Penne Gorgonzola with Grilled Chicken

We don’t eat out often, but when we do I really like to go to Johnny Carino’s. The last time we were in there, my husband and I shared an order of Penne Gorgonzola and I got the bright idea that I could cook up a knock-off version at home. I was right! This tastes almost exactly like the restaurant version.

Here’s what you’ll need:

penne pasta
2 cups half & half
Gorgonzola cheese (the package I used was 5 oz)
Parmesan cheese, about 1/2 cup grated
1 clove garlic, minced
4 Tbs. butter
fresh ground pepper
tomato for garnish
grilled chicken, sliced thin

I was so focused on trying to re-create this dish that I forgot about taking a picture of the chicken. Unfortunately, it was pouring the rain so I had to grill it on the George Foreman. The outside grill would have made it taste better, but it was still fine. I just sprinkled it with salt and pepper before grilling.

Heat the water for the pasta and cook it according to the package directions. While that’s cooking, melt the butter in a saucepan. Saute the garlic for a bit in the butter. Whisk in the half & half and heat it over medium heat, then whisk in the cheeses. Allow the cheese to melt and add the pepper. I tried to keep mine hot, but not boiling but I wasn’t successful. It boiled just before I was about to pour it on the pasta. At first the sauce seemed very thin, but then after adding it to the pasta it thickened up.

Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir in the thinly sliced grilled chicken. The Carino’s version also has mushrooms, so if you like those you could add them in. Top with chopped tomato and extra cheese if you like.

This was a hit with everyone in the family. Now I need to conquer my other favorite dish from Carino’s, Bowtie Festival.

Tagged as: gorgonzola, half and half, Italian, Pasta