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What to cook with penne? Here are 12 of my favourite penne pasta recipes perfect for speedy family dinners and delicious meatless meals.
Simple yet creative ideas to inspire you and to please everybody!
No wonder penne is arguably the most versatile pasta shape out there, and for good reason!
It’s convenient, it holds its shape and texture well, it goes beautifully with any creamy or chunky sauce, and it can also be baked making a wonderful satisfying meal.
We love this chunky tubular pasta with its angled ends that get coated and filled with sauce. This little trick makes penne perfect with almost every type of recipe, from decadent and creamy pasta sauce to chunky ones with plenty of vegetables.
And we love even more penne “rigate” that refers to those little ridges that help the pasta sauce cling to each tube beautifully.
How delicious is that?!
Now let’s check out some of our favorite penne pasta recipes, where you can find spicy penne arrabbiata, cream cheese penne, penne with pesto, penne loaded with veggies and more.
Enjoy! x
Penne pasta recipes
Quick Penne Arrabbiata!
Penne arrabbiata is definitely one of the best Italian pasta dishes that save your dinner during busy weeknights. All you need is a handful of inexpensive cupboard essentials and 20 minutes of prep time for a simple YUMMY bowl of pasta!
Creamy Penne Pasta
I’m all in with the silky sauce made of aromatic garlic, rich cream cheese, parmesan and a bit of the pasta starchy water. This is another penne pasta recipe that is filling, delicious, and so easy to whip up with minimal ingredients.
Creamy Spinach Tomato Pasta
Meet one of my favorite penne pasta recipes, a creamy spinach tomato pasta that is comforting, a breeze to make and tastes so luxurious. It’s also economical and ready in less than 15 minutes, one of those pasta dishes perfect for when you want comfort food, but can’t be bothered to spend time in the kitchen.
Pasta with Spinach
This simple penne pasta with spinach is fast, easy and so good. It’s ready in less than 15 minutes and the end result is savory, creamy, with hints of nutmeg and delicious bright spinach. Serve with grated parmesan cheese, black pepper… and DEVOUR!
Easy Baked Penne
This easy, breezy baked penne pasta is a delicious and filling dish that is economical, perfect for a family, and definitely a crowd-pleaser.
Pasta with Tomatoes and Zucchini
In this lovely recipe the chunky penne pasta pairs beautifully with juicy zucchini and cherry tomatoes. It's truly a wonderful family meal bursting with flavor, packed with veggies, and ready in 30 minutes.
One-Pot Tomato Pasta with Ricotta
This terrific pasta recipe is perfect for on-the-go weeknights! You don’t have to cook and drain the pasta separately, but the penne pasta cooks with the flavorsome sauce all in one pot. Complete with fresh basil, ricotta and grated parmesan cheese to take it over the top!
Penne with Pesto
This scrumptious penne with pesto is a simple one-pot pasta recipe that comes together in about 20 minutes, uses just a few fresh ingredients, and makes a luscious, yummy family meal full of flavor.
No-Cook Creamy Tomato Pasta
Inspired by Italian flavors, this incredibly easy no-cook creamy tomato pasta is ready in 15 minutes, and it’s your perfect weeknight dinner, simple yet amazingly satisfying.
Vegetable Pasta - One Pot!
This is a vegetarian penne pasta loaded with a whole head of broccoli, corn, zucchinis, capsicum/peppers and onion, and smothered in a garlic herb tomato sauce. It's delicous, healthy and ready in no time.
Zucchini Pesto Pasta
This zucchini pesto penne pasta features tender-crisp bites of zucchini tossed with fresh pesto, but not just any pesto. It’s made with basil, garlic, almonds, olive oil, and zucchini... full of goodness and veggies!
One Pot Alfredo Penne Pasta
This 20 minute Alfredo Penne Pasta is vegan, creamy, and filled with sun dried tomatoes. With only 5 minutes prep of time it’s an easy weeknight meal!
If you loved these penne pasta recipes…
I love carbs and could never get onto one of those low-carb diets out there, so if you’re looking for more pasta recipes, I’m happy to share also my vegan pasta recipes or this terrific collection of 13 Super Quick Pasta Recipes ready in less than 15 minutes.
Plus a few of more favorites:
- Pappardelle pasta
- Pasta with artichokes
- Tomato basil pasta
- Mushroom ricotta pasta
- 10-Minute pasta with olives
- Pasta with zucchini
- Tomato basil pasta
Lastly, I hope if you make and love one these penne pasta recipes, and if you have any questions, let me know. Leave a comment, send me a message, or rate it. I would love to hear from you!
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12 Yummy Penne Pasta Recipes
Ingredients
Pasta
- 8oz (225 grams) Penne (or your fav pasta shapes)
Creamy spinach tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (olive oil or butter are fine)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
- 14 oz (400 grams) tomato passata (or puree or canned crushed tomatoes.
- ¼ heaped teaspoon fine salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried basil (or 1 Tbsp of chopped fresh basil)
- ½ cup (100 grams) full-fat soft cream cheese
- ½ cup (50 grams) grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup (60 ml) pasta cooking water
- 5 oz (150 grams) fresh spinach, washed
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted until al dente (follow the package directions). A couple minutes before draining, scoop out approx ½ cup of pasta cooking water.
- While the pasta is cooking, place a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and when it starts shimmering, add garlic, chili flakes, and sauté for about a minute, stirring constantly.
- Add in the tomato passata, salt, pepper, stir and let the sauce cook for about 5 minutes (it should be gentle bubbling, so you may need to turn down the heat).
- Stir in the cream cheese, parmesan, dried basil and ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir until well combined and emulsified.
- Add the spinach, a handful at a time, and stir and cook for about 2 minutes or until wilted. Taste the tomato spinach sauce and adjust the seasoning to your liking (I add only ¼ tsp of salt because aged parmesan is quite salty, but you might want to add more salt or freshly ground pepper).
- Drain the pasta, add it to the skillet, toss to coat (it takes about 10 seconds).
- Turn the heat off and serve immediately. Enjoy!
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