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Pasta Milano Macaroni Grill Copycat – A homemade version of Macaroni Grill’s Pasta Milano. A creamy garlic and sundried tomato sauce, with chicken and mushrooms, over bowtie pasta
Making restaurant favorites at home is one of my favorite things. It can be anything from Mexican Pizza from Taco Bell to Fiesta Lime Chicken from Applebee’s. If you are a fan as well, check out all the Copycat Recipes on the site already.
Right out of college we lived in a town with a Macaroni Grill. It was one of my favorite restaurants at the time. After we moved we have never lived near one again, I am honestly not sure if they still exist. I loved their Pasta Milano. And now I can make it at home, whenever I want! With some Cheesy Garlic Bread on the side for good measure.
My version of Pasta Milano is a little lightened up from the original. Feel free to use more butter and heavy cream if you want it rich and super creamy. I want to be able to enjoy it more often, so I go just a little lighter. It comes together in about 25 minutes too, so it is great for a quick weeknight dinner.
What You’ll Need
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- Chicken Breasts
- Olive Oil
- Mushrooms
- Onion
- Garlic
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Half-n-Half -or heavy cream if you want to to be richer like the restaurant version
- Butter
- Parmesan Cheese
- Fresh Basil
- Pasta – you really can use any cut of pasta you like. They use bowtie pasta, so that I what I used.
- Salt & Pepper
How To Make Pasta Milano
Pasta Milano is a great one skillet meal that the whole family will devour. Plus, the leftovers are great for lunch the next day.
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- Cook Pasta. The first thing you want to do is bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Brown Chicken. Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes, until chicken is browned and cooked through. Remove it from the pan, and keep warm.
- Cook Veggies. Return the pan to the heat. Add mushrooms, onions, garlic, and sun dried tomatoes. Cook until onions are tender and the mushrooms are golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken back to the pan.
- Make Sauce. In a 2 cup measuring cup combine half-and-half, butter, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, and basil. Pour over chicken and mushroom mixture. Bring to a simmer, stirring to combine. Cook for 3-4 minutes until everything is heated through.
- Combine. Add cooked pasta to the pan, and toss to coat.
- Serve. This is best served immediately. Top with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
What To Serve With Pasta Milano
You really can serve this with just about anything you would a traditional pasta. It does have meat and veggies in the dish, so it could be considered a full meal as is. But if you want to bulk it up and add more here are a few favorites to round out your restaurant quality meal.
I love the idea of making restaurant favorite at home, it means I get to enjoy them more often. This Pasta Milano recipe has been one of my favorites for almost 15 years. I was my go to order every time we went to Macaroni Grill, and now I can make it at home in about 25 minutes. Easy pasta recipes are such a great way to get dinner on the table during busy weeks. They are always ready quickly and the whole family loves them.
More Pasta Recipe to Try
- Chicken Pot Pie Noodles
- One Pot Fettuccine Alfredo
- Chicken Lo Mein
- Creamy Mushroom Pasta
- One Pan Cheesy Sausage Pasta
- Pizza Pasta Skillet
Pasta Milano (Copycat Macaroni Grill)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound Farfalle, (bowtie pasta)
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound chicken, cut into bit sized pieces
- 12 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 1/2 cup half-and-half, or heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 Tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions.1 pound Farfalle
- In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add chicken, cook for 5-6 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Remove from pan, and keep warm.2 teaspoon olive oil, 1 pound chicken
- Return pan to heat. Add mushrooms, onions, garlic, and sun dried tomatoes. Cook until onions are tender and the mushrooms are golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken back to the pan.12 oz mushrooms, 1 cup finely chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- In a 2 cup measuring cup combine half-and-half, butter, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, and basil. Pour over chicken and mushroom mixture. Bring to a simmer, stirring to combine. Cook for 3-4 minutes until everything is heated through.1 1/2 cup half-and-half, 1 Tablespoon butter, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 Tablespoon fresh basil
- Add cooked pasta to the pan, and toss to coat.
- Serve immediately. Top with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This dish is delicious!!!! I always order pasta Milano whenever I go to the macaroni grill.
How do you keep it from curdling? I make this often but it always curdles and it makes me so mad. Taste amazing but looks awful.
I have never had it curdle before. Here are a few tips to try. Have your milk mixture not be crazy cold. I measure it when I start cooking and let it sit on the counter ready for me to add when the recipe calls for. There is a chance your stove is hotter than mine. Try turning down the temp before you add it. Cooking the milk to fast is part of what makes it curdle. So if you slowly pour it in, while mixing at a slightly lower temp that may help. Make sure you leave it uncovered while it is simmering, and don’t bring it to a huge rolling boil, just a light simmer. Let me know if any of those work. Enjoy!
This is my kind of comfort food! Looks amazing. 🙂
All delicious flavors in one pasta dish! This is the best!
mmm…this looks incredibly delicious!! I can’t wait to try it!
What a great dinner! I love when I find a good copycat recipe so we can eat in!
Can not get enough of this! We love the creaminess of the pasta and also the flavors! So good!
I am always looking for new and delicious pasta dishes! This one sure sounds amazing and I will be making it next week.
My only suggested change is from half and half to heavy cream. When I made it with half and half, it separated in the heat and became “chunky”. Still good, but not visually appetizing. When I made it again, the heavy cream gave it the perfect consistency. Saved this recipe and will make it many more times. Thanks!
My attempt at this also didn’t come out creamy but separated. I used half and half and probably too high a heat but the taste was on point!! This tastes exactly like the macaroni grill version and I love it! I’ll try heavy cream next time. I used dried basil and it still worked. It’s yum!!