Took another go at Penne Rustica tonight. Made a bechamel instead of using cream, and for S's & G's I made a REAL bechamel with onion & clove and all the steps.
I didn't like my first attempt with the chicken, because it turned out kinda rubbery. I just doubled the shrimp and axed the chicken, but the recipe calls for grilled chicken and now I understand why. You need those deep, charred notes for this. And I used pancetta instead of American bacon, and frankly, you need the smoky/salty goodness of American fatty bacon.
So this was try #2, and it wasn't that successful. OK, but kinda bland.
I"ll try again in another month-ish. Learning.