Skip to main content

Cheesy Penne Pasta and Grilled Chicken

Do you love penne pasta tossed in a light Parmesan cream sauce, topped with grilled chicken?  I do. Today's recipe is just that.  It is inspired by the Penne Rustica we used to order at Romano's Macaroni Grill.   Hubby and I like to have afternoon movie and dinner dates, especially on winter weekends.   One of our local movie theaters used to be located near a Romano's Macaroni Grill.  I say, used to be near, because the Macaroni Grill closed. Now there are no Macaroni Grills in the state or in a reasonable proximity.

Grilled Chicken with Penne Pasta and Parmesan Cream Sauce


Cheesy Penne Pasta and Grilled Chicken
Grilled Chicken with Penne Pasta and Parmesan Cream Sauce
Pin It For Later:  Cheesy Chicken Penne Pasta

One of my favorite meals to order at the Macaroni Grill was the Penne Rustica.  As a result of the Macaroni Grille's closure, it has been a few years since I have been able to have my fix of Penne Rustica.  As a result, I made this Cheesy Penne Pasta and Grilled Chicken.

This recipe is easy to make and oh, so delicious.  You can make it in individual servings, or in a casserole dish.  It really doesn't matter.  It tastes the same no matter what dish you make it in.  Just make it.  Really, friends, you must.  Feel free to substitute the pasta of your choice, too.  My second choice of pasta for this dish would be linguini.

Cheesy Penne Pasta & Grilled Chicken with a Parmesan Cream Sauce

Cheesy Penne Pasta and Grilled Chicken

Printer Friendly Recipe
Makes 4-6 servings
Cheesy Penne Pasta and Grilled Chicken Ready for the Oven
Cheesy Penne Pasta and Grilled Chicken Ready for the Oven


  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons white wine, Pinot Grigio
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup no-fat milk
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 1 pound penne pasta, cooked
  • Your favorite bottled Italian dressing, for marinating the chicken
  • 3 skinless chicken breast fillets, pounded 1/4 inch thick
  • 1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) chopped, thick-sliced smoked prosciutto
Topping
  • 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

Garnish
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
Directions
Pound the thick end of your chicken breasts a bit with a kitchen mallet to make them a uniform thickness, about 1/4 inch thick.  Place the pounded breasts in a glass or ceramic dish and pour enough Italian dressing over them to coat.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Pounding Chicken Breasts
Pound Chicken Breasts between Sheets of Plastic Wrap

Melt three tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and sweat it for about five minutes making sure the garlic doesn't brown. Add the wine and cook for another five minutes. Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce and whisk until smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until it's thick.   You'll be able to draw a line on the back of your spoon when the sauce is thick enough.  Cover the sauce and remove it from the heat.

Making the Sauce
The Sauce Is Ready When It Holds a Line
Preheat your barbecue grill to high.  Cook the penne pasta following directions on the package (seven to nine minutes in boiling water).  Strain the pasta and set it aside when it's done.  Grill the chicken breasts for five to six minutes per side.  Set aside to rest and then slice each breast into strips.

Grilled Chicken Breasts
You'll Want Lovely Grill Marks on Your Chicken
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. In a large, shallow baking dish, pour in all of the cooked pasta. I use an Emile Henry baking dish like this one. Add the chicken, the chopped prosciutto and all of the Parmesan cream sauce.  Toss to coat. Combine three tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese with 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika and sprinkle the mixture over the top of the dish.

Bake for ten to twelve minutes, or until the top begins to brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for five to ten minutes.  Serve with a sprig of rosemary in the center of the dish.

I hope you like this as much as I do.

Essential Tools for this Dish

Emile Henry Baking Dish
Meat Mallet
Wooden Spoons




Thanks for sharing this recipe on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Yum!


Enjoy!

Comments

  1. SusanMarch 17, 2017 at 10:45 PM

    This looks like a perfect recipe to make in the spring once we can start grilling again. Pinning this one..and counting the days till I can use my grill!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Donna UrsoApril 5, 2017 at 8:29 AM

      We keep our grill ready-to-go twelve month of the year. If it isn't buried under snow, we use it!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Talk to me. I welcome your comments. (These comments are strictly moderated. Spammers take note.)

