When I turned 19 this guy I met in college took me out for a birthday dinner to Buca Di Beppo. Now, I had never heard of this place so I was pretty impressed! Family style Italian food and eclectic Italian decor - dining at it's best. ;) The guy was kind of a loser but thanks to him I fell in love... with Macaroni Rosa that is! Ever since then I've had a special place in my heart for this dish (because it's deeeee-licious) and have pined for it regularly. Luckily, I found the recipe online and wanted to share it on our blog. I made it for dinner tonight (perfect for Fat Tuesday) and I was pleased to see my hubby take 3 helpings!

Macaroni Rosa

YUM!

Ingredients

• 8 ounces macaroni, cooked (go for Barilla's Cellentani - it's just like Buca's!)
• 3 ounces olive oil
• 8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
• 6 ounces cooked chicken breast strips
• 3 ounces peas
• 16 ounces marinara sauce
• 6 ounces cream
• 6 ounces broccoli, buds
  
  2/3 cup grated romano cheese (mozzarella will work too)
  
  below are the ingredients for bruschetta that you add to the creamy marinara sauce;
  To save time & money, instead of making the brushetta mix I buy a can of petite diced tomatoes flavored with garlic and olive oil. I add an ounce of dried basil to this and let it sit in the fridge while i'm preparing the rest of the meal. It's much easier, saves TIME, and costs less. Regardless of what you choose to do, it still tastes great!
• 1 ounce basil, for bruschetta mix
• 1/4 tablespoon salt, for bruschetta mix
• 2 ounces olive oil, for bruschetta mix
• 1/4 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper, for bruschetta mix
• 2 ounces garlic, peeled chopped for bruschetta mix
• 4 ounces red onions, for bruschetta mix
• 1 lb roma tomato, for bruschetta mix
  
  

Directions

1. 1

   Add all the ingredients together listed for bruschetta. Set aside.

2. 2

   Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan.

3. 3

   Add mushrooms and chicken tenders. Sauté until chicken starts to brown along the edges.

4. 4

   Add marinara and cream and reduce by a third; After adding in marinara sauce and cream, this should be brought just to a boil and then lowered to a simmer and covered for about 10 minutes to help the sauce reduce by a third efficiently

5. 5

   Add 4 oz of bruschetta mix and peas. Cook for three minutes.

6. 6

   Drop macaroni and broccoli buds in boiling water for three seconds. I usually ignore this portion because it doesn't always blanch the broccoli effectively; instead I just cook some frozen broccoli and add it into the sauce. Easy "Peasey" :)

7. 7

   Drain noodles and toss in sauce along with Romano cheese and serve on a large platter. (Or just keep it in a large covered pot - it keeps it hotter).