Penne pomodoro or penne al pomodoro is a basic Italian recipe liked by children and adults alike. All you want is a handful of easy substances and round Half-hour to have this simple tomato basil pasta recipe on the desk. Good for busy weeknights and household meals.

Origins and historical past.
Pomodoro is the Italian phrase for tomato. So, penne al pomodoro interprets to penne pasta with tomatoes. Though now thought of a ubiquitous Italian ingredient, the usage of tomatoes within the Italian kitchen solely dates again to the 19th century.
Though tomatoes have been delivered to Europe from South America by Spanish Conquistadors within the 1500s, they didn’t begin being utilized in Italian cooking till greater than 200 years later. At first, tomatoes have been used as decorative vegetation as folks thought they have been toxic!
Penne pomodoro is initially a Southern Italian recipe. Nonetheless, it’s extra typically made with spaghetti in southern Italy and penne within the North. The primary revealed pasta with tomato sauce recipe comes from Naples within the 1800s. Nonetheless, the very first pasta with tomato and basil sauce is alleged to have been invented by a Roman chef, Francesco Leonardi within the 1790s.
A staple in Italian houses.
So, Italians have been having fun with pasta pomodoro for hundreds of years! The truth is, it’s a staple in most Italian houses, as is dried pasta and canned tomatoes or tomato passata. That is a simple pasta recipe that Italian children develop up with and a well-liked selection for fast entire household meals!
Elements for penne pomodoro.
Like many Italian pasta recipes, penne al pomodoro requires only a few substances. For that reason, it’s vital to make use of top quality substances if you happen to can.
Tomatoes: The tomatoes are clearly the star ingredient on this recipe. For the pomodoro sauce, you should use ripe contemporary entire tomatoes which have been blanched and peeled, tomato passata (additionally referred to as tomato purée in US) or canned peeled tomatoes. I used the latter as I feel they offer the most effective taste, coloration and texture.
Whether or not you employ contemporary tomatoes or canned, entire San Marzano tomatoes are the most well-liked sauce tomatoes.
Garlic: Italians hardly ever use ready-minced or dried garlic. Contemporary garlic cloves will add the most effective garlicky taste and might then be eliminated earlier than serving!
Olive oil: If doable, use further virgin olive oil. It provides the pomodoro sauce the basic taste present in conventional Italian recipes. It additionally has lots of well being advantages different oils don’t have similar to antioxidants, wholesome fat, and anti inflammatory properties, amongst others.
Basil: Italians additionally hardly ever use dried basil. For the most effective taste use medium dimension contemporary basil leaves which have a vivid inexperienced coloration.
Pasta: Because the title of this recipe states, the pomodoro sauce is paired with penne pasta. I used giant, ridged penne referred to as pennone rigate in Italian. You can even use smaller penne, easy or ridged. I like ridged pasta as a result of the sauce adheres to it higher. Nonetheless, spaghetti or different lengthy pasta are good with tomato and basil sauce too.
Prepare dinner’s tip: Contemporary tomatoes are finest utilized in summer time when they’re in season and most flavorful. In any other case, passata or canned tomatoes style higher.
Non-obligatory substances.
In case you’d prefer to make your penne pomodoro a little bit spicy, you may add some peperoncino flakes (pink pepper flakes) to the sauce or when serving. This basic Italian dish is scrumptious sprinkled with some grated cheese earlier than consuming. Vegetarians will need to use a vegetarian parmesan cheese as Italian Parmigiano is made with animal rennet.
Step-by-step directions.
Prepare dinner the pasta.
Carry a big pot of water to a boil over a excessive warmth. Add salt convey to a boil once more! Add the penne pasta to the boiling water and cook dinner till al dente, in response to the bundle directions. As soon as the pasta is cooked, save a cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
Make the sauce.
Whereas ready for the water to boil, begin to make the sauce. Warmth the olive oil in a deep skillet or frying pan over a medium warmth. As soon as sizzling and shimmering, add in peeled entire garlic cloves, and cook dinner them till aromatic and comfortable. You don’t need the garlic to brown a lot
Flip the warmth down a little bit and add within the canned peeled tomatoes. Watch out as the recent oil might spit when the tomatoes go in! Break the tomatoes up with a picket spoon. Carry to a simmer for about quarter-hour, stirring sometimes. Then, season with salt and pepper and add basil leaves. Simmer for one more 5-10 minutes. Lastly, take away the garlic cloves.
Prepare dinner’s Tip This scrumptious sauce recipe could be prepared in 20-Half-hour. Nonetheless, the longer you simmer the sauce, the richer the flavour will likely be.
End and serve.
Scale back warmth for the sauce to low. Add cooked pasta and proceed to cook dinner for a minute or so, tossing sometimes, till the sauce coats the pasta.
If the sauce is just too thick, you may add among the pasta water. Style and season with salt as desired. Stir in remaining basil. Serve with extra basil and freshly grated parmigiano cheese if required.
What to do with leftovers.
If in case you have leftover tomato and basil sauce, you may hold it sealed within the fridge for as much as 5 days or freeze it for as much as 3 months. Leftover pasta blended with sauce could be stored within the fridge for as much as 3 days and reheated within the microwave. I prefer to bake leftovers within the oven with a topping of grated Parmigiano or sliced mozzarella (or each!).
FAQ (your questions answered).
Sure, this recipe is each vegan and vegetarian as is however if you wish to serve with grated cheese, use a vegetarian parmesan. Italian Parmigiano will not be vegetarian as it’s made with animal rennet.
You possibly can simply make the pomodoro sauce upfront! It can final in an hermetic container for as much as 5 days within the fridge. Alternatively, make a double or triple batch and freeze the additional sauce in a freezer protected container for as much as 3 months.
Let me know what you suppose.
Penne pomodoro is one in all my favourite pasta recipes! The easy tomato sauce is simple to make however so flavorful! It is a pasta dish that is excellent for each a simple dinner or lunch. It is also very versatile. You possibly can serve the tomato and basil sauce with various kinds of pasta and you can too make every little thing upfront and bake to serve.
In case you do this pasta pomodoro recipe, I would like to know what you suppose. Please write a remark beneath after the recipe card or on The Pasta Challenge Fb web page.
Your suggestions means rather a lot to me.
Buon Appetito from Verona, Italy.
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Different simple pasta recipes to strive.
- Creamy gorgonzola pasta.
- Tuna carbonara.
- Pasta alla gricia.
- Spaghetti aglio olio.
- Tortellini alla panna.
- Farfalle (bow-tie pasta) with smoked salmon.
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