Recipe: Johnny Carino's Italian Nachos (copycat recipe)

JOHNNY CARINO'S ITALIAN NACHOS COPYCAT
Source: Ron / Texas Monthly

Here's my version of their Italian Nachos...

**First, the Alfredo sauce:
Ron's home made Alfredo sauce...

This one is not for the low-calorie, low-fat, low-carb dieters out there... but it sho'nuff is a good'n... and very easy.

Basic list of ingredients:

You'll need a medium saucepan

One stick of lightly salted, sweat cream butter (yes... an entire stick, and don't use margarine or any other imitation spread as it won't come out right)

One quart of Heavy Cream (not milk, and especially not Skim Milk!)

2-3 average sized cloves of crushed garlic (you can roast the garlic beforehand if you prefer - it adds a good flavor) I love garlic...

Dried Italian seasoning

Grated Italian cheese blend (Romano, Parmesan, asiago, or any combination of the three - or just one of the three - make sure it's grated fine and nor 'shreaded'). The amount is based on your preference, however, I would recommend 8 ounces.

Salt and pepper to taste

Start out by melting the entire stick of butter in the saucepan, on medium low heat.

Crush the garlic into the melted butter and bring the heat up a little to turn the garlic slightly golden.

Add the grated cheese slowly in small batches of two or three tablespoons at a time.

After the grated cheese is dissolved, the butter will thicken to look like slightly yellowish cream, with some graininess. That's the time to add the quart of heavy cream. Slowly pour it in as you stir the mixture to combine and keep it on medium low.

Keep stirring slowly. When you stir, be sure to force the spoon along the bottom slightly to keep the cheese from settling too long.

Add your herbs (Italian seasoning)

Keep it on medium low for about 5-7 minutes to ensure all the ingredients have combined. If you let it go longer, it will thicken up a lot. If it gets to that point, you can always cut it with some half-and-half to thin it out slightly, and if you don't have any half-and-half, you can use milk as a last resort (no non-dairy creamers! and definitely no water... ).

Salt and pepper to taste now, as any salt in the cheese will have been mixed in already. Salting too early can be a MAJOR mistake depending on the salt level of the cheese.

Now, the Italian Nachos:

RON'S ITALIAN NACHOS

1 package of potsticker wrappers (small round pasta sheets)
1-2 cup(s) Alfredo Sauce
1/2 cup of chopped Roasted Red Peppers (I use them from a jar)
1/4 cup of Kapers
1 small can of sliced black olives
4-6 oz of shredded mozzarella cheese
5-6 Pepperincinos sliced thin (about 1/8 inch thick)
Salt and pepper to taste

Fill a frying pan to about a half inch deep of your favorite vegetable oil.

Bring to frying temperature

Remove the potstickers from the package and cut the entire stack in half

Fry them in batches until they are lightly golden brown and puffy.

Drain them (I lightly salt them while they still have some oil on them)

Chop the RRP into 3/4 inch chunks

Slice the Pepperincinos

Lay the fried pasta chips out on a large dish or platter

Drizzle the Alfredo Sauce over them

Sprinkle the cheese, olives, kapers, Pepperincinos, and RRP's over them

Salt and pepper to taste

Enjoy them with friends...