Penne Pasta Recipes

FAQS

How to Cook Penne Pasta?

See How to Cook Pasta for additional tips. Boiling 2 ounces of dry pasta per person is a good guideline. Once cooked, 2 ounces of pasta is about 1-1¼ cups of cooked pasta. 

1. Fill a pot with water. Use 4 quarts of water for every pound of pasta to give pasta enough room and avoid clumping. Add a lid and bring the water to a boil. (For added flavor use chicken or vegetable broth instead of water to cook the pasta.)
2. Optional: Once the water is boiling add salt. Add 1-2 tablespoons of salt for every pound of pasta.
3. Add the pasta to the boiling water. Cook uncovered until the desired tenderness (al dente is usually the best). Refer to the package directions for specific times. The best way to test for doneness is to bite into a piece.
4. Drain pasta in a colander. Lightly rinse with water to keep the pasta from sticking to each other. However, don’t add olive oil as the oil will prevent sauces from sticking to the pasta.

Penne Pasta Substitutes?

• Pasta is pretty forgiving in that you can use virtually any similar-size noodle in a given recipe.
  • Any tube-shaped pasta of similar sizes such as mostaccioli, ziti, and rigatoni is the best substitute. However, farfalle, fusilli, macaroni, rotini, and rotelle can work as well.

How to Thicken Pasta Sauce?

• The type of sauce you are making may affect the thickening agent used.
  • Roux: Scoop 1-2 tablespoons of the sauce into a separate bowl. Mix in an equal amount of flour until smooth. Pour the roux into the main dish and stir.
  • Increase ingredients. For creamy penne pasta, add in cheese, cream cheese, tomato paste, or heavy cream.

Variations?

• Due to the shape, penne pasta works well with cream sauces like Alfredo Sauce and red sauces like Homemade Marinara Sauce. Many other ingredients taste great with this type of pasta as well:  
  • Herbs. Season with herbs and spices. Fresh parsley is a classic as-is, Italian seasoning, and garlic in any form.
  • Add spice. Easily add a little heat with red pepper flakes. 
  • Protein. Ground beef, ground chicken, and ground sausage taste great. Other proteins to add include cubed or grilled chicken, shrimp, and bacon bits. 
  • Cheese can be added to make the dish creamier or simply sprinkled on top for added flavor. Cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese are all great choices. 
  • Vegetables not only add flavor and texture but can add color as well. Mushrooms, onion, asparagus, broccoli florets, and bell peppers are great options.