Maggiano's may not be the most authentic Italian food ever, but their rigatoni d is delicious and a total nostalgic comfort food that I have been eating since I was a kid and Maggiano's first came around. A creamy pasta dish with mushrooms, wine, caramelized onions and cream, rigatoni d is not only delicious, but with this copycat recipe, something you can totally make at home.

When I started this blog I promised myself I would never do a copycat recipe. And here I am with my third copycat recipe (albeit my first from this restaurant). My Panera squash soup and corn chowder copycat recipes are two of my faves, and while eating out is special, memorable and fun, it isn't always practical. And having a few of your favorite restaurant meals easily accessible at home is not a bad thing.
Ingredients
The pasta dish is simple enough to throw together for a weekday meal, and easily adaptable for a large crowd. We make this often for parties and anybody who's ever had this at Maggiano's tells me it tastes exactly like their rigatoni d. Simple ingredients you'll need:
- Pasta. I mean, it's called a rigatoni d copycat recipe - so the obvs choice is to use rigatoni. BUT if you wanna make this say, right now, and don't have rigatoni, but have penne, that's totally fine. Only thing I recommend here is using a tube pasta of some kind
- Olive oil and butter. That's right you're gonna want to use both.
- Mushrooms. Nothing fancy, I use regular mushrooms or sometime cremini. When getting this at the restaurant, the mushrooms come quartered not sliced. I do either sliced or quartered or sometimes both.
- Onion. A thick dice, you want to see them in the dish.
- Balsamic vinegar. For deglazing the caramelized mushrooms and onions. This element, I think, is one of the secrets to making this dish a true copycat recipe.
- Garlic.
- Chicken. You can use leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken from the store or chicken breast, cooked and thinly sliced.
- Chicken stock. Just a little.
- Marsala. An Italian wine, that gives this it's unique flavor (making unlike it's relative, chicken tetrazzini).
- Cream.
- Parmesan.
- Basil. Fresh and roughly chopped, not just for some color, but adds a fresh, bright flavor.
Substitutions
So I do work really hard to make sure my recipes are adaptable to things you have on hand. And while substituting in the Maggiano's rigatoni d won't necessarily make this a copycat recipe, it will still be absolutely delicious.
- Use a different wine. Don't have marsala? Use a white wine instead, or better yet a sherry. Sherry will definitely make this more of a chicken tetrazzini, but still delicious. I have used vermouth in place of marsala, chardonnay and sherry, and while the flavor profile is a little different, it is still spectacular.
- Use different pasta shape. I said earlier, I think a tubular pasta works best for this, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try it if you don't have tubular pasta like rigatoni. Use what you have! Shells or rotini would be totally fine.
- Make it vegetarian. Not a meat eater? No problem, use extra mushrooms, and a variety of mushrooms, sub chicken stock for vegetable stock and you're in for a treat.
Top tip
Really get some color on the mushrooms and onions. You want a good caramelization. To achieve this, saute over high heat, uncovered. If you cover, the mushrooms will steam in their own water...not what you want.
Equipment
- saute pan
- pasta pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb. rigatoni pasta cooked al dente
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 16 oz mushrooms
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp. garlic smashed and minced
- 2 cups cooked chicken
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 bottle marsala wine
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoon parmesan cheese use the good stuff NOT the Kraft green can
- 2 tablespoon butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp. fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When the oil is glistening, add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan and continue to cook mushrooms and onions are caramelized a bit. Then add the balsamic vinegar and cook until evaporated and the mushrooms and onions a deep color, about 6-8 minutes more. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant.
- Add the whole bottle of wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze the browned bits. Add the chicken stock and bring to a rapid boil and cook until the liquid is reduced by at least half, this will take a bit of time, but trust me, is worth it. You will get a good concentrated marsala flavor. Add your cream and cook until heated through. Toss in the Parmesan and butter swirl the butter in until melted. Add the cooked chicken and cook just a few minutes until the chicken is heated through. Toss the cooked pasta and basil in the sauce.
- Serve with extra shaved parmesan if you like.
Jack says
Made this tonight as my mom let me pick dinner. Turned out great, tasted just like being at Maggiano's.
Katie Beck says
That's why I love it! Enjoying Maggiano's at home. Thank you for making it!
Sam says
Made this for some neighbors coming for dinner last night. Was super easy and tasted great. My only recommendation - more parmesan cheese, extra cheese makes everything better! Thanks for the recipe.
Katie Beck says
I wouldn't say no to extra parm cheese either! Glad you enjoyed this!
Kasey Cox says
Made this last night and we really loved it. Used a mix of wild and baby bella mushrooms and it was great. Loved the suggestion of more cheese!
Katie Beck says
Love the use of wild mushrooms - great call! Thank you for making this!