A delicious quick and simple dinner idea, using only a few pantry basics, I hope you love this Tomato & Basil Penne Pasta
This was one of the first ‘meals’ I learned to make, and it has been bugging me to try and get it right as it has been so long but I figured it out, I was missing the cheese at the end! I am creating a series of easy quick dinners for those who are moving out of home.
But I realized that this series is actually for us all! We are all time poor and the cost of living is just getting harder for so many, so hopefully this series can be useful to have some delicious but simple dinner ideas on hand.
This one could not be easier, in that it uses so few ingredients and they are all good pantry basics. There are many variations of this around as it is a classic combo but the version I love is the most paired back and easy. You can absolutely add more ingredients to flesh this out, but a simple tomato pasta dish is a winner.
I make it with 2 tins of crushed tomatoes, you can absolutely use fresh if you prefer and I will add the instructions for that in the notes of the recipe for those that wish to do that while they are plentiful and well priced.
The cheese you use at the final step is totally up to you, use whatever you have on hand as it will be lovely I am sure! It is just to add a creamy touch to the finished result. I always use tasty cheese as that is what we have on hand here, but feel free to use any.
Be sure that it is freshly grated not the type that is grated then bagged. This is coated with things that keep it fresh, but it affects how it melts.
All you will need is:
Please scroll down to the full printable recipe card for full details and instruction
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Penne Pasta
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Olive Oil
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Onion or Onion Powder
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Garlic
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Crushed Tomatoes
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Basil
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Salt & Pepper
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Cheese
The method is so simple, you prepare the tomato sauce while the penne pasta cooks. Remember you cook pasta to al dente which means firm to the bite, so follow the packet directions and test with a piece that it is cooked but still has some texture at the end of cooking time.
While the pasta cooks you prepare the oil and onion (if using) to soften then add the garlic and then the crushed tomatoes. Cook this over low heat, adding the torn basil leaves half way through cooking.
If you are making this often I highly recommend adding a small basil plant to corner of your garden so you can have a cheap source of fresh basil on hand all the time.
Once the pasta is cooked, so will the tomatoes, stir through the cheese until melted, toss the penne pasta into the tomato sauce and coat them well and serve! I like to serve with a little extra fresh basil, some finely grated cheese and some cracked pepper.
Check out this other lovely vegetarian pasta dish for Easy Pesto & Feta Pasta Salad
Delicious and oh so easy! I hope you love this 15 minute dinner idea.
Recipe here for Tomato & Basil Penne Pasta
Tomato and Basil Penne Pasta
Delicious and easy Tomato & Basil Penne Pasta
Ingredients
- 400 grams dry Penne Pasta, dried
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1/4 Onion finely diced or 1 teaspoon Onion Powder* see notes
- 2 teaspoons Garlic, crushed, or 2 cloves, finely diced/crushed
- 2 Cans Crushed Tomatoes, 800 grams*
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Basil, roughly sliced, 16 leaves, 8 grams
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
- 1/2 Cup Cheese, grated, 50 grams
Toppings
- Basil, finely sliced
- Cheese, finely grated
- Cracked Pepper
Instructions
- Cook the penne pasta according to packet directions, in a large pot of salted water, until al dente
- In a large frying pan add the oil, once warm add the finely diced onion if using (if using onion powder see further instructions)
- Once the onion is softened and translucent, reduce the heat of the element and add the garlic and cook only until it starts to brown, careful not to burn
- Carefully add to this the cans of crushed tomatoes, and stir and cook at a gentle simmer over a medium heat for 4 minutes
- At 4 minutes add the roughly sliced basil, the salt and pepper (and onion powder if using) and stir and cook for a further 4 minutes gently
- Add the first measure of cheese and stir through to melt
- Once the pasta is cooked, strain off the water and add this to the tomato mixture and toss gently to coat
- Serve in bowls and add a little more finely sliced basil and some finely grated cheese and a little cracked peper to the top if you wish.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned?
Yes absolutely, this is ideal for small cherry tomatoes or larger ripe sweet tomatoes diced into small pieces. Halve 1KG cherry tomatoes and add once the onion and garlic is cooked. Reduce the heat and simmer for about ten minutes until the tomatoes begin to break down, adding the basil with about 4 minutes to go. Then add the cooked pasta as above.
Fresh onion or onion powder?
Kids and some adults do not like onion or onion pieces so for this reason I often use onion powder in my meals, its just dehydrated fine onion powder. So it can be ideal for adding flavour without the bits!
Can I reheat Tomato & Basil Penne Pasta?
The ideal solution is to reheat just the sauce rather than the pasta, so if you knew it was too much to eat in one sitting, cook just the pasta you need then store and reheat the extra sauce the next night over fresh pasta. However if it is already mixed together then reheat in the microwave until hot is best.
Can I add a protein to this pasta dish?
Absolutely, this is lovely with some sliced cooked chicken added into the tomato mixture at the end of cooking.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 339Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 1003mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 8gSugar: 10gProtein: 14g
JustAMumNZ.com, occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although justamumnz.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
I hope you love this quick and easy recipe, it’s a great one to have on rotation for your week night dinners as it is so quick, easy and total comfort food. Be sure to let me know in the comments below if you make it.
Thank you so much for stopping by to check out this recipe. If you are not already please do follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more delicious ideas.
Happy Baking!
Anna
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Cathy cook says
Do you really mean 14 teaspoons of pepper?
justamumnz says
Oh dear, I really don’t! 1/4 teaspoon, I’ll amend it now
Trish says
Can I use a bottle of passata instead of canned tomato?
justamumnz says
Yes, it won’t have the same texture and slightly different taste but definitely give it a go ☺️