Olive Garden Copycat Chicken Gnocchi Soup

This recipe is the ultimate Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup copycat! Use a rotisserie chicken for the best flavor and to make things easier. Serve with hot bread sticks to have a complete Olive Garden experience, right at home. This recipe is simple and quick to make, perfect for a busy weeknight dinner and a family favorite!

Olive Garden Copycat Chicken Gnocchi Soup

sofiyababinov
This recipe is the ultimate Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup copycat! Use a rotisserie chicken for the best flavor and to make things easier. Serve with hot bread sticks to have a complete Olive Garden experience, right at home. This recipe is simple and quick to make, perfect for a busy weeknight dinner and a family favorite!
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Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Course Soup
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 2 TBS Olive Oil
  • 4 TBS Butter
  • 1 Onion finely diced
  • 1 Cup Celery finely diced
  • 1 Quart Half & Half
  • 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
  • 3 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 2 Carrots finely shredded
  • 30 oz Chicken Broth
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • Ground Nutmeg to taste, a little dash
  • 1/8 tsp Ground Thyme
  • 1/2 tsp Dry Parsley Flakes
  • 1 Cup Spinach coarsely chopped
  • 1 18 oz Pack Gnocchi
  • 2 Cups Cooked Chicken Breast cubed, rotisserie chicken works best

Instructions
 

  • Do all of your prep work first, this makes it a lot easier as you go! Wash, peel and shred the carrots. Wash and coarsely cut the spinach. Peel and finely cut the onion. Mince the garlic cloves. Wash and finely dice the celery. The onion, garlic and celery can all be set aside in one plate.
  • Heat 2 TBS of olive oil in a large pot, on medium heat. Add 4 TBS butter into the oil and let it melt.
  • Add the onion, celery, and garlic into the pot. Stir and cook until the onion becomes soft and translucent.
  • When the onion is soft and translucent, whisk in the flour, a little bit at a time as you constantly whisk so it doesn’t burn, for about a minute to get a flour roux.
  • Whisk in the Half & Half, simmer until it thickens up a bit. Add the chicken broth in. Mix it and let it simmer until it thickens again, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the shredded carrots, gnocchi, chopped spinach leaves, and the cooked, cubed chicken.
  • Continue to simmer on medium heat, until the soup is completely heated through and the gnocchi are soft. Approximately 5-10 minutes.

Notes

Serve with hot bread sticks to have a complete Olive Garden experience, right at home.
Keyword easy, Italian, restaurant, soup

Carrabba’s Alfredo Pasta with Scallops

This is the authentic Carrabba’s Italian Grill Alfredo sauce recipe from Carrabba’s Italian Grill Cookbook (with a minor tweak), and it is our favorite homemade Alfredo sauce! You can serve this sauce with any pasta and protein/veggie of choice. It’s super quick and easy to make! This Alfredo sauce can be made up to 2 hours in advance and stored at room temperature, covered. This recipe makes enough Alfredo sauce to perfectly coat 1 LB pasta.

Carrabba’s Alfredo Pasta with Scallops

sofiyababinov
This is the authentic Carrabba's Italian Grill Alfredo sauce recipe from Carrabba's Italian Grill Cookbook (with a minor tweak), and it is our favorite homemade Alfredo sauce! You can serve this sauce with any pasta and protein/veggie of choice. It's super quick and easy to make! This Alfredo sauce can be made up to 2 hours in advance and stored at room temperature, covered. This recipe makes enough Alfredo sauce to perfectly coat 1 LB pasta.
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Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 4 TBS Butter unsalted
  • 1 Cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 Cup Whole Milk
  • 1 Garlic Clove minced
  • 1 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
  • Salt/Pepper to taste
  • 1 LB Pasta of choice

Scallops (Optional)

  • 2 LB Wild Caught Sea Scallops
  • 2-3 TBS Butter
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp Salt

Instructions
 

  • In a medium saucepan, melt 4 TBS unsalted butter on medium heat. Add 1 minced garlic clove and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. (The garlic is optional, not a part of the cookbook recipe but my addition).
  • Add in 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup whole milk. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally so the mixture doesn't boil over. Simmer until slightly reduced, about 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add in 1 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese. Mix well and take off the burner. This last step is optional and my addition to the original Carrabba's Italian Restuarant cookbook recipe. In my opinion it takes the Alfredo sauce to a whole new level of flavor!

