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Macaroni Grille Vodka Rustica

We don't go to the Macaroni Grille very often. The last time we went was in May and I ordered the Vodka Rustica and was very pleased. It's definitely one of my favorite pasta dishes. This weekend I was looking for a new pasta recipe and came across the recipe. I made it tonight for dinner and it turned out fabulous. Matt and I both gave it a 10. I love how the paprika gives this dish a little kick. Oh and the fact it has vodka isn't too shabby either!

Ramano's Macaroni Grille Vodka Rustica
Source: BigOven



Notes:
*According to the recipe this makes 3 large servings. Instead of 3 separate dishes, I baked it in a 9x13 pan. We ate about 1/4 of it, put 1/4 in the fridge, and froze 1/2 of it.
* This calls for the chicken to be grilled. We just happened to grill up a few extra chicken breasts with some S&P and Italian Seasoning yesterday, I just used those.
* From start to finish this took me under an hour, maybe about 45 min.

GRATINATA SAUCE

3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp minced garlic
3 tbsp marsala wine
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup cold milk
1/4 cup vodka + whatever else you decide to spill in there :)
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp chicken bullion
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh minced thyme (used dry)
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper


1lb penne pasta cooked
12 medium shrimp (omitted)
2 skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup Prosciutto, about 2 oz thick-sliced, chopped (I used bacon because I had it on hand)

Topping
3 tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese
1.5 tsp Paprika
*I ended up adding a bit more of both of these

Garnish omitted
12 sliced pimientos
4 sprigs of rosemary

Instructions for Romano's Macaroni Grille Vodka Rustica

Preheat bbq grill to high.

Prepare gratinata sauce by melting 3 tbsp 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.

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.

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.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.

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 tbsp of prosciutto onto each serving. Spoon 3/4 of a cup of gratinata sauce on each serving and toss to coat. Combine 3 tbsp of grated Parmesan cheese with 1 1/2 tsp paprika, then sprinkle about 1 tbsp 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 and serve. * After I strained the pasta, I placed it in a 9x13 glass pan sprayed with Pam. I mixed in the chicken and bacon and then stirred in the sauce until the pasta was coated. I baked the dish for about 5 min, stirred, and the sprinkled on the topping. After that, I baked it for another 5 or so minutes.