Pizza Crust Recipes

Macaroni Grill Foccacia Bread - Chicken Scaloppini di Pollo - Pasta Di Pollo Al Sugo Bianco - just a few of the delicious menu items offered by ROMANO'S MACARONI GRILL ITALIAN RESTAURANTS.

Romano's Macaroni Grill menu features items found in traditional cuisine from Italy and the Mediterranean area. Guests find it hard to choose from generous portions of delicious pastas, veal, seafood, steaks, roasted chicken, pizza baked in wood-burning ovens, soups and hard-to-resist desserts. Macaroni Grill also offer patrons the option of creating their own pasta, from a list of pre-selected ingredients. All meals are served with complimentary bread and olive oil.

Romano's Macaroni Grill is an Italian-style chain of casual dining restaurants with locations throughout the U. S., Canada and Mexico. The first restaurant was founded by talented restaurateur Philip J. Romano in Texas in 1988.

Romano's passionate chefs prepare more than 25 Italian specialties in exhibition kitchens while guests relax in a casual atmosphere surrounded by attentive servers and an occasional strolling opera singer!

>>> So if you want to prepare a delicious meal to impress family, friends or even a hot date - maybe someone you met on a romantic dating site - here are Romano's Macaroni Grill most popular recipes of all...

--Romano's Macaroni Grill Chicken Scaloppini di Pollo--

>> Lemon Butter Sauce:

4 oz lemon juice

2 oz white wine

4 oz heavy cream

1 lb (4 sticks) butter.

To make the sauce: Heat the lemon juice and white wine in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce by 1/3. Add cream and simmer until mixture thickens (3 to 4 minutes). Slowly add butter until completely incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and keep warm.

>> Chicken:

6 to 8 (3 oz) chicken breasts, pounded thin

oil and butter for sauteing chicken

1/2 to 3/4 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, for dredging 6 oz pancetta, cooked

12 oz mushrooms, sliced

12 oz artichoke hearts, sliced

1 T capers

1 lb capellini pasta, cooked

chopped parsley, for garnish.

To make Chicken and Pasta: Cook pasta and drain. Heat a small amount of oil and 2 T of butter in a large skillet. Dredge chicken in flour and saute in pan, turning once, until brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and add to pan remaining ingredients. Heat until mushrooms soften and are cooked; add chicken back to pan.

To serve: Place cooked pasta on each plate. Add half of butter sauce to chicken mixture and toss. Taste and adjust, adding more sauce if needed. Place chicken mixture over pasta. Garnish with parsley. Alternately, mix pasta and chicken mixture together. Toss with butter sauce.

--Romano's Macaroni Grill Pasta Di Pollo Al Sugo Bianco--

>> The Asiago Sauce:

4 cups heavy whipping cream

1/8 teaspoon paste or dried chicken base

1 1/4 cups asiago cheese

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 ounces water.

To make the sauce: Heat cream to very hot and just bubbly (but not a boil).

Add chicken base and cheese. Stir constantly with a wire whisk and bring temperature back to just bubbly.

Dissolve cornstarch in the cold water and add to sauce. Bring to a slow simmer to cook out starch. Transfer sauce to a container, cover and refrigerate until needed.

>> Pasta:

1/2 stick butter

1/2 cup red onions, diced

1/2 cup pancetta, (Italian smoked bacon) drained and chopped

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

3/4 cup green onions - tops only

3/4 pound sliced grilled chicken

2 pounds farfalle, (bow-tie pasta) cooked

8 ounces heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon chopped parsley.

To make the pasta dish:

Saute red onion in butter for a few seconds then add pancetta and garlic. Add chicken, green onions and pasta. Deglaze the pan with the cream. Add asiago cream sauce. Heat thoroughly. Garnish with parsley and serve.

--Romano's Macaroni Grill Foccacia Bread--

1 Tablespoon Dry yeast

1 Teaspoon Canola oil

1 Tablespoon Sugar

Nonstick cooking spray

1 Cup Warm water

2 Tablespoon Margarine

2 1/2 Cup White flour

1/4 Cup Fresh rosemary; chopped - (or 2 tbsps dried)

1 Teaspoon Salt.

Place yeast, sugar and water in a large bowl or food processor and allow the mixture to become bubbly. Mix in 2 c of flour and salt. Knead for about 10 min or process in food processor for 15 sec until smooth and elastic; add flour if necessary.

Oil a bowl, put dough in it and cover with a towel. Let dough rise in a warm place for 1 hr, until doubled.