Scallops Recipe:

  • Melt 2-3 TBS butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add scallops to the pan, spreading them all out for even cooking. Drain out any water that accumulates in the pan while scallops are cooking.
  • Cook the scallops about 5 minutes on one side, then gently flip them and cook an additional 5 minutes or so on the other side. The key to perfectly cooked scallops is golden on the outside and tender (not overcooked) on the inside.
  • Add desired number of scallops to each plate of Alfredo pasta and serve!

Notes

You can add scallops, any protein or veggie of choice to this Alredo pasta dish!
Keyword 30 minutes, easy, Italian, restaurant, seafood

Turkey Sausage Meatball Zuppa Toscana Soup

This Turkey Sausage Meatball Zuppa Toscana Soup is a faster, easier, and arguably yummier version of the famous Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup. Lean and delicious Italian turkey sausage meatballs (homemade or store bought) are a great substitute for the typical pork sausage used in this recipe. This is definitely a family favorite recipe!

Turkey Sausage Meatball Zuppa Toscana Soup

sofiyababinov
This Turkey Sausage Meatball Zuppa Toscana Soup is a faster, easier, and arguably yummier version of the famous Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup. Lean and delicious Italian turkey sausage meatballs (homemade or store bought) are a great substitute for the typical pork sausage used in this recipe. This is definitely a family favorite recipe!
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Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Course Soup
Cuisine Italian
Servings 10

Ingredients
  

  • 1 LB Ground Turkey Sausage Meat store bought or homemade (in notes below)
  • 1 TBS Olive Oil for frying meatballs
  • 12 Cups Filtered Water
  • 4-5 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
  • 4-5 Red Skin Potatoes washed, thickly sliced
  • 1/2 Bag Kale washed, chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

Instructions
 

  • Form little (1 inch) meatballs from the store bought (or homemade, see notes below) ground Italian turkey sausage meat and set aside.
  • Heat 1 TBS olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the Italian turkey sausage meatballs. Cook, flipping meatballs from side to side, until meatballs are well cooked through.
  • Boil 12 cups filtered water in a big pot on high heat. Once water comes to a boil, add 3 chicken bouillon cubes and the fully cooked turkey sausage meatballs.
  • Lower heat to medium high. Add in the sliced red skin potatoes. Cook 10-15 minutes until potatoes cook through. Once potatoes are cooked through, add 1/2 large bunch (or bag) of chopped kale.
  • Add in 2 cups of heavy whipping cream. Once the kale is soft and cooked through, the soup is done. Add another 1-2 chicken bouillon cubes, to taste. No salt necessary because the bouillon cubes add enough salt to the soup. Mix well and serve hot!
  • This soup tastes great the next day too. Just warm up as much as you need in a small pot on medium heat.

Notes

If you can’t find store bought ground Italian turkey sausage meat, you can use Italian turkey sausages and just squeeze the ground meat out of the sausage skins or you can make your own Italian turkey sausage ground meat using this recipe:
Ingredients: 1 LB Ground Turkey, 1 tsp Salt, 1 tsp Italian Seasoning, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder, 1/2 tsp Onion Powder, 1/2 tsp Dry Oregano, 1/2 tsp Dry Basil, 2 tsp Dry Parsley, 1/4-1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (mild or spicy).
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Form into about 1 inch meatballs.
Keyword 30 minutes, easy, soup, turkey

Thai Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao) 

These Thai Drunken Noodles taste better than any restaurant version I’ve ever had. This is one of the easiest and quickest recipes and one of our favorite dishes! A trip to your local Asian grocery store is necessary to get certain ingredients. You can make this dish plain, with veggies, shrimp, or any protein of your choice. It’s very versatile!

