Johnny Carinos Gorgonzola Chicken Recipes

JOHNNY CARINO'S GORGONZOLA CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pound chicken breasts until they are 1/2 inch thick season with salt and pepper. Sear chicken in a hot skillet with two tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Cook on each side for about 4 to 5 minutes or until completely cooked. Remove chicken breasts from heat, and let rest for several minutes before slicing. You may need to add an additional tablespoon of butter or two to the sauce pan to saute the mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms on medium high heat until they are browned. While mushrooms are browning sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
• Cook pasta according to instructions on the package. Johnny Carino's typically uses penne pasta, but I like to use a fettuccine pasta because I think it holds the sauce better. Prepare sauce by combining half and half and Gorgonzola in a saucepan heating through. The sauce should thicken slightly. Slice chicken into 1/4 inch slices. Add sauteed mushrooms to the sauce, and stir to combine well. Plate pasta by adding 1/4 of the pasta, 1/4 of the chicken slices. Drizzle with sauce, and top with chopped tomatoes and shredded Parmesan.
• If you need to reheat this dish, I recommend leaving all of this unassembled and reassemble just before serving again. If you do not combine the pasta sauce and pasta together while this is refrigerated the sauce won't soak into the pasta.

SPICY SHRIMP AND CHICKEN PASTA (LIKE CARINO'S)

Steps:

• Season and grill the chicken breasts until done. Cool and slice into bite sized pieces.
• Add butter to a large sauté pan on medium heat.
• Once butter is melted, add the shrimp, sliced chicken, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, salt and pepper.
• Saute mixture until shrimp and mushrooms are cooked.
• Add the cream, Romano cheese and cayenne pepper. Let cream reduce by half while stirring frequently.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta al dente according to package directions; drain excess water.
• Toss cooked pasta with contents of sauté pan. Serve.

MY VERSION: CARINO'S SPICY ROMANO CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Dredge the chicken breasts in blackening spice and place in a cast iron skillet over very high heat. Blacken both sides of the chicken and place in the oven for 10 minutes, or until juices run clear. Slice in strips and set aside.
• In a saute pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Add mushrooms,garlic and cook until mushrooms have released most of their liquid. Then add the sun-dried tomatoes and the chicken slices. Pour the white wine or chicken stock in the pan and scrape pan. Add the heavy cream, increase the heat to a simmer, and reduce the cream sauce by half.
• When the cream sauce is to desired consistency, stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup romano cheese, salt and pepper. Before serving open your artichoke hearts and slice in half. Drain well and put in pan, let cook til warm. I used the ready to serve artichoke hearts.
• Nest the pasta on large rimmed plates, pour sauce over pasta, and garnish with scallions and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

JOHNNY CARINO'S GORGONZOLA CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pound chicken breasts until they are 1/2 inch thick; season with salt and pepper. Sear chicken in a hot skillet with two tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Cook on each side for about 4 to 5 minutes or until completely cooked. Remove chicken breasts from heat, and let rest for several minutes before slicing. You may need add an additional tablespoon of butter or two to the sauce pan to saute the mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms on medium high heat until they are browned. While mushrooms are browning sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
• Cook pasta according to instructions on the package. Prepare sauce by combining half and half and Gorgonzola in a saucepan, heating through. The sauce should thicken slightly. Slice chicken into 1/4 inch slices. Add sauteed mushrooms to the sauce, and stir to combine well. Plate pasta by adding 1/4 of the pasta, 1/4 of the chicken slices. Drizzle with sauce, and top with chopped tomatoes and shredded Parmesan.