Ever been to Buca Di Beppo?
Ok seriously, this is my favorite restaurant! I have eaten here probably over 100 times. I usually get the baked ziti because it is to die for but the spicy chicken rigatoni is another fav, and of course Damian and Brian's FAVORITE. I could go on and on about how much I love Buca's but this recipe speaks for itself and tastes just like the real thing.
Check out recipe recap: Spicy chicken Rigatoni to see where I remade this recipe with spaghetti squash.So... I tried making it. And HUGE SUCCESS! (this recipe comes straight from Buca's)
YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.
Spicy Chicken Rigatoni
What you need:
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 Tbs crushed red pepper (I doubled this)
- 1 Tbs Chopped garlic
- 1 lb of chicken, sliced
- 3/4 cup marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup Alfredo sauce
- 1/4 cup peas (I used a whole can)
- 1 lb Rigatoni Pasta, cooked
- additional 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper for garnish
In a saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add crushed red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and garlic. Saute long enough for garlic to caramelize and red pepper to release flavor into the oil. Add sliced chicken and saute briefly to coat in spices and garlic. Add marinara sauce first and then Alfredo sauce and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook until sauce thickens slightly. Turn off flame and add peas. Stir sauce and add cooked pasta tossing gently. Garnish with crushed red pepper and serve.
I served the pasta with some grilled asparagus topped with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon slices.
I didn't get a whole lot of photos because these two wanted to eat really badly!
After dinner we headed out to the midnight premier of The Dark Knight Rises, go see it!
Camdi Restaurant
I also wanted to share a new Vietnamese restaurant Damian and I tried on Friday night! Its right in dinkytown next to Mesa Pizza, Camdi Restaurant. This place is nice and quaint and the food is made fresh by the owners. Check out what we got:
These are the spring rolls we shared (Cold rolls of shrimp & bbq pork,
with green salad).
Damian was sad because I made him wait so I could snap a few photos.
He got Bun Bo Hue (Modeled after the Vietnamese Hue style of
spicy beef and pork noodle soup).
And this baby was mine: Pho Noodle Soup, Vietnamese beef.
Hope you had a great weekend!
