Today, I am kicking off my #BackToSchool series on my blog! This time of the year can be super busy, and after a long day, the last thing you want to do is make dinner. Lucky for you, I have come up with a week’s worth of recipes to get you back into your school (or work) routine. These meals are all very quick, healthy, and taste delicious!
For my first recipe, I have made a delicious Penne alla Rosé. Now this sounds fancy, but this is essentially just pasta with a creamy tomato sauce. A few simple additions make this pasta incredibly delicious, and the best part is that this whole recipe can be made in just 15 minutes! I know…I can’t believe it either!
How to Pull Off this Recipe in 15 Minutes…
This Penne alla Rosé recipe requires a bit of multi-tasking, but I can hardly call it that since you don’t have to do too much work when boiling pasta. Once your pasta is in the pot and boiling, you can make the sauce. Simply saute some finely chopped onion and garlic in a large pan with oil. Once the onions are translucent, add in my secret spices. A pinch of chili flakes and black pepper add a subtle spicy kick to the pasta, but it’s not crazy spicy!
Next, add in some tomato passata (or any plain crushed tomatoes) followed by oregano, a whole cup of Parmesan cheese and some heavy cream. This recipe is not for the faint of heart! The cream really helps to turn the red tomato sauce into a beautiful pinky-orange colour, which looks amazing!
Undercook the Pasta
You only have to cook the sauce for a few minutes before adding in the pasta. You want to undercook your pasta slighty so that it continues to cook in the pan of rose sauce. By undercooking it, the pasta will absorb the rose sauce and really help to thicken the sauce by releasing starch.
After a few minutes of cooking everything together, the pasta should be cooked and ready to eat! I like to garnish the pasta with a good sprinkling of extra Parmesan cheese as well as some fresh basil leaves to add some freshness.
And there you have it! A delicious pasta recipe that can feed a crowd (or just you) in 15 minutes. The best part about this Penne alla Rosé recipe is that while it is quick and simple to make for a quick weeknight meal, it is elegant enough to be served at a dinner party as well! Because who doesn’t love pasta and a whole lot of Parmesan?!
Get the Recipe!
Penne alla Rosé
Ingredients
- 3 cups penne pasta or pasta shape of your choice
- 2 tablespoons salt
- Water for boiling
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1/2 cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons chili flakes optional
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 700 ml tomato passata sauce or any pureed tomato sauce (about 3 cups)
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese finely shredded, plus more for garnish
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the salt, followed by the pasta. Give everything a stir and reduce the heat to medium. Stir the pot occasionally to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick together. You want to cook the pasta until it is al dente (i.e. isn’t fully soft), about 8-9 minutes.
- While the pasta is cooking, preheat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, followed by the garlic and onion and fry until the onion has become translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the chili flakes and ground black pepper and fry for one minute.
- Next, pour the passata sauce and oregano into the pan and give everything a stir. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes. Add the Parmesan cheese and mix to combine. Finally, add the heavy cream and mix to combine again.
- Once the pasta is al dente, strain the pasta and add it to the rose sauce. Mix the pasta and the sauce together so that it is all incorporated. Let the pasta and sauce simmer for another 3-5 minutes, until the pasta has absorbed some sauce and is cooked.
- Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and basil leaves. Serve immediately and enjoy!