Thai Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)

sofiyababinov
These Thai Drunken Noodles taste better than any restaurant version I've ever had. This is one of the easiest and quickest recipes and one of our favorite dishes! A trip to your local Asian grocery store is necessary to get certain ingredients. You can make this dish plain, with veggies, shrimp, or any protein of your choice.
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Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1-2 LB Shrimp or any protein of choice
  • 1 LB Wide Rice Noodles wide or any rice noodles of choice
  • 1 Thai Chili Pepper less or more depending on your preference
  • 3 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 1 TBS Olive Oil for frying
  • 1 Can Baby Corn drained
  • Any other vegetables of choice I usually add whatever we have on hand
  • 4 TBS Butter for baking shrimp
  • 4 tsp Fish Sauce

Sauce Ingredients:

  • 3 TBS Dark Soy Sauce
  • 3 TBS Light Soy Sauce
  • 6 TBS Oyster Sauce
  • 4 tsp Sugar
  • 2 TBS Water

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel, devein and wash the shrimp. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Put shrimp into a large glass baking dish, add 4 TBS butter and bake for 15-20 minutes, until shrimp are cooked through. Once cooked through, set aside. Meanwhile continue to next steps.
  • Cook the rice noodles according to package instructions. Some tricks I learned to attain perfect rice noodles is adding 1 TBS of olive oil to the pot of boiled water when cooking rice noodles to keep the noodles from sticking together. I also stir the noodles constantly to prevent sticking. Set cooked noodles aside.
  • Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
  • In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 TBS olive oil on medium heat. Add in 1 finely chopped Thai chili pepper (less or more depending how spicy you prefer), add in 3 minced garlic cloves. Stir until fragrant.
  • Add in the cooked shrimp (butter/water drained). Add 4 tsp fish sauce. Cook a few minutes, until the shrimp crisps up to your preference, 5-10 minutes.
  • Add in the cooked rice noodles. Pour the sauce over the noodles and shrimp. Mix well. Turn the heat down to low. Cook until rice noodles are hot and have absorbed the sauce, about 10 minutes.
  • Lastly, add canned baby corn (drained) and/or any other veggies you want to add. Cook an additional few minutes until veggies are cooked through.

Notes

Make sure you use both Dark and Light Soy Sauce or the sauce will be too salty and not the right flavor.
Some tricks I learned to attain perfect rice noodles is adding 1 TBS of olive oil to the pot of boiled water when cooking rice noodles to keep the noodles from sticking together. I also stir the noodles constantly to prevent sticking.
If you decide to add diced onion, add it in the beginning with the Thai chili pepper.
This recipe reheats well. Fry the Drunken Noodles on a skillet with 1 TBS butter on low heat to heat up.
The Dark Soy sauce, Light Soy sauce, Fish sauce, Oyster sauce and wide Rice noodles can all be found at your local Asian grocery store.  
You can customize this dish with your favorite veggies and protein. I sometimes add mushrooms, scallions, Thai basil. Sometimes I make it with sliced chicken breast instead of shrimp. It’s super versatile! 
Keyword 30 minutes, easy, noodles, shrimp, Thai

Lamb Shurpa Soup

Hearty and comforting Lamb Shurpa Soup takes me back to my Eastern European roots. Nothing better on a cold winters day! You can use beef if you prefer. This soup is easy to make and tastes even better the next day.

Lamb Shurpa Soup

sofiyababinov
Hearty and comforting Lamb Shurpa Soup takes me back to my Eastern European roots. Nothing better on a cold winters day! You can use beef if you prefer. This soup is easy to make and tastes even better the next day.
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Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine European
Servings 12 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2.5-3 LB Lamb Chops washed, patted dry
  • 3 Carrots chopped into circles
  • 2 Green Bell Peppers cubed
  • 1 Onion finely chopped
  • 1 Large Tomato finely chopped
  • 2 LB Potatoes cubed
  • 1 6 oz. Can Tomato Paste
  • 1 TBS Salt
  • 1 tsp Onion & Garlic Seasoning
  • 1 tsp Mrs.Dash Seasoning or any salt-free seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp Cumin
  • 3 Garlic Cloves minced
  • Parsley optional, to taste
  • Dill optional, to taste
  • 8 oz. Pasta of choice optional

For frying lamb chops and vegetables:

  • Montreal Chicken Seasoning to taste
  • Onion & Garlic Seasoning to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • 3-4 TBS Olive Oil

