Macaroni Grill Knock off Recipe

I was so pleased by the Cafe Rio knock off receip I found that I decided to look for other resturant knock off recipes.  I found  a blog http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/friday-favorite-macaroni-grill-penne-rustica/ that had a GREAT recipe for a Rustic Grilled Chicken Penne Pasta.  I have never had this dish at Macaroni Grill, but will definitely look into it the next time I am there.  This dish ROCKED! 

User BEWARE: This recipe makes a SILLY amount of food.  I halfed the recipe and had enough for SEVERAL left-overs.  The blog I got this from is done by a Mormon lady who takes this dish to her ailing neighbors.  Having been raised mormon, this made me giggle.  They are DEFINITELY all about their casserole dishes and this recipe totally fits that bill.  Don't let that scare you...this is a GREAT recipe...even if it is pretty rich.

12 oz. grilled chicken breast (marinate in olive oil and garlic salt overnight, then grill on barbecue for best flavor) - We just cooked the chicken in a skillet on the stove top.  It came out VERY tender!!!

½ pack thick bacon
48 oz. (3 boxes) penne pasta
2 large red bell peppers- diced
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp paprika

Gratinata Sauce:
2 tsp butter
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 cup marsala wine OR 1/3 cup apple juice + 2 tbsp red wine vinegar +enough chicken broth to equal 1 cup
1 tsp dijon or dry mustard
1 tsp salt1 tsp chopped rosemary
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
8 cups heavy cream

Sauté garlic in butter in large pan. Add marsala wine, mustard, salt, rosemary, cayenne pepper, and heavy cream.Cook pasta according to directions.

Cook bacon.

Slice chicken into medium-bite size pieces.

Combine sauce, cooked pasta, diced chicken, cooked bacon, bell peppers, parmesan cheese, and paprika and mix thoroughly. Spread in pans. Top with chopped rosemary and mozzarella cheese.

Bake @ 475 for 10 minutes. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator the day of. Cover with foil and bake @ 375 for 1 hour. Remove foil during the last 15 minutes.

This recipe was honestly so fabulous, I forgot to take a picture of the cooked product because I jumped right into it!