Penne Al Pomodoro Recipes

BASIC PARMESAN POMODORO

Steps:

• Heat a medium nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 cup of the oil and the garlic, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the garlic, stirring often and mashing gently with a wooden spoon, until golden brown and beginning to soften, 5 minutes. Add the basil, tomatoes and their juices, the carrots and cheese rinds. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Bring to a simmer and adjust the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 35 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
• Remove the rinds, carrots and basil. At this point you can use an immersion blender to puree slightly or leave it as a chunky sauce.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne 2 minutes less than the package directions. Meanwhile, rewarm the sauce in a large, straight-sided skillet set over medium heat. Using a spider, strain the pasta from the water and add it directly into the pan with sauce, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Before stirring, sprinkle the pasta with the grated cheese. Toss the pasta, cheese and sauce together. Add the butter, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the reserved pasta water and continue to cook until the sauce is creamy and the pasta is al dente. Serve topped with more cheese if desired.

PAPPA AL POMODORO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, fennel, and garlic and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until tender. Add the ciabatta cubes and cook for 5 more minutes. Place the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process just until coarsely chopped. Add the tomatoes to the pot along with the chicken stock, red wine, basil, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and allow to simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• For the topping, place the ciabatta cubes, pancetta, and basil on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss well. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until all the ingredients are crisp. The basil leaves will turn dark and crisp, which is perfectly fine. Reheat the soup, if necessary, beat with a wire whisk until the bread is broken up. Stir in the Parmesan and taste for seasoning. Serve hot sprinkled with the topping and drizzled with additional olive oil.

PASTA POMODORO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Pour olive oil in a large deep skillet over high-heat. Saute onions and garlic until lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium-high and add tomatoes, vinegar and chicken broth; simmer for about 8 minutes.
• Stir in red pepper, black pepper, basil and cooked pasta, tossing thoroughly with sauce. Simmer for about 5 more minutes and serve topped with grated cheese.

PENNE AL POMODORO

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add onions, garlic and mushrooms; saute until soft. Add herbs and ground beef; cook until well-browned. Pour off excess oil. Add tomato paste and canned tomatoes with juices. Break up tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Add wine, and simmer for 20 - 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, boil penne until al dente. Drain in colander. Remove bay leaf from sauce and serve over penne, with freshly grated parmesan or romano.

MICROWAVE PENNE PAPPA AL POMODORO

Steps:

• Combine the garlic, herbs, tomatoes and a pinch of salt in a microwaveable bowl. Fold the bread crusts through then add the pasta, making sure it's completely coated in the sauce so it doesn't dry out. Cover the bowl with cling film then pierce a few times in the centre. Put kitchen paper on your microwave plate to absorb any spills then place the bowl on top and cook on High for 2 mins. Carefully peel back the cling film and stir well. Add 80ml water and stir again, then replace the film and leave to stand for 1 min.
• Return the bowl to the microwave and cook on Medium for 4 mins. Remove from the microwave, peel back the film and stir well. Add a splash of water if the sauce is starting to dry out. Cook on Medium for another 4 mins. Add another splash of water if needed then stir the oil through to serve.

PAPPA AL POMODORO

Steps:

• Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally and squeeze the halves gently to remove the juice and seeds. Coarsely chop the tomatoes, removing the cores. Place in a food processor and process to a finely chopped but not a pureed consistency.
• Heat half the oil in a large saucepan or skillet. Add the onion and cook until soft but not brown. Stir in the garlic, saute briefly, then add the tomatoes. Cook about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have softened and are thick.
• Soak the bread briefly in cold water, squeeze out the water, then crumble the bread into the tomato mixture. Mix, then add the basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. The mixture should be thick.
• Serve at room temperature garnished with basil leaves and with the remaining olive oil drizzled over the top.

PENNE PORTABELLA (COPYCAT OF PASTA POMODORO'S DISH)

Steps:

• Soak the dried porchini mushrooms in the hot water (about 10 minutes), then squeeze the liquid out of the mushrooms and chop it up. Be sure to reserve the tasty soaking water for the sauce!
• Prepare the sausage according to package directions (cooked throughly and browned), drain.
• Cook the pasta according to package directions as well, however, minus one to two minutes to finsh "cooking" in the sauce. Meanwhile start the sauce:.
• Heat up a large pan (large enough to fit the pasta in), add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, sautee garlic just until fragrant, add in cooked sausage, portobello mushrooms and porchini mushrooms, and (first add 1/4 cup) of the reserved porchini soaking water as well as the wine. Let this cook for a few minutes. If the portobello mushroom is still dry, add more of the reserved soaking water (add all if possible), cook until the portobello is browned and tender.
• Add cream and heat through, stirring to incorporate the flavors together. Next add the cooked pasta and arugula or spinach leaves, cook for a minute or two to let the pasta soak up the sauce and wilt the arugula or spinach.
• Taste and adjust seasoning, adding parmesan cheese then salt and pepper if desired.