Punch down dough and divide in half. Let the dough rest for a few minutes. Coat 2 9-in square cake pans with nonstick spray.

Press dough into pans. Melt margarine. Brush margarine over the tops of the loaves. Sprinkle rosemary over the loaves and lightly press into the surface. Let the loaves rise again until doubled, about 45 min. Preheat oven to 450 F.

Lightly sprinkle salt over the loaves. Bake for 20 - 25 min, until lightly browned.

In a Seafood Mood? Try...

--Romano's Macaroni Grill Baked Creamy Seafood--

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup bay scallops, rinsed and drained (8 oz)

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups half and half

1-1/2 cups asiago

2 cups medium, peeled, deveined cooked shrimp

1 6 oz. can clams, well drained

1 to 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

oil, for frying

1/2 12 oz. package won ton.

In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add scallops and stir fry over high heat until just cooked through; set aside in bowl. In same skillet, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 min. Whisk in half-and-half and continue whisking until mixture comes to a boil.

Boil 1 min, whisking, until bubbly. Turn off the heat. Add Asiago cheese, stirring until melted. Stir in the scallops, shrimp, and clams. Spoon into a 9" glass pie plate. Sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for about 15 min., until the top is golden brown. Meanwhile, heat plenty of oil in a deep fryer to 375 deg. Fry 3-4 won ton skins at a time, a few seconds on each side, until just golden. Drain on paper towels. Use won tons as chips for dipping into baked seafood appetizer.

Please Note: If you don't feel inclined to fry the wanton skins to make chips, the seafood appetizer is also delicious with tortilla or pita chips or crackers.

--Romano's Macaroni Grill Penne Rustica--

>> Gratinata Sauce:

2 Teaspoon Butter

2 Teaspoon chopped garlic

1 Teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 Teaspoon salt

1 Teaspoon chopped rosemary

1 cup marsala wine

1/4 Teaspoon cayenne pepper

8 cups heavy cream

Saute butter, garlic , and rosemary until garlic begins to brown. Add marsala wine and reduce by one-third. Add remaining ingredients and reduce by half of original volume. Set aside.

>> Penne Rustica:

1 Ounce pancetta or bacon

18 each shrimp peeled and devained

12 Ounce grilled chicken breast, sliced

4.5 cups of granita sauce

48 Ounce Penne Pasta, precooked

3 Teaspoon pimentos

6 Ounce butter

1 Teaspoon chopped shallots

1 pinch of salt and pepper

1 cups parmesan cheese

1/2 Teaspoon paprika

6 sprigs of fresh rosemary.

Saute pancette until begins to brown. Add butter, shallots, and shrimp. Cook until shrimp are evenly pick but still translucent. Add chicken, salt, pepper, and mix thoroughly. Add granita sauce and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and simmer until sauce thickens.

In a large bowl, combine shrimp and chicken mixture with precooked pasta. Place this mixture into single serving dishes or one large casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and pimentos and sprinkle with paprika.

Bake at 475 for 10-15 minutes. Remove and garnish with fresh rosemary sprig. Serves six.

Dig In and Enjoy!

A Graduate of the Holland College Culinary Course, Brian Alan Burhoe has cooked in Atlantic Coast restaurants for over 30 years. He is a member of the Canadian Culinary Federation. Brian's articles reflect his interests in food service, dreamstudy, imaginative literature and our best friends -- our dogs.

His Home Page is A CULINARY MYSTERY TOUR - A Literary Chef. His articles have been reprinted on numerous culinary websites and various Blogs, including the popular Romantic Relationship site WUVING.com.

And - Here's a personal favorite that's gaining popularity in the restaurants:

--Romano's Macaroni Grill Vodka Rustica--

>> Gratinata Sauce:

3 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons minced garlic

3 tablespoons marsala wine

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup vodka

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon chicken bullion

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 lb penne rigate cooked

12 medium shrimp peeled and deveined

2 skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup Prosciutto about 2 ounces thick-sliced, chopped.

Prepare gratinata sauce by melting 3 tbls 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.

>> Parmesan Topping:

3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

>> Italian Garnish:

12 sliced pimientos

4 sprigs rosemary

Preheat BBQ grill to high setting.

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 - a great way to relieve stress!

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 tbls of prosciutto onto each serving. Spoon 3/4 of a cup of gratinata sauce on each serving and toss to coat.

Combine 3 tbls of grated Parmesan cheese with 1 1/2 tsp paprika, then sprinkle about 1 tbls 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 an serve.