Romano's Macaroni Grill Penne Rustica (copycat recipe)

Romano's Macaroni Grill is one of my favorite restaurants!

After checking out the ingredient list, I can't wait to make this . . . shrimp and chicken with penne in a rich cream sauce spiked with marsala wine!

I don't think I will be able to wait for a special occasion to make this . . .

Ingredients

Gratinata sauce:

• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon dill
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped rosemary
• 1/2 cup marsala wine
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 cups heavy cream

Penne Rustica:

• 1/2 ounce pancetta or 1/2 ounce bacon
• 9 shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 6 ounces grilled chicken breasts, sliced
• 8 -12 ounces penne pasta, cooked
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped pimiento
• 3 ounces butter
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped shallot
• 1/2 pinch salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary

Directions

For Gratinata Sauce: 

Saute butter, garlic, and rosemary until garlic begins to brown.

Add Marsala wine and reduce by one-third.

Add remaining ingredients, reduce by half of the original volume.

Set aside.


For Penne Rustica: 

Saute pancetta until it begins to brown.

Add butter, shallots, and shrimp.

Cook until shrimp are evenly pink but still translucent.

Add chicken, salt, pepper, and mix thoroughly.

Add gratinata sauce and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.

Simmer until sauce thickens.

In a large bowl, combine shrimp & chicken mixture with the cooked pasta.

Pour into a large casserole dish or roaster.

Top with remaining cheese, pimientos and sprinkle with paprika.

Bake at 475 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove and garnish with fresh rosemary sprig.



Recipe Source

Biscuits with Sausage Gravy

I'm sharing one of my favorite things today . . . Biscuits with Sausage Gravy.

The posted recipe is from The Food Network with actual measurements  since I don't measure when I make my gravy, but I'm also including my recipe without measurements.

First of all . . . please please please do not use refrigerator biscuits!!!  Biscuits are so fast and easy to make and the quality and taste of the biscuits makes such a huge difference in this dish.

I'll agree with the choice of sausage . . . Jimmy Dean Sausage is the best!  I use the original version, but that is my preference.  I've never used the crumbles . . . I prefer sausage patties.

Since it is just The Captain and I, we don't need that huge gravy recipe.  If you want to make less, just cut the measurements in half or less.

The way I make mine . . . I make sausage patties for our breakfast with eggs, and I make one or two extra patties for the gravy, depending on how much I want to make or how much sausage we have on hand.

Once the sausage patties are done, remove from heat and set aside.

Add butter to the pan you cooked the sausage in (don't discard sausage drippings) and add equal part of flour once it is melted and bubbly . . . be careful not to burn the butter (amounts depend on how much gravy you want to make).

Gradually add milk and cook, constantly stirring, until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Crumble sausage patties set aside for the gravy into the mixture.  Adjust ingredients as you go to make sauce to the consistency and amount of gravy you prefer.

I've never made my gravy without butter . . . I just like the taste butter gives the gravy.  Instead of milk, I prefer to use half and half . . . no-fat half and half can be used if lighter version is desired, you really can't tell the difference.

Here is the Food Network's version . . .

Ingredients
can (16 ounces) refrigerated jumbo buttermilk biscuits (8 biscuits)
pkg. Jimmy Dean® Original Hearty Pork Sausage Crumbles
1/4 cup flour
2 -1/2 cups milk
Salt and ground black pepper to taste


Directions
Bake biscuits according to package directions.

Meanwhile, cook sausage in large skillet over medium heat 5-6 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Stir in flour. Gradually add milk; cook until mixture comes to a boil and thickens, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Split biscuits in half. Place 2 halves on each of 8 plates; top with about 1/3 cup gravy.


Recipe and photo source

I've shared this recipe with . . .

Sun Dried Tomato, Basil & Mozzarella Pasta Salad

My favorite italian meat market and deli sells a salad that is so similar to this one!  It is one of The Captain's favorite things!!  Every time I walk into this deli, the smells that fill the air reminds me of my trips to this same deli as a little girl with my mom and nana . . . it brings back so many fond memories.  

The aroma of this salad is unbelievably delicious and now we can enjoy it at home. 

I'm so happy to have found this recipe from Angela at A Little About A Lot, a new blog discovery.  Visit her blog for more photos of her signature dish and lots of yummy recipes and crafts (link follows recipe) . . . I'm looking forward to checking out more of her posts.  One of the things I love so much about linky parties is finding awesome blogs like hers!  Thank you Angela :)

Sun Dried Tomato, Basil & Mozzarella Pasta Salad
1 lb Pasta (whatever type you like, but Angela likes using anything spiral)
4-5 Roma Tomatoes 
1 lb Mozzarella - chopped
1 cup Basil leaves 
1 cup Parmesan Cheese

Dressing
6 Sun Dried Tomatoes in oil - drain & chop
2-3 Garlic cloves 
6 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
2 tsp Salt 
1 tsp Pepper 

Boil pasta until al dente, drain, drizzle with olive oil and set aside.  

While pasta is cooking make the sauce.  

