Penne Pomodoro

This fresh penne al pomodoro pasta is an authetic Italian classic. A fresh oven roasted tomato red sauce bathes penne noodles to make for an easy and delicious entree!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 279kcal

Author Whitney Wright

Equipment

Vitamix/blender

Ingredients

16 oz penne noodles
32 oz cherry tomatoes can use cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, roma tomatoes or any other small tomato. Cut in half or quarters depending on size of the tomato
3 tablespoons olive oil divided
2 garlic cloves minced, see notes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
fresh basil for topping
shaved parmesan for topping

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle 2 T olive oil overtop. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper, and toss to coat. Spread the tomatoes in an even, single layer along the baking sheet.
Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until shriveled to desired doneness. If using slightly larger tomatoes such as romas, you may need to cook them longer.
Meanwhile, boil some water and cook the penne until al dente. Drain the noodles and place in a serving bowl.
Remove the roasted tomatoes from the oven and transfer the tomatoes to a blender. Add the remaining 1 T olive oil and sugar. Blend until smooth. If you want chunkier consistency don’t puree.
Pour the red sauce over the noodles and toss to coat, top with fresh chopped basil and shaved parmesan. Enjoy!

Notes

Tomatoes: Feel free to use cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, Roma tomatoes or any other small tomato variety. If using Romas, you'll want to cut them a bit smaller prior to roasting.

Garlic: If you want a more pronounced garlic flavor, add 2 more garlic cloves (so 4 total) when roasting the tomatoes.

Cook time may vary depending on the size and type of tomatoes used.

Don't skip the basil, it's delicious! Add a handful of chopped fresh basil to the finished dish and you'll be so amazed at how such a small plant can add so much depth to a pasta dish.

There's a really subtle garlic flavor — if you're looking to really bring out a stronger garlic flavor, add 1-2 more garlic cloves.

Now, this is a homemade penne al pomodoro recipe, so we make the sauce from scratch. It's super simple and quick to make, and it makes all the difference! So, I don't recommend using a store-bought tomato sauce. When it comes down to it, oven-roasting the tomatoes really makes the dish special.

Make your dinner prep even quicker by doubling or tripling the sauce and saving some to freeze to use later. Freeze the sauce in a Ziplock bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. Let the sauce thaw and warm on the stove before adding to cooked pasta.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this delicious penne pomodoro alongside some baked zucchini fries, buttered vegetables, focaccia bread, or garlic dinner rolls.

Variations

Vegetables: Add some sauteed vegetables to the pasta. Pre-sautee the vegetables (such as zucchini or eggplant slices) and then add them to the pasta when you add the sauce.

Meat: Add some protein to dish such as cooked ground beef, cooked ground sausage, or pancetta. Pre-cook the meat and then add them to the pasta when you add the sauce.

Cheese: Top the pasta with your favorite Italian cheeses such as parmesan, mozzarella or a bit of ricotta.

Nutritional information is an estimate and does not include the fresh basil or parmesan cheese.

Nutrition