Instructions
 

  • Wash lamb chops and pat them dry. Set a large skillet with 2 TBS olive oil on medium heat. Add the lamb chops. Season lamb chops on both sides. I seasoned with salt and onion & garlic seasoning on one side and Montreal chicken seasoning on the other side.
  • Fry lamb chops until they are completely cooked through and seared.
  • Set a large pot with 17 cups water on high heat. Bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, lower to medium heat. Add in the lamb chops and let lamb chops cook for 30 minutes. Skim off impurities (foam) that rises to the top.
  • After 30 minutes add the salt, spices of choice and potatoes. Meanwhile move on to the next step.
  • Set a pan with 2 TBS olive oil on medium heat. Add in the carrots and bell peppers. Cook for a few minutes, then add in the onion and tomato. Season with salt and any seasoning of choice. Cook until veggies are a tender, about 10 minutes (they'll finish cooking in the soup).
  • Add 1 can of tomato paste to the skillet with veggies and let it cook a few minutes to thin out the tomato paste.
  • Add the cooked veggies/tomato paste into the pot of soup and cook until potatoes are cooked through.
  • If you want some pasta in the soup you can cook 8 oz. pasta of your choice in a small pot, according to package instructions and set it aside.
  • Once potatoes have cooked through and soup is done, turn off the burner and add 3 minced garlic cloves and optionally dill and parsley to taste. Add more salt or seasoning if needed!
  • To serve put pasta into bowls, ladle soup over pasta.

Notes

We cook the pasta for this soup in a separate pot so the pasta doesn’t get soggy and absorb all the soup broth.
Keyword easy, lamb, main course, soup

Oven Baked Cheesy Sandwiches

These oven baked cheesy sandwiches are perfect for brunch or an appetizer. Super easy to throw together but packed with cheesy, yummy flavor. Very versatile, you can make these with your favorite deli meat, cheese and toppings.

Oven Baked Cheesy Sandwiches

sofiyababinov
These oven baked cheesy sandwiches are perfect for brunch or an appetizer. Super easy to throw together but packed with cheesy, yummy flavor. Very versatile, you can make these with your favorite deli meat, cheese and toppings.
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Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 French Baguette Bread thinly sliced
  • 1 Cup Deli Meat of choice cubed, I used Veal Bologna
  • 1/2 Tomato finely cubed
  • 1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese or any cheese of choice, shredded
  • Mayonnaise to taste
  • Ketchup to taste
  • Hot Sauce optional, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut French baguette bread into thin, long slices.
  • Spread mayonnaise onto each slice of bread.
  • Add cubed deli meat of choice.
  • Add cubed tomato.
  • Squirt a drop of ketchup onto each sandwich. You can also add a drop of hot sauce if you like a spicy kick.
  • Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese on top of each sandwich.
  • Bake in 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and gooey and bread is slightly golden.
Keyword 30 minutes, appetizers, brunch, easy, sandwiches

Grilled Bulgogi Shrimp

It’s finally cooling down outside and the perfect weather for grilling. If you’re in the mood for grilling but tired of meat, these Bulgogi Shrimp don’t disappoint! Plump, juicy, grilled to perfection shrimp with a hint of a smoky Bulgogi flavor. I first had Bulgogi Shrimp at an amazing Korean BBQ restaurant here in Charlotte and knew immediately I’d be making these at home. Super easy and fast to grill, just make sure you give the shrimp at least 1 night to marinate. A trip to your local Asian market is required to get the Bulgogi sauce needed to marinate this shrimp.

Grilled Bulgogi Shrimp

Plump, juicy, grilled to perfection shrimp with a hint of a smoky Bulgogi flavor. If you're in the mood for grilling but tired of meat, these Bulgogi Shrimp don't disappoint! Super easy and fast to grill, just make sure you give the shrimp at least 1 night to marinate.
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Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Korean
Servings 8

Equipment

  • Grill

Ingredients
  

  • 2 LB Shrimp raw, peeled and deveined
  • 1 29.7 oz. Jar Korean BBQ Bulgogi Sauce enough to cover the shrimp in the sauce
  • 16 Bamboo Skewers for grilling

Instructions
 

  • Peel, devein, and wash the shrimp. Pat shrimp dry with paper towels, put shrimp into a big bowl.
  • Add enough Korean BBQ Bulgogi Sauce (I used about 3/4 of the 29.7 oz. jar). Mix well. Cover the bowl with a lid and let the shrimp marinate in the Bulgogi sauce overnight for best flavor, or for at least 6 hrs.