To make the sauce:
Blend your sun dried tomatoes & garlic in your processor.   Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt & pepper and blend until smooth.  The longer it blends the more the sun dried tomato gets broken up and creates a darker and smoother sauce.

At this point you'll want to taste the sauce.  If it tastes too much like olive oil, add a splash of vinegar.   Add any additional salt & pepper to your liking.

Chop up the tomatoes & mozzarella and add to the cooked pasta.  Julienne the basil and add to pasta along with the parmesean. Mix and serve :)

Manja!!


Click here to go to Angela's original post with lots of photos of the process.

Quick Creamy Parmesan Chicken Penne

Easy and delicious!  I make a similar meal with alfredo sauce in a jar, which can be an alternative for this dish too.  

What I love about this recipe is that it is made in one pan . . . the pasta cooks in the sauce!  Love the concept :)

Ingredients

• 1 pouch (9 oz) Progresso™ Recipe Starters™ creamy Parmesan basil cooking sauce
• 2 cups uncooked penne pasta
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken (rotisserie, canned or leftovers)
• 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup diced tomato
• 1/4 cup Progresso® Italian style panko crispy bread crumbs  

Directions

HEAT cooking sauce, 1 1/2 cups water, 1 T. butter, salt and pepper to boiling in large skillet.

STIR in pasta; reduce heat to medium. Cover; cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender. Stir in chicken and cheese.

TOP with tomato and bread crumbs. Serve immediately.

Source

Cajun Fries

Love the seasoning and the idea of baked fries.

We love spicy cajun food and I'm sure this will be a regular on our menu.

Ingredients:

4 medium potatoes
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil


Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine oregano, thyme, paprika, cayenne, black pepper, sugar, cumin, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, Tabasco sauce, and oil; mix well into a paste.

Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil; pour a small amount of oil onto foil and spread with a paper towel.

Peel potatoes and slice into french fry shapes.

Place fries in a plastic bag with paste and work paste onto fries; alternatively you can do this in a bowl, but the bag method is easier.

Place fries on lined baking sheet, trying not to let edges touch.

Bake in preheated oven for approximately 30-35 minutes (your time may vary with the size fry you cut); turn once during cooking to brown underside.


Photo and Recipe Source

I'm sharing this recipe at . . .

Almond Cake

Love Almond Cake!

SERVES 8 TO 10

If you can’t find blanched sliced almonds, grind slivered almonds for the batter and use unblanched sliced almonds for the topping. Serve plain or with Orange Crème Fraîche.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2cups plus 1/3 cup blanched sliced almonds, toasted
• 3/4cup (3 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 3/4teaspoon salt
• 1/4teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8teaspoon baking soda
• 4large eggs
• 1 1/4cups (8 3/4 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 3/4teaspoon almond extract
• 5tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3cup vegetable oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Grease 9-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper. Pulse 1½ cups almonds, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in food processor until almonds are finely ground, 5 to 10 pulses. Transfer almond mixture to bowl.
   2. Process eggs, 1 1/4 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, and almond extract in now-empty processor until very pale yellow, about 2 minutes. With processor running, add melted butter and oil in steady stream, until incorporated. Add almond mixture and pulse to combine, 4 to 5 pulses. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
   3. Using your fingers, combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest in small bowl until fragrant, 5 to 10 seconds. Sprinkle top of cake evenly with remaining 1/3 cup almonds followed by sugar-zest mixture.
   4. Bake until center of cake is set and bounces back when gently pressed and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes, rotating pan after 40 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Run paring knife around sides of pan. Invert cake onto greased wire rack, discard parchment, and reinvert cake onto second wire rack. Let cake cool, about 2 hours. Cut into wedges and serve. (Store cake in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

HOW WE GOT THE BEST ALMOND FLAVOR—AND CAKE TEXTURE

For a rich, nutty taste and a consistency that’s not too dense, we toast blanched almonds (we dislike the slight bitterness imparted by skin-on almonds) to deepen their flavor. Then we grind them in the food processor. The ground nuts give the crumb an open, rustic texture.

START WITH BLANCHED ALMONDS

TOAST UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN

GRIND WITH FLOUR, SALT, AND LEAVENERS

EGG FOAMS: MIXER VERSUS FOOD PROCESSOR

The goal when mixing most cake batters is to incorporate a lot of air into the eggs so that the cake will bake up light and tall, and a mixer is usually the best tool to get the job done. For our Best Almond Cake, however, we wanted a flat, level top; just a moderate rise; and a texture that was neither too fluffy nor too dense. Ditching the mixer in favor of a food processor did the trick. Here’s why: When eggs and sugar are whipped in a mixer, the whisk gently unfolds the protein strands in the eggs while incorporating lots of air, producing a foam with a strong network that holds on to that air. The outcome? A tall, well-risen, domed cake. A food processor, with its high rpm and very sharp blade, similarly unravels the eggs’ protein strands and incorporates air, but it also damages some strands along the way. The result is just what we were after: a flatter, slightly denser cake.

MIXER: Tall and domed.

FOOD PROCESSOR: Perfectly flat.

Source: Cook's Illustrated

Bacon Cheeseburger Calzones

What an awesome concept for a variation of the same ole cheeseburger!

