Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Penne Rustica

I’ve tasted this dish at Macaroni Grill Restaurant. This pasta had whole shrimp, grilled chicken and pancetta in rich Parmesan rosemary cream sauce. I tried to create this dish again but I lighten it up without compromising on the taste.

Instead of using pancetta I used Canadian Ham/bacon and as for the cream I used fat free half and half and for the pasta I used whole wheat penne pasta. Despite of all the changes I made, this turned out really delicious.

Ingredients :

1/2 box of whole wheat penne pasta
1 piece chicken breast - sliced thinly
10 shrimp - shell and devein
2 slices of Canadian bacon/ham - chopped roughly (optional)
2 pcs of roasted red peppers - diced
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
a handful of grated cheddar cheese
1/4 of paprika
chopped parsley (garnish)

Cream Sauce

1 tsp butter
2 cloves of garlic - chopped
1/4 cup Marsala wine (you can replace this with chicken stock)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp chopped rosemary
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
2 cups low fat half & half (you can use heavy cream)

1. Cook pasta according to the instructions on the box and set aside.
2. In a large pan saute garlic and butter until lightly brown. Add Marsala wine, mustard, salt, rosemary, cayenne pepper and half and half. Cook until the sauce reduce to half.
2. In a different pan heat up some olive oil. Saute ham, chicken until chicken is half cook. Add in shrimp and stir fry for a minute.
3. Add in sauce, cooked pasta, peppers, Parmesan cheese, and paprika and mix thoroughly. Spread in baking dish. Sprinkle the top with some cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese and paprika.
4. Bake 425 degree F oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with some chopped parsley and serve warm.

27 comments:

Thistlemoon said...

Wow! This looks really yummy! I love all the different tastes and flavors!

Nice pictures as well!

Welcome to The Foodie Blogroll!

Cat Cat said...

Gert,
Italian food pun boleh... I really salute you lah... French boleh ke..?? *cabaran ini.. kekeke*

Beachlover said...

Gert,this dish look superb delicious especially with shrimp.I like to try this recipe for Elliot,I think he will like it with Penna which I have plenty in pantry.Thanks for sharing:))

Unknown said...

i love creamy pasta! this one looks sooo good, i am hungry right after lunch hehe

Big Boys Oven said...

what a gorgeous rich pasta dish! I can easily eat loads of it!

Jun said...

hi Gert...hmmmm, yummy as usual...nnti i nak try orange cake tu..mmg nampak soft aje..

Finla said...

Wow it is so delicious looking i want to eat the whole plate

Yatie_T said...

Gert,
you pasta looks delicious and I don't think the food at Macaroni Grill looks as good as yours. Macaroni Grill near my house, all their food is salty and I mean really salty.

Anonymous said...

Looks great, and I have all of these ingredients. I take a lot of heat because I use Fat Free Half and Half. I know its a contradiction in terms, but, it's surprisingly acceptable in everything. I wouldn't serve it as the star attraction, say, over berries, but in baking, sauce making, and best of all, in a glass of Thai Tea, it cuts the fat WAY down and keeps the consistency creamy.

amycaseycooks said...

looks fabulous!!

Anonymous said...

This looks super delicious. I'm going to mark this down and try it out.

Deborah said...

This is one of my favorite dishes at Macaroni Grill - and I love that you made a lightened version of it!

Anonymous said...

Wow, that looks delish. Lots of strong flavors I love, oh and chilli peppers - definitely love that.

Anonymous said...

I love how you lightened this dish! It looks absolutely wonderful. Great summer dinner!

Anonymous said...

oohhh yum! this is one of my favorite dishes from macaroni grill so i'll def have to give it a try!! love the fact that its a lighter version too!! :)

Anonymous said...

This looks fantastic!! Oh my... bookmarking for future use!

My Sweet & Saucy said...

What a great looking pasta dish! I love that you lightened it up!

ICook4Fun said...

Queen, thank you.

Cat, nanti I masak French pulak :) :)

Lesley, I am sure Elliot will like this dish but make sure you use regular penne pasta and not the whole wheat kind :)

Rita, this dish is pretty straight forward and easy to cook. Do try it out :)

BBO, come over to my house and I serve you some :)

Jun, happy baking :)

Yatie, I find their food pretty salty too.

Kate, I used a lot of half and half in my baking and cooking too as I find them healthier than heavy cream.

Eat, thank you for your comment.

Ninja, hope you like this dish :)

Deborah, thank you for stopping by and your comment.

Shoplittlegift, thanks for stopping by and your comment. I too like a hint of spiciness in my pasta.

Joy, thank you :)

Natalie, do let me know if you like this dish :)

Kristen, thank you for your comment.

My sweet & saucy, thank you.

Little Corner of Mine said...

Sooooo yummy looking! *slurp*

Anonymous said...

Looks delicious =) I hear and see Canadian ham on most American TV shows...is there something special about this particular ham?

Anonymous said...

Your photos are terrific. You've done a great job of showcasing your terrific recipes. YUM!

Jared said...

Looks delicious. Beats the hell out of the plain old pasta and store bought tomato sauce I just had for dinner. I will have to give this a try.

test it comm said...

That looks really good!

ICook4Fun said...

LCOM, thank you.

Star, Canadian bacon/ham is much leaner, slightly sweet and juicy. It's taste more like a ham than a bacon.

Renae, thanks for your comment and for stopping by. Vist hop over to your blog :)

Jared, thanks for stopping by. Let me know how you dish turn out :)

Kevin, thank you.

Anonymous said...

You like whole meal pasta? I did some testing before for whole meal pasta and none of us like it. Only the olders one love it. I am still thinking whether to bring in the product and sell over here.

ICook4Fun said...

Sue, I eat whole wheat pasta because is much healthier. It taste ok once you get used to it. I am sure it will sell well because a lot of people are into organic and whole wheat now :)

Anonymous said...

Looks Yummy.I m planning to cook this tomorrow for our wedding anniversary

Pat