Grilling Instructions:

  • Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes, this is so the wood doesn't split while you are putting shrimp on skewers. Pat skewers dry with paper towels.
  • Put shrimp onto skewers. I put 6-7 shrimp on each skewer. I had 16 skewers total and the average person ate 2 skewers (with some white rice and steamed veggies on the side).
  • Grill the shrimp until fully cooked to your preference. You don't want to overcook shrimp so they don't taste rubbery. With the preheated grill they took about 10-15 minutes to grill. We flipped them once halfway through, for even cooking on both sides. We use a special kind of charcoal for grilling these Bulgogi shrimp (or anything we grilll really) for the best flavor: Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal (we use Frontier brand).
  • You can also bake these Bulgogi shrimp but we prefer the smoky, charred flavor that only the grill can give! Bake in 400 degrees until shrimp cook through. Another option is an indoor griddle grill.

Notes

We use a special kind of charcoal for grilling these Bulgogi shrimp for the best flavor: Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal (we use Frontier brand).
You can also bake these Bulgogi shrimp but we prefer the smoky, charred flavor that only the grill can give!
I serve these with white rice and steamed veggies on the side.
Keyword 30 minutes, grilling, seafood, shrimp

Carrabba’s Restaurant Marinara Sauce

The official Carrabba’s Italian Restaurant Marinara Sauce from the Carrabba’s cookbook. Great for a pasta sauce or to use as a dip for appetizers like mozzarella sticks or fried calamari.

Carrabba’s Restaurant Marinara Sauce

sofiyababinov
The official Carrabba's Italian Restaurant Marinara Sauce from the Carrabba's cookbook. Great for a pasta sauce or to use as a dip for appetizers like mozzarella sticks or fried calamari.
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Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Course Sauce
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients
  

  • 2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Small Yellow Onion finely chopped
  • 2 Scallions both white/green part, finely chopped
  • 2 Anchovy Fillets in oil optional, drained and finely chopped
  • 4 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 1/4 Cup Hearty Red Wine such as Citra Montepulciano
  • 1 28 oz. Can Whole Tomatoes in juice
  • 1 tsp Dried Oregano
  • 1/2 tsp Hot, Crushed, Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the scallions, anchovies (if using), garlic and cook. Stirring occasionally until garlic is fragrant for about 1 minute.
  • Add the wine. Pour the tomatoes and their juices into a bowl. Crush the tomatoes between your fingers, and pour the mixture into the saucepan. Add the oregano, hot pepper flakes, ground pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring often, until the tomato juices have thickened and the sauce has reduced slightly, about 30 minutes.

Notes

This Marinara Sauce can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Or freeze for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Keyword easy, Italian, Marinara, restaurant, Sauce

Bourbon Chicken

Homemade Chinese food is one of our favorite things to eat. We have Chinese night every Friday night at our house and this Bourbon Chicken is one of our most frequently made recipes. We made it for a Chinese dinner party once and it was a huge hit with our friends as well. I like to pair it with plain white rice (so we can eat it with the extra yummy Bourbon sauce) or vegetable fried rice. It’s super simple to make and no fancy ingredients required!

Bourbon Chicken

sofiyababinov
Homemade Chinese food is one of our favorite things to eat. We have Chinese night every Friday night at our house and this Bourbon Chicken is one of our most frequently made recipes. We made it for a Chinese dinner party once and it was a huge hit with our friends as well. I like to pair it with plain white rice (so we can eat it with the extra yummy Bourbon sauce) or vegetable fried rice. It’s super simple to make and no fancy ingredients required!
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Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 8
Calories 578 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 LB Chicken Breast or Thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Pepper
  • 3 1/2 TBS Cornstarch divided
  • 3 TBS Oil to fry the chicken

