46 Reviews of Romano's Macaroni Grill Penne Rustica

From: Chef Heidela

On Oct 14, 2006

There is another recipe for this floating around that uses pancetta instead of proscuitto, which was my first tip off that it wasn't going to taste the same. THIS recipe was wonderful! My guests were so impressed by not only the taste, but the presentation of individual baked dishes. I did make a couple of changes though, and it still worked out perfectly: I used a spicy dijon mustard and omitted the cayenne, I used precooked, grilled chicken to save time; I cooked my shrimp in a skillet with a touch of olive oil and salt, and I also combined everything in the pasta pot before I put them into the individual bakeware. Make sure you drain the pasta very well! Also since the pasta will sit for a while before everything is combined, I reccomend rinsing it so that it doesn't stick. It will be reheated in the oven anyhow. Thank you MsLadybug, for sharing such a wondderful recipe!!!!!

From: Chef #324941

On Jun 12, 2006

Delicious! Made this for a birthday dinner, 10 adults & 5 teenage girls. Doubled the recipe, used 2 large casserole dishes & still had 2 portions leftover. I cheated in that I used 4 packs of precooked chicken (Oscar Meyers Oven Roasted Chicken Breast Cuts, 6oz each) AND I used precooked frozen shrimp. The key to frozen shrimp is to throw in at the very end of the sauce cooking because they do shrink quite a bit. I used 72 total shrimp for this double recipe and it was fine--could have thrown in more! I appreciated the time save in prep time and it was still awesome. The sauce is garlicky, the proscuitto adds great flavor--everyone raved about it! Appetizers early on, then served with Caesar salad, garlic bread & wine. I've eaten Penne Rustica several X's at Macaroni Grille and was happy with the result. Will definitely make it again!

From: truckercook

On Apr 18, 2006

I have made this twice in two weeks, once in individual dishes and once in a long pan. The first time I made this was just after trying this at Macaroni Grill. It is just as good as theirs. Both were very good. The only change that I made was to substitute regular diced ham for prosciutto as it is hard to find in our area. This tastes like a professionally prepared dish. It is going into my special book for special occasions. Thanks ms ladybug for this.

From: Kmac

On Jun 12, 2009

This was really fantastic. It provided 4-5 hearty servings with leftovers (several lunches, which were also delish!) A few changes. I used a rotisserie chicken because I had one. However, 2 chix breasts didn't provide enough meat compared to the amount of pasta for my DH and the big 20-something guys that live here. Next time I'll use 3 chix breasts. Since I didn't have any more chicken on hand, I threw on 12 more shrimp and it was perfect. (I keep frozen uncooked shrimp onhand, they thaw in a few minutes.) Grilling the shrimp gave the dish a terrific smokey taste that was perfect with the creamy sauce. I used bacon instead of prosciuitto, which I realize changes the taste of the dish slightly. If I were having company, i'd probably go get some, but for us, the bacon was a perfect sub. (What's better than chicken, shrimp and bacon in a creamy cheesy sauce?) Also, I combined all the ingredients in the pasta pot, mixed well and then poursed into a large oval baking dish. Also, 500 degrees seemed too hot as the topping was starting to burn about 1/2 thru the baking time, so I turned heat down a bit. Next time I will bake a little longer at 450 degrees. Thanks for sharing. I'm ready to make this one again — a great family OR company dish!!

From: #1 Baker

On Dec 13, 2007

this was so so so so good. I didn't use the wine but it was the best pasta ever

From: Little Miss Cheffie

On Aug 22, 2008

Just as good as the restaurants! We all loved it here. Followed the directions exactly and was happy to say it was awesome! I used dry Marsala and added a little more than 3 T. that's the only change I made. This is one of those dishes where you keep on eating and eating just because it tastes so darn good! Yummmmmy!

From: Felina

On Oct 28, 2007

This is one of my all-time favorite dishes! I was so glad to find this recipe. I made it for company last week and it was a HIT! Each person had their own "baker-type" dish which was fun and easy for storing leftovers. This really is a lot of food for four people. The only changes I made were I used 16 large shrimp and maple smoked ham in place of prosciutto. The prosciutto from our deli had "gone off" before they sold it to me. The ham was really nice. I also used sliced fire-roasted red pepper in a jar instead of plain pimientos. I think the fresh rosemary makes a big difference, and the rosemary stick in the middle makes for a nice presentation. I preceded this dish with the Cranberry Spinach Salad (#98722). That was awesome! The only thing I served with the Penne Rustica was Macaroni Grille's Rosemary Bread (#64446) with individual little dishes of olive oil and herbs and parmesan cheese to dip the bread in! Wonderful meal! Thanks for posting!

From: Queen Zan

On Oct 7, 2008

OH. MY. GOD. You did it!!!!! I am never going back to the restaurant cuz I can make it at home....... I ate most of it, I couldn't stop myself. YUM YUM YUM thank you!!!!!!!!

From: Chef #964457

On Sep 22, 2008

I used to be the Exec. Chef at Macroni Grill and this is pretty darn close to their recipe. You can substitute crushed red pepper for the cayenne if you prefer and its just as good. You can also saute the chicken and shrimp if it's not grilling season.

From: AKillian24

On Nov 26, 2007

This was pretty good! DH and I both enjoyed it. I actually ended up making it twice, and a quick word of caution for the health-nuts out there: A low fat version of this dish does not work. I was able to successfully use whole wheat penne, but the heavy cream, butter and cheese are must-haves to get the dish to set right and have any depth in flavor. So.. for a splurge, I highly recommend this dish, but don't cut corners with calories.... it's not a good dish to fiddle with.