Penne pasta is a tube-shaped pasta that holds sauces really well, making it great for creamy, tomato-based, or baked dishes. It’s one of the most versatile pasta types for quick meals.
🍝 Simple Penne Pasta Recipe (Basic & Customizable)
🧾 Ingredients
- 2 cups penne pasta
- 2–3 tbsp olive oil or butter
- 2–3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup tomato sauce or 1 cup cream (your choice of style)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- ½ tsp chili flakes (optional)
- ½ tsp oregano or Italian seasoning
- Parmesan cheese (optional)
👨🍳 Instructions
1. Boil pasta
- Cook penne in salted boiling water until al dente (about 10–12 minutes).
- Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.
2. Make the sauce (choose your style)
🍅 Tomato version
- Heat oil, sauté garlic until fragrant.
- Add tomato sauce, salt, pepper, and herbs.
- Simmer 5–7 minutes.
🥛 Creamy version
- Melt butter, add garlic.
- Pour in cream and simmer gently.
- Season with salt, pepper, and herbs.
3. Combine
- Add cooked penne to sauce.
- Toss well, adding a splash of pasta water if needed to loosen sauce.
4. Finish
- Top with parmesan cheese and chili flakes.
- Serve hot.
🍽️ Easy add-ins
- 🍗 Chicken strips
- 🥩 Ground beef or sausage
- 🥦 Broccoli or spinach
- 🍤 Shrimp
- 🧀 Mozzarella for baked version
🔥 Tips
- Don’t overcook pasta—al dente holds sauce better.
- Save pasta water; it helps sauce stick and become silky.
- Fresh garlic makes a big difference in flavor.
If you want, I can also give you:
- 🍝 Creamy Alfredo penne
- 🍅 Spicy arrabbiata penne
- 🧀 Baked cheesy penne casserole
- 🍗 Restaurant-style chicken penne recipe