Bourbon Sauce

  • 1 Cup Chicken Broth I make my own with Better Then Bouillon
  • 1 Cup Water
  • 1/4 Cup Bourbon
  • 2/3 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
  • 1/3 Cup Ketchup
  • 2 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 3/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
  • 2 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1/2 tsp Onion Power
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger

Instructions
 

  • Cut chicken breasts or thighs into 1 inch pieces. Transfer to a big bowl. Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and 2 TBS Cornstarch. Mix well.
  • Add all the Bourbon sauce ingredients into a big bowl and mix well. Set it aside.
  • Heat 3 TBS oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Fry the chicken pieces in batches, until the chicken is cooked through until well done and golden on the outside. I cooked it in 4 batches. Have a plate lined with paper towels to put cooked chicken into, to absorb the extra oil.
  • Once the chicken is all cooked, wipe off the skillet with paper towels, no need to wash it. Add the bourbon sauce and bring to a boil then add in the cooked chicken.
  • Reduce to low heat and let it simmer, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes until the sauce reduces a bit.
  • In a small glass, add 1 TBS water and 1.5 TBS cornstarch and mix well until it becomes a white slurry. Add the cornstarch slurry mixture to the bourbon chicken. Let it simmer a few minutes so the sauce thickens up.

Notes

Serve with white rice (we love pouring the extra Bourbon sauce over it)! This dish reheats well the next day in a skillet on low heat. 
Keyword 30 minutes, chicken, Chinese, easy

Creamy Cajun Rigatoni Shrimp Pasta

This pasta is delicious and super easy to whip up in 30 minutes. It is definitely one of our family favorite pasta recipes. Even my picky boys eat it (and ask for seconds)! I got the inspiration for this recipe from a restaurant called “Nothing But Noodles” here in Charlotte. It’s one of my favorite pastas on their menu so I decided to recreate it at home (with the addition of a lot of shrimp of course) and I am so glad I did!

Creamy Cajun Rigatoni Shrimp Pasta

sofiyababinov
This pasta is delicious and super easy to whip up in 30 minutes. It is definitely one of our family favorite pasta recipes. Even my picky boys eat it (and ask for seconds too)! I got the inspiration for this recipe from a restaurant called "Nothing But Noodles" here in Charlotte. It's one of my favorite pastas on their menu so I decided to recreate it at home (with the addition of a lot of shrimp of course) and I am so glad I did!
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Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8
Calories 655 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 LB Rigatoni Pasta or pasta or choice
  • 2 LB Shrimp peeled, deveined
  • 3 Cups Heavy Cream
  • 2 Cups Parmesan Cheese finely shredded
  • 2 Garlic Cloves minced
  • 2 TBS Cajun Seasoning divided (1 TBS for shrimp, 1 TBS for sauce)
  • 1 Cup Baby Tomatoes diced
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper diced, optional
  • 8 TBS Butter divided (4 TBS for shrimp, 4 TBS pasta/sauce)
  • 1 TBS Parsley finely chopped for garnish, optional
  • Salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash, peel, devein shrimp and put it in a large baking dish with 4 TBS butter (cut into slices). Sprinkle with 1 TBS Cajun seasoning, a sprinkle of salt and mix. Bake for 15-25 minutes until shrimp is cooked through, mixing twice. Meanwhile move on to steps 2 and 3. 
  • Cook Rigatoni pasta (or any pasta of choice) in a pot of salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. When the shrimp in the oven is well cooked through, take it out of the oven and set aside, covered to keep it hot. 
  • Heat 2 TBS Butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the minced garlic cloves, diced baby tomatoes, and diced bell pepper (optional). Stir and cook for 3-5 minutes.
  • Add 3 cups heavy cream and 2 cups finely shredded parmesan cheese. Mix well and bring to a light boil, then reduce to low heat and let it simmer, stirring occasionally. 
  • Once the pasta is cooked through, drain water from the pot and add 2 TBS butter to the pasta. Add cooked pasta and cooked shrimp to the skillet with sauce and combine.

Notes

This recipe reheats well the next day. Just warm up on a skillet with some butter on low heat.
Keyword 30 minutes, pasta, seafood, shrimp