Penne pomodoro or penne al pomodoro is a traditional Italian recipe liked by children and adults alike. All you want is a handful of easy substances and round Half-hour to have this straightforward 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-about 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 crops as individuals thought they have been toxic!
Penne pomodoro is initially a Southern Italian recipe. Nevertheless, it’s extra usually made with spaghetti in southern Italy and penne within the North. The primary printed pasta with tomato sauce recipe comes from Naples within the 1800s. Nevertheless, the very first pasta with tomato and basil sauce is claimed 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 straightforward 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 should you can.
Tomatoes: The tomatoes are clearly the star ingredient on this recipe. For the pomodoro sauce, you need to use ripe recent entire tomatoes which have been blanched and peeled, tomato passata (additionally known as tomato purée in US) or canned peeled tomatoes. I used the latter as I feel they provide the very best taste, shade and texture.
Whether or not you employ recent tomatoes or canned, entire San Marzano tomatoes are the preferred sauce tomatoes.
Garlic: Italians not often use ready-minced or dried garlic. Recent garlic cloves will add the very best garlicky taste and may then be eliminated earlier than serving!
Olive oil: If attainable, use further virgin olive oil. It provides the pomodoro sauce the traditional taste present in conventional Italian recipes. It additionally has numerous well being advantages different oils don’t have comparable to antioxidants, wholesome fat, and anti inflammatory properties, amongst others.
Basil: Italians additionally not often use dried basil. For the very best taste use medium dimension recent basil leaves which have a brilliant inexperienced shade.
Pasta: Because the title of this recipe states, the pomodoro sauce is paired with penne pasta. I used giant, ridged penne known as pennone rigate in Italian. You can even use smaller penne, clean or ridged. I like ridged pasta as a result of the sauce adheres to it higher. Nevertheless, spaghetti or different lengthy pasta are good with tomato and basil sauce too.
Cook dinner’s tip: Recent tomatoes are greatest utilized in summer time when they’re in season and most flavorful. In any other case, passata or canned tomatoes style higher.
Optionally available substances.
For those who’d prefer to make your penne pomodoro a little bit spicy, you’ll be able to add some peperoncino flakes (pink pepper flakes) to the sauce or when serving. This traditional Italian dish is scrumptious sprinkled with some grated cheese earlier than consuming. Vegetarians will wish to use a vegetarian parmesan cheese as Italian Parmigiano is made with animal rennet.
Step-by-step directions.
Cook dinner the pasta.
Convey 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 prepare dinner till al dente, in accordance with 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 prepare dinner them till aromatic and tender. 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 new oil could spit when the tomatoes go in! Break the tomatoes up with a picket spoon. Convey to a simmer for about quarter-hour, stirring often. Then, season with salt and pepper and add basil leaves. Simmer for one more 5-10 minutes. Lastly, take away the garlic cloves.
Cook dinner’s Tip This scrumptious sauce recipe might be prepared in 20-Half-hour. Nevertheless, the longer you simmer the sauce, the richer the flavour can be.
End and serve.
Cut back warmth for the sauce to low. Add cooked pasta and proceed to prepare dinner for a minute or so, tossing often, till the sauce coats the pasta.
If the sauce is just too thick, you’ll be able to add a few of 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’ll be able to maintain it sealed within the fridge for as much as 5 days or freeze it for as much as 3 months. Leftover pasta combined with sauce might be saved 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 isn’t vegetarian as it’s made with animal rennet.
You may simply make the pomodoro sauce upfront! It’ll 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 every of my favourite pasta recipes! The straightforward tomato sauce is simple to make however so flavorful! This can be a pasta dish that is good for each a straightforward dinner or lunch. It is also very versatile. You may serve the tomato and basil sauce with several types of pasta and you may as well make every little thing upfront and bake to serve.
For those who do that pasta pomodoro recipe, I might like to know what you suppose. Please write a remark beneath after the recipe card or on The Pasta Venture Fb web page.
Your suggestions means lots to me.
Buon Appetito from Verona, Italy.
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Different straightforward pasta recipes to attempt.
- 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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