Penne San Remo (Inspired by Buca Di Beppo)

Chef Vince Ang's Note:

Delicious dish served at Buca Di Beppo. Tender chicken breast, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and green peas tossed with imported Italian penne pasta in a white wine cream sauce. Note, since Buca is a restaurant, they use a pre-made Alfredo Sauce, and pre-cooked, breaded chicken breasts. This recipe reflects a more traditional, home-style cooking as opposed to the streamlined restaurant approach. Also at Buca, the chicken is added earlier in the cooking process (along with the artichokes and the sun-dried tomatoes.) They can do this because they use pre-made Alfredo sauce. Because this recipe involves making the Alfredo sauce, or white-wine cream sauce from scratch, it's better to add the chicken pieces at a later step so that the chicken retains some crispness and keeps from getting too mushy.

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 16 ounces penne pasta
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour (for thickening the sauce)
• 1 cup flour (for chicken breading)
• 2 teaspoons italian seasoning (you may substitute a combo of basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, garlic)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (for sauteeing the chicken)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (for the sauce)
• 2 tablespoons fresh garlic (minced)
• 3/4 cup marinated artichoke (chopped into quarters)
• 1/2 cup green peas (cooked)
• 3/4 cup sun-dried tomato (julienne-cut)
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 pinch kosher salt (or amount according to taste. Table salt works fine)

Directions:

1. Cook Penne pasta according to packaging instructions (add salt.) Drain and set aside.
2. Use a meat tenderizer to pound the meat to an even thickness (about 1/2 to 3/4 inch.) Cut the chicken breast in half, length wise.
3. For breading the chicken breasts, combine flour, italian seasoning, salt, black pepper. Dredge chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture.
4. In a large skillet, over medium heat, heat olive oil and butter then sauté the chicken on both sides, 3-5 minutes per side or until it turns golden brown.
5. Remove the chicken from the pan and slice chicken into thin, bite-sized pieces about (3/8" thick.) Set aside. Remove as much of the cooked oil from the skillet and replace with fresh olive oil reserved for the sauce.
6. Add minced garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichokes. Stir for about 2 minutes.
7. Sprinkle the pan with the flour reserved for thickening the sauce. Stir until all ingredients are covered with flour, about 30 seconds.
8. Add the white wine and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to low medium and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
9. When much of the wine has evaporated or the sauce starts to thicken,raise the heat to medium and add the cream and stir for 30-45 seconds until well incorporated.
10. Add the parmesan cheese and stir to incorporate all the ingredients (cheese melts into the sauce).
11. Add the green peas and stir for about three minutes.
12. Add the sliced chicken and the pasta to the pan and mix with the sauce. Make sure the pasta is thoroughly coated with the sauce. Enjoy.

Reviews

[maquechoux]

This is a delightful dish. It is rich and creamy and very well balanced. The bold flavors of the marinated artichoke, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic blend so well with the seasoned pan-browned chicken, the cream, the delicate green peas, and white wine. The green peas and the sun-dried tomatoes give the dish a vibrant contrasting color and a striking appearance. You can taste every component individually as you savor their synergy in combination. This is a memorable dish fit for cherished guests, yet it is simple enough to whip up for a casual family meal. Pair it with some homemade thin crust pizza for appetizers and a green salad and it easily serves five or six people. I used Pinot Grigio for the white wine, and it was perfect. I can't help but wonder how a slightly sweeter wine, maybe a Soave, might do for this dish. I think it would complement the creaminess of the dish. I stayed pretty much true to the recipe, although I didn't precisely measure every ingredient. I used a bit too much flour and had to add a bit more cream to compensate and to get the consistency where I wanted it. And being cajun, I could not help but add 1/4 tsp of Cayenne pepper and 1/4 tsp of white pepper. Sorry about that. The dish certainly doesn't need it, it's just my love of cayenne needing satisfaction. Let me tell you how I came upon Chef VInce Ang's Penne San Remo recipe. I recently visited Buca di Beppo and ordered their version of this dish. I was so impressed with it that I decided to see if I could find any hints online to help me make a similar dish. I am so happy I found this most exquisite example! Thank you Chef Vince Ang. I love your recipe. It's a winner. The way you prepare the chicken makes it much better (more flavorful, and with better consistency) than the over-marinated salty/mushy chicken in the Buca di Beppo dish that inspired your creation. To anyone else considering this recipe, you have my hearty recommendation. Try it, and you won't be disappointed.

[Julie F]

Delicious! Next time I would add the peas towards the end. Mine lost their pretty bright green color. I would also add 2 jars of artichoke hearts. I thought 1 might be close to 3/4 cup, but I would have liked more. Other than that, everything was perfect! I don't have a Buca di Beppo near me, but I will be enjoying this dish at home!

[Chef #1335628]

I used a 10.5 in cast iron chicken fryer for the pan which worked very well. My recommendations are; Measure the flour to be added to the sauce before you are making it as the sauce cooks very quickly, Rinse the the sun dried tomatoes if canned as the oil will change the color and texture of your sauce. Made this recipe for a family dinner which fed eight people. Goes very well with some homemade bread.