It smelled so good in the KAKE News studio this morning, as we had our friends with Carrabba’s Italian Grill in to make a classic recipe: penne Carrabba, which is essentially a penne version of its fettuccini Alfredo. It was delicious to try a bit of it after the show.
Italian cooks know when you use good ingredients, the result is bigger than the sum of its parts. This pasta dish is just sautéed mushrooms with peas in a creamy sauce tossed with grilled chicken breast. But when the chicken breast is carefully seasoned and the entire dish is cooked with care, this is pasta worthy of the Carrabba name.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts halves, about 8 ounces each, pounded with a flat meat pounder to ½-inch thickness
- 1 ½ teaspoons of your favorite grill seasoning
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 10 ounces white mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups alfredo sauce
- ½ cup of peas
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1-pound fresh fettuccine
- ½ cups (2 ounces) freshly grated Romano cheese, plus more for serving
- Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare grill or cooking pan for medium heat. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add salt to taste.
- Season the chicken breast halves with grill seasoning, and brush olive oil on both sides.
- Lightly oil your cooking surface. Place chicken, cook until the chicken feels firm when pressed on top, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a carving board and let stand while making the sauce and cooking the pasta.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the alfredo sauce and peas and bring to a simmer. Cut the chicken across the grain into ½ -inch thick slices and add to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
- Add the fettuccine to the boiling water. Stir well to separate strands. Cook, stirring occasionally, according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain well.
- Return the fettuccine to the cooking pot. Add the sauce and Romano cheese and toss with tongs until the pasta is nicely coated. Divide the pasta among 4 serving bowls.
Yield: Makes 4 servings