Rigatoni Fiorentina Recipe

Are you looking for a hearty weeknight meal? While a boxed or frozen pasta option is sure to be an easy choice that will come together in minutes, so is this recipe for homemade rigatoni fiorentina — and we promise that it will taste a lot better than a frozen meal.

This tasty dish combines large rigatoni noodles with tender chunks of chicken, spinach, and fragrant veggies and herbs. Not to mention, it features a creamy tomato sauce and a generous helping of gooey mozzarella cheese. "It's truly comfort food at its finest," say food photographer and recipe developer Petar Marshall. "But you'll also get a good dose of protein and greens from the addition of plenty of spinach."

All of the ingredients required for this recipe are easy to find at any store, and you'll only need to set aside 10 minutes for prep time before you get to cooking. With this simple, step-by-step process, you'll have a tasty dinner on the table in less than 35 minutes. And with how good it tastes, it just might become your new favorite go-to.

For this recipe, you'll need one box of rigatoni noodles, 14 ounces of chicken tenderloins, one can of tomato sauce, tomato paste, sundried tomatoes, olive oil, half and half, dry sweet basil, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, oregano, butter, one shallot, five cloves of garlic, one package of spinach, fresh Italian parsley, mozzarella cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. "The sweet basil, thyme, rosemary, and oregano serve as the Italian seasoning for this recipe," says Marshall. "If preferred, you can use a pre-mixed store-bought Italian seasoning instead." 

To get started on making this dish, mix the pasta sauce first. In a large bowl, pour in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, sundried tomatoes, half and half, olive oil, basil, thyme, rosemary, and oregano. Whisk the mixture to combine, and then set the prepared sauce aside. 

To cook the rigatoni noodles, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on the stove top. Pour in the pasta and cook the noodles for 8 to 10 minutes until tender. It's also a good idea to look at the cooking instructions on the package to ensure that you're cooking the pasta for the right amount of time.

While the pasta noodles are cooking, sauté the garlic and shallot. Put a large saucepan on the stovetop on medium heat, add in the butter, and allow it to fully melt. Add in the garlic and shallot and cook the mixture for one to two minutes, until lightly golden. "This releases great flavor from the garlic and shallot that will play a part in making the pasta so delicious," says Marshall. 

Once the garlic and shallot are cooked, you're ready for the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Add in the chunks of chicken and cook them on both sides for about five minutes. Once the chicken is cooked, stir in the spinach and put the lid on the saucepan. This will help to wilt the spinach thanks to the steam coming off of the dish. Cook this mixture for about three minutes. 

With the chicken and spinach cooked, it's time to add in the prepared sauce. Pour the entire bowl of sauce into the sauce pan and stir the mixture until well combined. 

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it in a colander. Transfer the cooked noodles to the saucepan with the prepared sauce, chicken, and spinach mixture. Mix everything together, and then put the lid on the saucepan for 10 minutes. "This will give the pasta dish time to reduce and for the flavors to really come together," says Marshall.

After simmering, remove the lid from the saucepan and sprinkle the rigatoni fiorentina with the mozzarella cheese and chopped parsley. Allow it to sit for five minutes to melt the cheese before serving and enjoying.