My penne pasta recipe is made with juicy cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, Parmesan cheese and creamy butter for a fast weeknight dinner. Less than 10 ingredients & ready in 20 minutes or less. Serves 4.
The problem with dinner is thinking about dinner. Too much time scrolling leads to zero productivity. Not enough time to shop, plan, and prep = expensive takeout. My solution?
A go-to, back-pocket dish that’s easy to memorize with minimal thought. My penne pasta recipe transforms 7 simple ingredients in 20 minutes or less.
A few things to note about the sauce: plump and succulent cherry tomatoes simmer in butter, olive oil and garlic while the penne pasta cooks. The butter should be cold.
When cold butter combines with hot tomatoes, the juices form a natural, creamy sauce. A heavy hand of fresh basil elevates the taste along with specks of salty, Parmesan cheese. You are going to love this one.
Tips For The Cook:
- Halve your tomatoes. They release their juice faster during the cooking process, which adds instant flavor (plus, you don’t have to worry about biting into a whole cherry tomato that ends up squirting hot juice in your face).
- Serve warm or at room temperature. I do warm for weeknight dinners and room temperature for a summery, pasta salad dish.
- Customize it. This penne pasta recipe is excellent topped with cubes of sautéed chicken or shrimp. A splash of cream is nice too, if you have it.
How To Make Penne Pasta With Tomatoes {Step-By-Step Recipe}
Step 1: Cook The Pasta
To start, boil your pasta water and cook the penne according to the directions on the back of the box. Do not drain.
Step 2: Halve The Tomatoes
While the pasta cooks, cut your tomatoes in half and set aside in a small bowl.
Step 3: Make The Sauce
Warm the olive oil and garlic in a large skillet. You don’t want to brown the garlic; you’re gently infusing its flavor into the oil (keep an eye on it).
Once that’s done, add the tomatoes, season generously, and cook until they collapse and start to release their juice. Then add the cold butter.
Continue to cook until the sauce thickens (use this time to cut the basil into thin ribbons). Stir in some Parmesan cheese at the end.
To Serve
How good does that look?! Using a fine mesh strainer, scoop out the pasta and add it directly to the pan. Stir well to coat and sprinkle your basil ribbons over the top. Make sure to taste again and add more salt and pepper. Portion into bowls and tuck in!
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Juicy Penne Pasta With Cherry Tomatoes And Basil
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Pasta Sauce
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This simple penne pasta recipe is all about the sauce! Cherry tomatoes simmer in olive oil, butter, and garlic until juicy and sweet for a fast weeknight dinner. Less than 10 ingredients & ready in 20 minutes or less.
Ingredients
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 3 pints (2 1/4 lbs) sweet cherry or grape tomatoes
- 6 tbsp butter
- ground Parmesan cheese, to taste
- large handful of fresh basil leaves
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Do not drain.
- Meanwhile, halve the cherry tomatoes; set aside.
- In a large skillet, warm the olive oil and garlic over medium-low heat. Cook the garlic for only 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes collapse and release their juice, about 5-7 minutes. Then add the cold butter.
- Continue to cook until the sauce thickens (I use this time to thinly slice the basil into ribbons). Add a handful of ground Parmesan cheese to taste, and stir will to combine.
- With a fine mesh strainer, scoop out the pasta and add it directly to the pan. It’s OK if some of the water clings to the pasta. Stir well to coat. Note: if the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the pasta cooking water to loosen the texture.
- Add the basil.
- Taste, and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Portion the penne pasta into bowls. Garnish with extra Parmesan cheese, black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil to serve.
Comments
Dawn says
This recipe was excellent! Quick and easy! My husband and son loved it! I followed the directions with an addition of some chopped onion and asparagus for extra veggies and was simply delicious! This will become one of our regular meals!
John Melle says
My garden is producing a bumper crop of cherry tomatoes this year, so this recipe was a perfect fit. This recipe was quick to prepare and perfect for a summer dinner. I didn’t have parmesan on hand, so used some Greek feta. The tang of the feta and tomatoes were a great combination.