Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Penne Rustica (Romano's Macaroni Grill Copy Cat Recipe)


Money shot! Seriously - tell me you don't want to eat this. Right.Now. It was always one of my favorites at Romano's Macaroni Grill and mine tasted just as good. Maybe better since I made it! Before we had kids, Gerald and I used to go to Macaroni Grill for dinner and then head next door to Barnes and Noble for a Cafe Mocha and some book browsing. Alas, neither establishment is there anymore. Once I had decided on an Italian theme for Valentine's Day, I quickly thought of this delicious dish. I own two of Todd Wilbur's Top Secret Recipes cookbooks. I use them all the time! Now you can just go to his website to find just about everything you could ever want to (re)create! I'm including a link to the recipe at the end, so for now, I'll just highlight the steps with some pictures.


The recipe calls for grilling your chicken and shrimp before adding it to the pasta. I didn't do that. I sauteed my shrimp (I had thawed 20 small shrimp) and thawed some of the chicken you see above. I keep this on hand for Jewell and me. We eat a lot of salads for lunch, and this precooked chicken can be thrown into a hot skillet and ready to eat in less than 10 minutes!


I used Walmart's grocery pickup for the first time last week. I've held off on that for a long time...as a homeschool mom, that's often my only "me time", and I wasn't ready to give it up! But I had so much going on last week, that I couldn't fit it in. Plus - I used to run to Walmart at 6:30 am or 9:30 pm...but no more. The world's a little too mean these days. Anyway - the recipe calls for deli-sliced prosciutto - about a quarter inch thick. This is paper thin. But that's OK. The dish already has plenty of texture. I really just wanted the smokey flavor, especially since I didn't grill my chicken and shrimp. In everything else, I followed the recipe.


Here's my chicken and shrimp. I didn't take the shrimp too far. It gets added to the pasta and then baked for about 10 minutes or until bubbly, so I didn't want it to get rubbery.


Butter and garlic are the base for the gratinata sauce. Be careful not to let the garlic burn.


I had to turn my heat down to low and stir it constantly to keep it from burning.


The idea is that your butter gently browns and the water cooks out of your butter. A little Marsala wine is added here and allowed to reduce. I really suggest not skipping this. The alcohol is cooked out, but the flavor of Marsala is a highlight of this dish.


Then you just dump your other ingredients!


Whisk it well to completely incorporate all the ingredients.


Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about ten minutes to thicken. Stir constantly. Cover and remove from heat when its ready. Meanwhile, be cooking your pasta.


I sprayed my little casserole dishes, and then filled them with the pasta, chicken, and prosciutto. I had mixed these together in a large bowl.


I used a measuring cup to add the sauce. Each dish got about 3/4 cup of the sauce. I arranged the shrimp on top and popped it into the oven.


When it came out, I used a jar of fire-roasted bell peppers to garnish. I just added them to mine and Jewell's dishes. The men abstained! We actually really like these, so I added more than was called for. The dish goes in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until bubbly. Garnish with fresh rosemary before serving. This recipe is not difficult at all. The sauce takes a little babysitting, but the payoff is well worth it! This is a rich and satisfying meal. Macaroni Grill may be gone, but we will always be able to enjoy this favorite! 


I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!
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