Maggiano's Rigatoni "D"

This is without a doubt my favorite dish at Maggiano's. I had been looking for a new "baked ziti" type of dish to make that could be a one-pan meal. So a couple of week's ago, when we hosted six friends for dinner, I figured they would be a great group to test this recipe out on. If I can toot my horn for a minute, I'll say it was GOOD! Give it a try for your next big dinner, and let me know what you think! Or half this recipe, and make it tonight!

Original recipe found here.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

20 oz. baby bella cremini mushrooms

1/4 cup shallots, sliced

2T minced garlic

4 cups chicken stock, cold

3T corn starch

2 boxes rigatoni pasta

1/2 cup EVOO

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

1/2 cup butter (one stick)

1 cup Chardonnay

1.5 cups Marsala wine

4 cups heavy cream

1T kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 cup freshly grated parmesan, divided (I use Locatelli- it's the best!)

Directions:

1. Place first four ingredients in a ziplock bag and marinate overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
3. Pour ingredients from bag into large lasagna pan (the same one you will use for the entire dish) and bake for 18 minutes, or until mushrooms are deep brown and almost all liquid has evaporated. Set mixture aside.
4. In a medium bowl, combine corn starch and chicken broth with a whisk. Set mixture aside.
5. Cook rigatonti in heavily salted water for four minutes less than the "al dente" directions on the box. Drain, but do not rinse. Return to pan with 1/2 of the EVOO and set aside.
6. In a separate pan, heat remaining EVOO and butter on medium heat until butter begins to lightly brown. Add chunked chicken and cook for three minutes on each side, or until both sides are lightly brown but not cooked completely.
7. Add chicken to the bowl containing the mixture from step 3 and mix.
8. Pour Chardonnay into the pan the that chicken was cooked in and reduce by half.
9. Add Masala wine and reduce by half.
10. Add stock/starch mixture, whisking as you bring the sauce to a simmer.
11. Add heavy cream, kosher salt, pepper, and parmesan, and simmer for 2 more minutes.
12. Pour sauce over pasta.
13. Add mixture from step 3, which now contains the chicken, and mix.
14. Transfer to the lasagna pan used in step 3.
15. Bake on 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until center is bubbling.
16. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan and fresh parsley.