Romano's Macaroni Grille Penne Rustica

*** Recipe found at www.recipezaar.com/145119

SAUCE

* 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 lb penne rigate, cooked
* 12 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 2 skinless chicken breasts
* 1/2 cup about 2 ounces thick-sliced prosciutto, chopped

TOPPING

* 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
* 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

GARNISH

* 12 sliced pimientos
* 4 sprigs rosemary

Directions

1. Preheat bbq grill to high.

2. Prepare gratinata sauce by melting 3 tbls of butter over medium/low heat. Add garlic and sweat it for about 5 minutes. Be sure the garlic doesn't brown. Add the marsala wine and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce and whisk until smooth. Bring mixture to a simmer and keep it there for 10 minutes or until it's thick. Cover sauce and remove from heat.

3. Cook past following directions on the package (7-9 minutes in boiling water). You want the pasta tender, but not mush (al dente). Strain pasta and set it aside when it's done.

4. Pound the thick end of your chicken breast a bit with a kitchen mallet to make them a uniform thickness. Rub chicken with olive oil, then sprinkle on a bit of salt and pepper. Spear the shrimp on skewers (6 per skewer should work fine), then rub them with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

5. Grill chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side. Grill shrimp for 2 minutes per side. When chicken is done, slice each breast into strips.

6. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Build each dish in a large shallow baking dish. Or you can use a 9 inch glass or ceramic pie plate. Load 3 cups of pasta into each baking dish. Add one quarter of the chicken, 3 shrimp, and 2 tbls of prosciutto onto each serving. Spoon 3/4 of a cup of gratinata sauce on each serving and toss to coat. Combine 3 tbls of grated Parmesan cheese with 1 1/2 tsp paprika, then sprinkle about 1 tbls of this mixture over the top of each serving. Bake the dishes for 10-12 minutes, or until tops begin to brown. Arrange 3 pimentos on the top of each serving, then jab a sprig of rosemary into the center an serve.

Serves: 4

*** My Notes: Our local Macaroni Grille closed this year and I've been missing this dish. I'll prepare it all in one casserole dish. I'll also leave out the shrimp so it is cheaper and more kid friendly. I think it will serve MUCH more than 4!!

Zesty Baked Salmon

4 to 6 salmon steaks
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
6 to 8 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms, sautéed in 2 to 3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Arrange salmon steaks in a buttered 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Combine salad dressing mix, lemon juice, and water; pour over salmon. Cover dish with aluminum foil. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Top salmon with sautéed mushrooms and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Continue baking uncovered for another 10 minutes.

Serves 4 to 6.

***Found at: http://southernfood.about.com/od/freshsalmonrecipes/r/bl30115q.htm

*** My Notes: I haven't made this, yet. When I do I will use a salmon fillet placed on top of aluminum foil. Cut the cooked salmon into serving pieces and then carefully lift pieces leaving the skin stuck to the foil. I'm sure it would also be good with boneless chicken breasts.

Lemon Pepper Marinade

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
fresh course ground black pepper, to taste
grated zest of one lemon

Mix all the ingredients and use the marinade immediately with meat or fish in your choice of a zip-lock plastic bag or container. Cover or seal and marinate in refrigerator. Use this as a basting sauce as well, but bring to a rolling boil before using after using as a marinade. With or without marinading first, you will find that if you are grilling, this works best for most fish.

Original Recipe Note: if you want to add a sweeter caramelizing effect. Add 1-2 tablespoons of orange blossom (or clover is alright) honey to the marinade recipe.

*** I found this recipe on line and have no idea where. I apologize to the original author.

*** My Notes: I have not used this recipe, yet. When I do I will leave out the rosemary. Also for cooking I will cover a pizza pan with aluminum foil and place a salmon fillet on the foil. Top with marinade and broil. When I serve I will cut the fillet into serving sizes and carefully lift it off the foil leaving the skin stuck on the foil. Also, I think this marinade would work well with boneless chicken breasts.

Seafood Chowder

Taken from The Pampered Chef Celebrate! Cookbook.

4-5 medium red potatoes, cut into 1 -inch cubes (about 1 pound)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup diced red bell pepper
2 cans (6.5 ounces each) minced clams, drained, reserving clam juice
1 TBSP butter or margarine
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half (light cream)
1 pound fresh bay scallops
1 pound frozen, cooked medium shrimp, thawed, rinsed, and tails removed
Snipped fresh parsley

Prep vegetables. Drain clams, reserving clam juice. If juice does not measure 1 cup, add enough water to equal 1 cup.

Melt butter in dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add onion; cook 3 minutes or until tender. Add vegetables, reserved clam juice, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cover. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, place flour in small bowl. Gradually whisk half-and-half into flour until smooth.

Add clams, scallops and shrimp to chowder; gradually whisk in flour mixture. Return to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Cover until ready to serve. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with parsley.

Yield: 12 servings (15 cups).

My Notes: I cut this recipe in half. Also, I usually omit celery (I don't like it) but have also substituted dried celery. This is a great soup for Company. Just add more veggies to stretch the number of servings. = ) I also omit the parsley or use dried parsley. If cost of the seafood is an issue I think you can reduce the amount of the shrimp and scallops without losing too much flavor.