This recipe comes from Pillsbury, so they will naturally recommend one of their products.  After reading the comments on the recipe page, I decided to use our usual pizza dough recipe instead of the 2 cans of crescent dinner rolls. One reader used the seamless crescent dinner roll dough with great success.  It is up to you which item you use!

As a reminder . . . if you decide to use another method for the dough, don't forget to adjust cooking time.

I'd make some changes to suit our taste, like use fresh onion and maybe leave out the tomato.  Ranch dressing would not be my favorite choice for a burger, but I do remember the cheeseburgers at Frisch's Big Boy back in the day used tartar sauce and it was delicious.  

Looking forward to making this variation of a cheeseburger!

Ingredients

4

slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1

lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef

1/4

cup dried instant minced onion

1/4

cup chopped hamburger pickle slices

1/4

cup ranch dressing

2

Italian plum tomato, thinly sliced, if desired

4

slices (3/4 oz each) American or Cheddar cheese, each cut in half

2

cans (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

1

egg, beaten

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium heat 2 minutes. Add ground beef and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain if necessary. Stir in pickles and ranch dressing.

• Unroll dough and separate each can into 4 rectangles; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press each into 7x4-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal.
• Spoon about 1/3 cup ground beef mixture onto one end of each rectangle. Top each with tomato slices and 1 piece of cheese. Fold dough over filling; press edges with fork to seal (sandwiches will be full). Brush tops with egg.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until deep golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

Photo and recipe source

Tater Tot Muffins

Oh my . . . two of my favorite things all rolled into one!

What an awesome concept!

This recipe comes from Peggy Trowbridge Filippone from About.com who always comes up with such great cooking ideas.

Peggy suggests experimenting with other ingredients like sour cream, chives, bacon, cheese and also commented that it can be baked as a casserole.    Her recommendation for leftovers is to scramble them into some eggs . . . now that sounds delicious!  I would top the egg dish with some cheddar cheese.

Can't wait to try these!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Resting Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 package (28 ounces) frozen mini tater tots, thawed
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1 can cream of celery soup (undiluted)
• 2 cups fine-shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided use
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 6 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
• 1/8 cup chopped chives
  

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray standard-sized muffin tins with vegetable oil.

Break each tater tot in half. Combine tater tots, diced onions, undiluted cream of celery soup, 1 cup of the Cheddar cheese, sour cream, butter, bacon bits, and chives.

Compress potato mixture into prepared muffin pans, pressing firmly, and place on a rimmed cookie sheet. Top with remaining Cheddar cheese. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until nicely browned. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Yield: 12 servings 

Source: Tater Tot Muffins Recipe Photo © 2011 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Julius Caesar Salad and Homemade Ranch Dressing

The following recipes come from The Pioneer Woman on The Food Network. We were watching the episode entitled "Shakespeare Movie Night" that included a very tasty looking Supreme Pizza Lasagna.  

Oddly enough, the thing that really caught my attention was the caesar salad she prepared.  I have been thinking about making one of these salads since watching that show.  The dressing looked creamy and delicious paired with the crunchy croutons on that bed of romaine lettuce.  The grated cheese is like the icing on the cake.

Usually I don't get too enthused about a salad, but she made it look awesome!

Since The Captain's favorite salad dressing is Ranch, I have also included her homemade recipe.

Sometimes I love eating the rabbit food as a main meal when I have a strong craving!

Ingredients

Salad Dressing:
1 cup (real) mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk, plus more if needed
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 anchovy fillets
1 clove garlic, smashed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Croutons:
1 loaf ciabatta, crusts on, roughly chopped into 3/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Salad:
2 heads green leaf lettuce, sliced
2 hearts of romaine lettuce, slice


Directions

For the salad dressing: Put the mayonnaise, buttermilk, sour cream, Parmesan, balsamic, Worcestershire, anchovies, garlic and some salt and pepper into a blender or food processor and pulse the processor or blend on low speed for several seconds. Adjust the consistency if needed with a little extra buttermilk. Refrigerate the dressing for a few hours (it just gets better!) before using it on the salad.

For the croutons: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Throw the bread cubes onto a baking sheet and toss them in the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Sprinkle on half of the Parmesan, toss, sprinkle on more and toss again. Bake, tossing again halfway through, until crisp and golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

For the salad: Throw the green leaf and romaine lettuce into a bowl. Add some dressing, and give it a good initial toss, just so you can evaluate how much more dressing you need. Add more dressing to taste. Add the cooled croutons. Toss gently and serve.
Recipe Source

Homemade Ranch Dressing
from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

1 clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup real mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash hot sauce
1/4 to 1/2 cup buttermilk (as needed for desired consistency)


Directions

Mince the garlic with a knife and then sprinkle on the salt and mash it into a paste with a fork.

In a bowl, combine the garlic paste, mayonnaise, sour cream, parsley, dill, chives, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, vinegar, paprika, cayenne and hot sauce. Add the buttermilk to desired consistency and mix to combine, tasting frequently and adjusting seasonings as needed. Chill for a couple of hours before serving, thinning with more buttermilk if needed.

Recipe Source