Penne Rustica

so there's always an exception to every rule, right? this is the exception. i make this dish very infrequently. it's not healthy and it takes a good bit of prep. but, you can do everything beforehand, refrigerate or freeze, and then do just the last step when you're ready to eat it. i usually make it on a special occassion or for a party or when i'm feeding a lot of people because it's easy to multiply and just about everybody enjoys eating it. so in response to requests for the recipe, i'm posting it here for ease of access.

Penne Rustica

1 lb. penne pasta
3 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 t. butter
1 t. garlic, chopped or pressed
1 t. dijon mustard
1 t. salt
1 t. dried rosemary or 1 T. fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 t. chili powder
2 bottles alfredo sauce
2 oz. bacon, chopped
1/2 C. butter
2 green onions, sliced
shrimp - as much as you want, opt.
pepper to taste
1 C. parmesan cheese, divided
paprika and parsly, opt.

1. Cook pasta in a big pot according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. In a large frying pan, cook chicken until just white on all sides. It will finish cooking in the oven. Add to pasta.

3. Melt 2 t. butter in pan. Add garlic, mustard, salt, rosemary, and chili powder. Cook a few minutes until aromatic. Add alfredo sauce. Mix well. Add to pasta.

4. Add 1/2 C. parmesan and pepper to taste to pasta.

5. Cook bacon in frying pan until it begins to brown. Add green onions and cook until soft. If you have uncooked shrimp, add with the onions and cook until just barely pink. If you have cooked shrimp, add it into the pasta or stir into the butter after onions are soft. Add all to pasta. Mix pasta well.

6. Pour into 9x13 pan or individual serving dishes. Top with remaining parmesan cheese and sprinkle with paprika and parsley if desired.

7. Bake in 475 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Serve.


Helpful Hints:

On step #1, I usually just return the pasta to the pot and add the rest of the ingredients as I go through the steps. Just throw them on top and mix it all one time at the end.

I find it easy to scrape or quickly rinse the frying pan and use the same one for each step... they're all going to the same place anyway, right? And less dishes.

On this recipe, since there are several ingredients, it's easier and faster for me if I measure and prep the ingredients before starting to cook. So, for example, while the pasta is cooking, I put all the stuff (minus the butter) for step #3 in a bowl. I chop the bacon and green onions and have them together on the side with a stick of butter. Then when I'm done cooking the chicken, I just melt the butter and dump the spice bowl into the pan. After the sauce is done, the bacon is ready to go, etc. It seems to go a lot faster if I don't have to stop and prep in between steps.