Aunt Ky loves spicy dishes and recreating what she’s eaten somewhere else.  She developed this years ago, because every time she went to Carino’s, this is what she ordered.  When she first made it, it was too hot to enjoy, so she’s reduced the amount of cayenne pepper. Like many ingredients in this recipe (chicken, shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes), you can adjust to your family’s preferences.   Aunt Ky often makes her chicken ahead of time, but if she is short on time, she’ll buy a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store.  Let us know if this becomes a crowd favorite for your family like it has for ours.

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter, divided
• 1 pint cream
• 1 tablespoon salt, plus a pinch
• 1 tablespoon pepper, plus a pinch
• ¼ cup Romano cheese
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 16 ounces uncooked penne pasta
• pinch garlic salt
• 3 ounces cooked and seasoned chicken
  • (If you need a recipe, cook your chicken like the chicken in our White Chicken Chili recipe.)
• 2 ounces raw shrimp, peeled
• ¾ cups sundried tomatoes
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms

Instructions

• While you bring water to boil for your pasta, start your Romano cream sauce.
• Melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Add cream, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper.
• Heat to a boil then remove from heat.
• Fold in cheeses and cayenne pepper.
• Set aside, and allow the sauce to set for a bit while the cheeses melt.
• Water should be ready to add pasta. Cook as directed.
• In a hot sauté pan, combine remaining salt and pepper as well as garlic salt and remaining butter to sauté the next few ingredients.
• It not already, slice the chicken.
• Add the chicken, shrimp, tomatoes, and mushrooms and sauté for 2-3 minutes to ensure that the shrimp is cooked.
• With the heat still on, add the cheese sauce that you’ve set aside.
• While stirring, allow the cream sauce to thicken.
• Once it begins to boil, add pasta, toss, and serve warm.