Romano's Macaroni Grill Penne Rustica

By kathya5084

Menu Description: "Shrimp, grilled chicken & smoked prosciutto and Parmesan baked in a creamy cheese sauce."

Romano's top-requested item is so popular they've even trademarked the name. Grilled chicken, shrimp, prosciutto, and
penne pasta bathed in a creamy gratinata sauce is topped with cheese and paprika, and baked until the top is a crispy brown. There's a distinct smoky flavor that comes from the smoked prosciutto used by the chain, and you might have a hard time finding such a unique item at your deli. No big deal. Just use regular prosciutto, and have the deli cut it pretty thick—1/8-inch will do. The dish will still work since you'll get smoky hints from the grilled chicken and shrimp. The chain serves up the entree in a wide, shallow baking dish that comes to you straight from the restaurant's salamander overhead oven/broiler. If you don't have any baking dishes like that, try using 9-inch glass pie dishes. These make for a great presentation, especially when served hot right to the table, garnished with a sprig of rosemary and a few sliced
pimentos on top. Be sure to get the sliced pimentos, not diced. You want long pieces just like those they use at the restaurant.

Source: Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 by Todd Wilbur.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons marsala wine
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 pound penne rigate pasta, cooked
• 12 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 skinless chicken breast fillets
• 1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) thick-sliced smoked prosciutto, chopped
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 12 sliced pimentos
• 4 sprigs rosemary

Details

Servings 4
Cooking time 50mins
Adapted from topsecretrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

, and baked until the top is a crispy brown. There's a distinct smoky flavor that comes from the smoked prosciutto used by the chain, and you might have a hard time finding such a unique item at your deli. No big deal. Just use regular prosciutto, and have the deli cut it pretty thick—1/8-inch will do. The dish will still work since you'll get smoky hints from the grilled chicken and shrimp. The chain serves up the entree in a wide, shallow

that comes to you straight from the restaurant's salamander overhead oven/broiler. If you don't have any baking dishes like that, try using 9-inch glass pie dishes. These make for a great presentation, especially when served hot right to the table, garnished with a sprig of rosemary and a few sliced

1. Preheat your

2. Prepare the gratinata sauce by melting 3 tablespoons of

in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Add the garlic and sweat it for about 5 minutes. Be sure the garlic doesn't brown. Add the

and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce and

whisk

well until smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer and keep it there for 10 minutes or until it's thick. Cover the sauce and remove it from the heat.

3. Cook the pasta following directions on the package (7 to 9 minutes in boiling water). You want the pasta tender, but not mushy (al dente).

to make the breasts a uniform thickness. Rub the chicken with

6. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees F. Build each dish in a large, shallow

. Load 3 cups of pasta into each baking dish. Add one-quarter of the chicken, 3 shrimp and 2 tablespoons of prosciutto onto each serving. Spoon 3/4 of a cup of gratinata sauce on each serving and toss to coat. Combine 3

of grated Parmesan cheese with 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika, then sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of this mixture over the top of each serving. Bake the dishes for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops begin to brown. Arrange three pimentos on the top of each serving, then jab a sprig of rosemary into the center and serve.

Makes 4 servings.