Maggihama's

I will not let intimidation get the best of me, this time.

While we were in Denver, we ate at Maggiano's. The good: AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS. The bad: NONE IN UTAH. If I were Katie Holmes I may have enough resources to have it delivered to my home or invite the chef to work a personal party for me, but I'm not and I don't. So in addition to going to Vegas this winter for some good Italian, Drew and I attempted to make our own Rustic Chicken and Shrimp.

I found this recipe for a Red Pepper Creme Sauce (minus the pine nuts) and we added some grilled chicken and shrimp, prosciutto, about 8 oz of penne pasta, and 2 cups shredded Asiago cheese. And voila the Maggihama's version of Rustic Chicken and Shrimp!

(WARNING: This may be tweaked to be better the next time I make it.)

Sauce Ingredients:

• 3 Red Peppers - I'll use 4 or 5 peppers next time. I like mine saucy and I'll keep one out of the puree.
  
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 Medium Onion, finely diced - Use what you like. I'll choose a smaller onion next time.
  
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
• Salt, I like coarse and don't be afraid to use it.
  

Directions:

1. Roast red peppers on grill, flame on cooktop, or using the broiler. These should char until black on all sides. The more black they are the easier the skin comes off. Don't fear the black. About 10 minutes, let rest 2-3 minutes. Place peppers in a resealable bag in order to sweat.
2. Place meat on grill to cook while prepping the sauce and start boiling water for the pasta.
   
3. While the peppers are in "the sauna", dice the onion, mince the garlic, and shred the cheese if needed. Remove peppers from bag and peel the outer skin with your fingers. They should be a beautiful red under all that black char. Cut off the top, slice open, remove the ribs and seeds.
4. Pulse the peeled and seeded peppers in a blender or food processor until pureed. It won't be perfectly smooth, that's what I call pizazz, but it's personal preference.
   
5. Start cooking your pasta.
6. Add olive oil to a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onion and stir until it begins to soften, add the garlic and stir. Now add the red pepper puree and salt to taste - it needs the salt to bring out the flavor. Cook over medium or medium-low heat while the pasta is cooking. Stir occasionally so it doesn't burn.
7. When pasta is done, drain and set aside. Add cream to pepper sauce stirring to prevent burning and to blend the pepper sauce and cream. Taste and salt if needed.
8. Slice your chicken crosswise into strips for more manageable eating. Combine sauce, pasta, meats, and some cheese. Transfer to a baking dish and top mixture with more cheese and place under the broiler until cheese is brown and bubbly.

This turned out to be easier to prepare than I had anticipated and I'm SO happy that I didn't let intimidation get the best of me.



We were able to fill a 9 x 13 inch dish with this so it would easily serve 6-8. I paid about $15-20 for the ingredients which is more than I'm used to but it's still less than going to get mediocre Italian food from a restaurant.