Johnny carinos spicy shrimp and chicken recipe

"This is my FAVORITE dish at Johnny Carino's in my town and this is my rendition of the recipe. My husband says it tastes exactly like theirs. I have played around with how much cayenne pepper to put in this dish because the recipe I found originally just said "to taste". For me, one teaspoon is too mild, but two teaspoons is pretty spicy. I'd put some in and do a taste test before you add more. The original recipe was in Denver's Rocky Mountain News, but I have modified it to our tastes, including leaving out the green onion and increasing the amount of the sauce. Also, the original recipe said it served 4, but we have no problem getting 6-8 servings of this. I serve it with a tossed salad and my Recipe #281657."

Serves: 4

Chef's Notes:
Succulent shrimp and grilled chicken sautéed with mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and green onions in a spicy pecorino romano cheese cream sauce with penne pasta – A Carino’s Italian classic

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Butter, Melted
20 medium Shrimp, Tail-Off Peeled and Cleaned
2 each Chicken Breast, 8 Ounce
3 cups Mushrooms, Sliced
1 cup Sun-dried Tomatoes, Hydrated
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup Green Onions, Sliced
2 cups Heavy Cream
1/3 cup Pecorino Romano Cheese, Grated
Cayenne Pepper to taste
20 ounces Penne Pasta, Dry

Procedure:
1. Grilled chicken breasts until done. Cool and slice into ¼ inch thick strips.
2. Add butter to a large sauté pan at medium heat. Once butter is heated, add shrimp, sliced chicken, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, green onions and salt and pepper. Sauté until shrimp and mushrooms are cooked.
3. Add heavy cream, pecorino romano cheese and cayenne pepper. Let cream reduce by 50% while thoroughly combining all ingredients.
4. Cook penne pasta according to package directions. Drain excess water and then toss pasta with contents of sauté pan.
5. Place Spicy Shrimp and Chicken into designated serving plateware, garnish and enjoy!

Restaurant: Carino’s Italian Restaurant, 1710 2nd Ave, New York, USA

Recipe Type: Authentic

Submitted By: Chef Chris Peitersen

Recipe Author: Chef Chris Peitersen

Original Photograph By:

Photograph Retouched By: Recipe Spy

Recipe Source: http://www.carinos.com/chefsblog/category/Recipes.aspx?page=1

I worked at an Italian restaurant called Johnny Carino’s for almost 10 years. I had the best time working there! I started out as a hostess, then I became a server and bartender. I also helped the managers as a “key.” I met so many close friends working there and enjoyed it so much! It was hard to leave.

Besides the amazing staff and atmosphere, the food was AMAZING. Let’s just say I didn’t hate having to taste the food when I was training. And even when I wasn’t working, Johnny Carino’s was my favorite place in town to eat out.

My very favorite dish to order at Johnny Carino’s was and always will be the Spicy Shrimp and Chicken. This dish has tons of flavor and just the right amount of spice. I love cream sauces and this one is top notch.

Out of all the copycat recipes on my site, this is in my top three. It tastes so much like the original, it’s crazy! All you need is a pot and a saute pan and you’re good to go. And all the ingredients for the dish can be easily found at your local grocery store.

If you don’t like spicy dishes, you can still make this one. You can add little to no cayenne pepper and it still tastes great. Or you can add more if you like things spicy. I hope you make this dish and end up loving it as much as I do!

Servings: 6 -8 servings

13-16 oz penne pasta
2 8oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced
3 Tbsp butter
20 medium raw shrimp peeled, tail removed and cleaned
1 c. fresh button mushrooms cleaned and sliced
1 c. sundried tomatoes sliced
2 green onions chopped
2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. Romano cheese grated (Italian blend cheese works great, too.)
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Add the sliced chicken to a saute pan on medium heat and cook through. Set aside when cooked.
Begin cooking pasta according to package directions.
When the pasta is close to being finished, add butter to the same saute pan used to cook the chicken and melt on medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add shrimp, chicken, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, onions, salt and pepper.
Saute the mixture until shrimp and mushrooms are cooked. Shrimp should be pink.
When the pasta is finished cooking, drain the excess water but don’t rinse it. Set aside.
In the empty pot used to cook the pasta, add the cream, Romano cheese, and cayenne pepper. Let the cream reduce by half while stirring frequently.
Add the meat and veggie mixture to the sauce and stir together. Add the pasta and stir all together. Serve and enjoy!

Cookware used for this recipe:

Have you tried my copycat version of Johnny Carino’s Bowtie Festival? It’s one of the most popular dishes at the restaurant!

Author
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Alli is the food blogger and photographer behind Cupcake Diaries. Nestled in Northern Utah with her four young boys, hubby, and a full pantry, she loves baking all kinds of treats as well as quick and easy meals for her family. What started out as sharing a few recipes with family members here and there soon turned into a full-functioning recipe blog with readers from all around the world! Alli is a full-time mom who enjoys music, holidays, and spending time with her family.