Penne Pasta 4 ways
 
 
Penne pasta made 4 ways. 4 basic pasta recipe- an easy and quick tomato basil penne pasta, penne in white sauce with olives, cilantro pesto pasta salad and a chicken pasta bake.
Author:
Recipe type: dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
For the Tomato and basil pasta:
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 400 gms cherry tomatoes, sliced in half, reserve some for later
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes (or make your own by blanching fresh tomatoes, peeling skin off and pureeing it)
  • 1 cup pasta water
  • dried chilli flakes, to taste
  • a few fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • parmesan cheese, for serving
  • 500 gm store bought pasta
For the white sauce:
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp chopped garlic
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 1½ cups warm milk
  • 1 tsp dried herbs
  • 1 tsp chili flakes
  • pinch nutmeg
For the pesto pasta:
  • ⅓ cup walnuts
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ½ cup Parmigiano Regiano
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • Salt and pepper, to taste (the cheese is salty so do taste before adding the salt)
  • 2 cups packed fresh coriander/cilantro leaves
For the chicken pasta bake:
  • 1 350 grams jar pasta sauce (you could also use homemade and I have a wonderful recipe in the archives)
  • 250 grams boneless chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces
  • 2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup mix of mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup cream
  • bunch of fresh basil
  • salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Cook pasta according to instructions on packet, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving the pasta water and drizzle with olive oil.
For the Tomato and basil pasta:
  1. In a skillet, drizzle some olive oil and heat over medium heat.
  2. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft but not brown
  3. Add cherry tomatoes, and the crushed tomatoes, rinsing out the can with 1 cup of pasta water and add that to the pan.
  4. Add the basil and allow to simmer gently on low flame until thickened and reduced, about 40 minutes. You can remove from heat and sieve if required. I did not sieve it. Add the pasta, mix and serve. Season with salt and pepper and serve with grated parmesan cheese.
For the white sauce:
  1. Heat the butter. Add the chopped garlic and cook till light brown.
  2. Add the flour. Stir continuously until a paste forms. This makes a roux
  3. Add the milk to the roux gradually, stirring continuously, until the sauce is smooth. Cook for 5-10 mins, stirring continuously, until the sauce has thickened. Season to taste. You can add more milk to get the desired consistency if required. To add more flavor you can also add a pinch of nutmeg, chili flakes, herbs. Mix with the cooked pasta and black olives.
For the pesto pasta salad:
  1. In a food processor, grind the cilantro with walnuts, garlic, and parmesan. With the food processor on, slowly pour the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can keep the pesto covered in the fridge for a week or mix it with some penne, and roasted zucchini and cherry tomatoes.
For the chicken pasta bake:
  1. Preheat oven to 200° C.
  2. Combine the chopped chicken with salt and pepper. Add chilli flakes and mix.
  3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the chicken and cook on high heat for 5 minutes or lightly browned and just cooked through.
  4. Add the pasta sauce and the cream. Sprinkle herb mix and check for seasoning. Add some pasta water and let thicken a bit.
  5. Add pasta, basil and ½ cup cheese and mix through.
  6. Transfer mixture to an oven safe 8 inch square baking pan. Sprinkle with cheese on top and bake in oven for 20 minutes or until cheese melts and is golden brown.
  7. Sprinkle chopped fresh basil on top and serve pasta bake.
Recipe by The Novice Housewife at https://novicehousewife.com/2017/11/03/penne-pasta-4-ways/