Roasted Pepper Parmesan Sauce
- 3 bell peppers, preferably one each red, yellow and orange
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, very finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- About ¼ cup additional chicken broth for deglazing the chicken skillet
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 to 1¼ cups very finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Tiny splash fresh lemon juice, optional
For the Pasta
- 1 pound rigatoni
- Salt for pasta water
- 1 to 2 cups reserved pasta water
For Serving
- Additional Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Chopped fresh parsley or basil, optional
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Good olive oil, optional
Lemon-Parmesan Salad
- Romaine, iceberg, or a combination
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon honey
- 1 small garlic clove, pressed
- 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt, to taste
- Plenty of freshly ground black pepper
- Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
- Croutons, optional
- Thinly sliced cucumber, optional
Brown-Butter Cinnamon Peaches
- 4 to 5 ripe peaches
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Tiny pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Vanilla or vanilla bean ice cream
- Toasted pecans, optional
Instructions
1. Roast the Peppers
Preheat oven to 475°F.
Cut the bell peppers in half from stem to bottom. Remove the stems, seeds, and white ribs.
Place the peppers cut-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Do not oil them.
Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, until the skins are deeply blistered and blackened in places.
Immediately transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover tightly. Allow them to steam for 15 minutes.
Peel away the loosened skins. Do not rinse the peppers.
Set aside.
2. Prepare the Chicken
If the chicken breasts are very thick, slice them horizontally into cutlets approximately ½ to ¾ inch thick.
Pat the chicken thoroughly dry.
Combine the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, oregano, and black pepper.
Season both sides of the chicken generously.
Allow the chicken to rest for 15 to 20 minutes while beginning the sauce.
3. Start the Roasted Pepper Sauce
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-low heat.
Add the finely chopped onion with a small pinch of salt.
Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very soft, translucent, and sweet.
Add the tomato paste and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until it darkens to a rusty brick color.
Add the garlic, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes.
Cook for 30 to 45 seconds, just until fragrant.
Add the roasted peppers and 1 cup chicken broth.
Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any flavorful browned bits.
Transfer the mixture to a blender or use an immersion blender to puree until exceptionally smooth, approximately 45 to 60 seconds.
Return the sauce to the skillet and gently simmer for 8 to 10 minutes to concentrate the flavor.
4. Sear the Chicken
Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Once the oil is shimmering, add the chicken without crowding the pan. Work in batches if necessary.
Cook undisturbed for approximately 3 to 4 minutes, until deeply golden.
Flip the chicken.
Add 1 tablespoon butter and spoon the melted butter over the chicken.
Continue cooking for another 2 to 4 minutes, depending on thickness, until the chicken reaches approximately 160 to 162°F internally.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Deglaze the Chicken Pan
Do not clean the skillet.
Pour approximately ¼ cup chicken broth into the hot skillet.
Scrape up all the browned chicken bits and allow the liquid to bubble for about 1 minute.
Pour the flavorful liquid into the roasted pepper sauce.
6. Add the Cream
Reduce the heat beneath the sauce to low.
Stir in the heavy cream and gently heat for 3 to 5 minutes.
Do not allow the sauce to boil aggressively.
7. Make the Lemon-Parmesan Salad Dressing
While the pasta water heats, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, grated Parmesan, oregano, salt, and black pepper in a jar.
Shake vigorously until well combined.
Taste and adjust the seasoning.
The dressing should taste fairly bright on its own. It will mellow once tossed with the lettuce and Parmesan.
Set the dressing aside.
Do not dress the salad yet.
8. Cook the Rigatoni
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
Cook the rigatoni until approximately 1 to 2 minutes shy of completely done.
Before draining, reserve at least 2 cups of pasta water.
Drain the pasta without rinsing.
9. Finish the Parmesan Sauce
Reduce the roasted pepper sauce to very low heat or remove it from the heat completely.
Gradually stir in 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Add 2 tablespoons butter and stir until melted and glossy.
If necessary, add reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce reaches a silky consistency.
Taste and adjust with salt, black pepper, additional red pepper flakes, or smoked paprika if desired.
If the sauce tastes properly salted but needs a little brightness, add a tiny splash of fresh lemon juice.
10. Finish the Pasta
Add the drained rigatoni directly to the sauce.
Toss over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, adding splashes of reserved pasta water as necessary.
The finished sauce should cling to every ridge of the pasta rather than pool underneath it.
Slice the rested chicken across the grain.
Pour any accumulated chicken juices from the cutting board into the pasta.
Divide the rigatoni among bowls or plates and top with the sliced chicken.
Finish with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, black pepper, and chopped parsley or basil if desired.
11. Toss the Salad
Immediately before serving, toss the lettuce with just enough lemon-Parmesan dressing to lightly coat it.
Top with shaved Parmesan.
Add croutons or thinly sliced cucumber if desired.
Serve alongside the roasted pepper rigatoni and chicken.
12. Make the Brown-Butter Peaches After Dinner
Slice the peaches.
Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Continue cooking until the milk solids turn golden brown and the butter smells wonderfully nutty.
Add the peaches and cook for approximately 2 minutes.
Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and a tiny pinch of salt.
Cook for another 2 to 4 minutes, until the peaches are tender but not mushy and a buttery syrup has formed.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Spoon the warm peaches and brown-butter syrup over vanilla ice cream.
Top with toasted pecans if desired.
Serve immediately.
A Couple of Helpful Things for This Meal
Sharing the meals we make and the things that work in my kitchen is one of my favorite parts of Mrs. Clay. If you happen to need one of the things I’ve linked below, I’d be so grateful if you considered using my link. It never costs you anything extra, but I may earn a small commission, and those little bits truly help me keep this little corner of the world going. I’m so grateful you’re here.
Instant-Read Meat Thermometer — One of the easiest ways I know to keep chicken juicy is to stop guessing when it’s done. For this recipe, I like pulling the chicken around 160–162°F and letting the heat already inside it carry it the rest of the way.
Fine Parmesan Grater — This dinner uses Parmigiano-Reggiano in both the pasta and the salad, and freshly grated cheese really does make a difference. A fine grater also happens to be one of those kitchen tools you’ll find yourself reaching for constantly.