More Popular Posts

How to Make a Perfect Bacon and Eggs Breakfast

In my opinion, the best breakfast consists of two perfectly fried eggs, crispy bacon, and toast made with hearty bread. This bacon and eggs recipe delivers. Bacon and eggs or eggs and bacon? No matter, it is definitely the breakfast you want on those lazy mornings when you have time to relax around the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee or two. The Best Bacon and Eggs Breakfast (This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience.  When you make a purchase using these links you help support this blog.) How to Cook Bacon and Eggs My technique was learned from my mom, by watching her make our family's breakfast over and over again, year after year.  This is a basted eggs recipe which means the eggs are cooked in bacon grease. Cooking eggs in bacon fat is easy and takes just a little practice to perfect. All you really need for a great bacon and eggs breakfast is a good nonstick skillet and a good toaster . If you want to make your own bread
2 comments
Read more

How to Doctor Up Store-Bought Potato Salad

Here's a potato salad time-saver for you just in time for summer cookouts. You'll love how you can transform grocery store potato salad so easily no matter whether you are hosting a BBQ or bringing a side dish for a summer barbecue. When you need a quick potato salad, and no time to make one from scratch, that ordinary store-bought potato salad you have in your refrigerator can go from blah to amazing in just a few minutes with just a few ingredients. There's no judgment here. We don't always have the time to make a potato salad from scratch. Sometimes it is just easier to stop by your local grocery store to pick up a container of the store-made potato salad. It's good. It's predictable.  It will do.  All it needs is a little doctoring. How to Make Store-Bought Potato Salad Better Take Your Potato Salad from Blah to AH-Mazing! How to Doctor Up Potato Salad to have a little more flavor? You're going to a potluck picnic or you are having p
3 comments
Read more

DIY Cheap and Effective Rug Cleaning

Using area rugs throughout your house help to make your home feel warm and inviting.  Area rugs help absorb noise and add pops of color to complement your decor.  How do you keep rugs clean and smelling fresh? It can be a challenge. While regular vacuuming is important, you'll want to deep clean your rugs periodically, especially if you own pets. Here's a cheap and effective rug-cleaning method I use. How to Clean Your Area Rugs (This post contains affiliate links for your convenience ) Cheap and Effective Rug Cleaning This cleaning method works well for me with both wool rugs and polypropylene rugs. I've cleaned polypropylene rugs like I have in my front entry hall and large, 8 x 10-foot wool rugs like I have throughout the rooms in my house.
Post a Comment
Read more

An Off-Season Visit to Ogunquit, Maine

Visit Ogunquit, ME Do you need to get away this weekend?  Try a weekend in Maine. Early November is a great time of year for a weekend getaway in New England.   This year, for the second time, we spent a couple of days in the lovely seaside town of Ogunquit, Maine .  At just 120 miles from Providence, Rhode Island and 75 miles from Boston, Massachusetts, Ogunquit is easily accessible by car for New Englanders. An Easy Drive to Ogunquit, Maine Off season, Ogunquit is a quiet little town with a quaint main street.  That makes it perfect for an afternoon stroll. A Quaint Main Street Where to Stay When Visiting Ogunquit, Maine Be aware that many of the town's hotels and restaurants close during the fall and winter, but you'll still have plenty of wonderful options.    We stayed at the Juniper Hill Inn, a well-priced, clean and friendly hotel located on Main Street in Ogunquit.  It is a short walk from the beach which makes it a winner in my book.  The staff at the ho
5 comments
Read more

