Good Food ALWAYS at Carrabba's!

One of my favorie restaurants is Carrabba's. Why? Because the food is fresh, delicious, and as close to homemade Italian as you can get. How would I know? Well for one I am Italian and I grew up in New Jersey so that in itself should explain the rest! Our Carrabba's is about an hour away so we always look forward to taking the trip and eating there...its a special treat! The first time I went to Carrabba's I was greeted by the manager and asked if I had ever been to a Carrabba's before. The manager then proceeded to tell me a bit about the restaurant, its history, and told me a few of her favorite dishes. I loved hearing how much she enjoyed her job and how she was passionate about good food! Customer service at Carrabba's is always fantastic and when my family and I were there this past Christmas some of the servers were walking around with funny Christmas hats on! My favorite thing to do is to spy the little old Italian grandmas who come in and eat by themselves...it is saying something when Italian people go to an Italian restaurant!
    The most difficult thing about going to Carrabba's is choosing a favorite dish...there are SO many to choose from! My favorites are the Insalada Johnny Rocco- warm grilled shrimp and scallops over a delicious salad...YUM!... I took Carrabba's pasta personality quiz on Facebook and my result was Spaghetti. It was a fun quiz that took me less than a minute to complete. To take the Carrabba's Pasta Personality Quiz go here....its super fun and I would love to know your results! 
  Because I am Italian my family has a signature family pasta recipe that I would like to share with you. A bit of the recipes history is this...My Mothers grandparents are from Calabria, Italy {which is right on the heel of Italy}. They had this recipe and brought it over to America after they got married and my Mother passed it on to me. It is one of our favorites and it is absolutely delicious! It is on my bucket list to someday visit Calabria and see where my grandparents grew up...plus I would love to learn more about my heritage...I am proud to be Italian!


Moms Spaghetti, Broccoli, and Chicken

1/4 c. oil
1 c. chicken broth
Parm Cheese
1 head garlic cloves, chopped
pound of Chicken Breasts (cut into bite size pieces)
1 1/2 c. broccoli florets (frozen-2 pkgs.)
1 tsp. dried basil
salt & pepper
1 tbsp. butter
Spaghetti, thin spaghetti, or linguine
Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 C. White cooking wine

In Large skillet heat oil. Add garlic. Cut chicken into strips. Add chicken to skillet, saute till white (7-10 min). Start boiling water for spaghetti. Add Broccoli and saute 3-4 minutes. Add Basil, red pepper, salt & pepper, white wine, chicken broth, and butter. Simmer 3-5 minutes and then add Parm. Cheese. Toss to serve. 

Carrabba's has limited time offers going on now until July 2011 {see below!}

Carrabba’s Signature Pasta Meals and New Limited Time Offers
Signature Pasta Meals, featuring seven distinctive dishes served with choice of soup or fresh salad starting at $10. There’s no better place than Carrabba’s to enjoy a complete Italian meal – any day of the week.

CARRABBA’S PASTA: Carrabba’s makes every pasta dish by hand with the freshest ingredients.  Pasta is cooked perfectly every time and signature sauces are made from scratch daily. Creative flavors and combinations of ingredients are part of Carrabba’s authentic family recipes as well as new creations.

LIMITED TIME OFFERS: Now through July 2011.
Featured Signature Pasta Meal:
Pasto Rambo – Named for the chef who created it, it’s made with shrimp tossed with imported Italian linguine, spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes sautéed in our basil lemon butter sauce. Lobster is available instead of shrimp for an additional cost.

Other Limited Time Offers:
Parmesan-crusted Chicken – Topped with fresh arugula and grape tomatoes tossed in a hand-prepared lemon vinaigrette, served with choice of side. Substitution of wood-grilled chicken also available. Pairs well with Estancia Pinot Grigio.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin – Three pork tenderloin medallions wrapped with prosciutto, wood-grilled and topped with an apple and fig infused port wine sauce, served with the vegetable of the day. Pairs well with Coppola Pinot Noir.

Limoncello Bread Pudding – Back by popular demand! Brioche bread pudding made with fresh Madagascar vanilla beans and a rich custard, served hot out of the oven. Topped with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream and drizzled with Carrabba’s homemade Caravella Limoncello liqueur sauce.

Now Introducing:
Peach Sangria – Carrabba’s new light and fruity Peach Sangria blends Copper Ridge White Zinfandel, Absolut Apeach vodka and Patrón Citrónge with a splash of citrus. Topped with a fresh lemon wedge and strawberry, it’s a taste of the Amalfi Coast in spring.

Locations: Visit www.carrabbas.com for the closest Carrabba’s location. There are more than 230 locations nationwide.

About Carrabba’s: 
Johnny Carrabba and Damian Mandola founded the first Carrabba’s Italian Grill in 1986 in Houston, Texas. Today, there are 232 Carrabba’s Italian Grill locations around the country, run by passionate local proprietors focused on delighting guests with fresh, made-to-order Italian cuisine and the ultimate dining experience. Carrabba’s serves dinner seven nights a week in a casual environment that pairs innovative dishes and a complementary wine list with abundant hospitality. For on-the-go guests, Carrabba’s also offers convenient Carside Carry-Out.

To learn more about Carrabba’s {and to find your nearest location!}, please visit www.carrabbas.com.

Follow Carrabba’s on Twitter: @Carrabba’s

Carrabba’s on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/Carrabbas

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Carrabba’s blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”