How to Arrange Hydrangeas

If you are lucky, you live in a place where hydrangeas grow in abundance.  New England is one of those places.  Summer in New England is a feast for the eyes with all of the hydrangea bushes in full bloom. Tips for Making Beautiful Hydrangea Arrangements for Your Home Hydrangea Arrangement Hydrangeas are one of my favorite flowers, so as soon as the blossoms start to open you'll find me cutting them to bring into the house.  I have eight hydrangea bushes so there are plenty of blossoms to choose from.  All but one of my hydrangea bushes are a gorgeous blue color.  The other one is a deep, lovely purple that I love as well. Purple Hydrangeas Hydrangeas can be a challenge to arrange because they are so top heavy.  I like to use wide, short vases for my arrangements and I find that the hydrangea blossoms will often topple out of the vase.  The same is true for lilacs and peonies that also grow in my yard. Keeping them corralled in the vase can be a challenge.
Post a Comment
Read more

How to Deal with Carpenter Bees

One of the things I like least about this time of year is the pests.  I'm talking about the insects and critters that wreak havoc with my home and garden. The pest of the month is the carpenter bee.  Last month the battle was with ants and in April, we were fighting the annual infestation of winter moth caterpillars that are trying to kill my beautiful weeping cherry tree.  Those battles seem to be behind me and for now, the focus is on the pesky carpenter bees. You might be wondering what the heck a carpenter bee is.  I never even knew they existed until a couple of years ago.  You can see the backside of one in the picture below.  They might be mistaken for a big bumblebee, but their abdomen is shiny black in comparison to the fuzzy abdomen of the bumblebee.  You'll often see them hovering in the air around the roofline of your home.  If you see them, you'll want to pay attention.  They may take up residence in your home. The Backside of a Carpenter Bee What is a
3 comments
Read more

How to Trap and Get Rid of Fruit Flies

Fruit flies can be a huge annoyance at certain times of the year. What can you do to kill fruit flies? We've all been there wondering how to get rid of fruit flies.  Fruit flies in the kitchen.  Fruit flies in the bathroom.  Fruit flies buzzing around everywhere in your home.   It's a frustrating problem that happens to everyone at one time or another.  If you are a fresh fruit and produce lover you certainly know what I mean. How to Kill Fruit Flies with Two Ingredients Those pesky little buggers can often be brought into your home on the vegetables and fruit you buy. You don't have to tolerate the annoyance.  This homemade fruit fly trap is one I have been using for many years and it works every time. 
1 comment
Read more

The Best Asian Dipping Sauce You'll Ever Taste

If you're looking for a versatile, easy-to-make Asian dipping sauce perfect for sushi and dumplings, then you've come to the right place. This recipe for the best Asian dipping sauce is perfect for any time you want a  kick of delicious Asian flavor. An Asian Dipping Sauce for Sushi and Dumplings Try this if you are looking for a dipping sauce that is a little more flavorful than you typically get with your takeout order. You'll love it with dumplings, too!
Post a Comment
Read more

Forgotten Pork Chops-A Skillet Dinner

When I first made this pork chop skillet dinner several years ago I knew it was a winner but never predicted how wildly successful it would be with my readers. Perhaps it is the comfort food combination of pork chops with savory rice.  Or maybe it is the easy one-pan preparation.  Whatever it is, you're sure to love this updated, one-pan, comforting Forgotten Pork Chops dinner.  Pork Chops and Rice with Cream of Mushroom Soup (This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.  When you purchase through these links I receive a small compensation.)  So you might wonder why I updated the recipe. Like most recipes that are part of my menu rotation, a tweak here or there is customary. I encourage you to do the same.  A tweak here to there will make the recipe your own. 
Post a Comment
Read more

Grandma's Soft and Chewy Date-Filled Cookies

One of the things I can count on as the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons arrive each year is a feeling of nostalgia. The traditional foods we serve at our family's holiday tables can sure bring out all the feels. Now that it is officially cookie season, we should kick it off with an old-fashioned homemade date-filled cookie recipe. This is a soft, tender cookie with dates that is a special, nostalgic, family recipe.   An Old-Fashioned Date Cookies Recipe This old-fashioned, date-filled cookie was my dad's favorite cookie from his childhood. My dad was born in 1932 so this recipe has been around for quite a while. 
3 comments
Read more