A friend of mine always tells me how great all of the recipes look, but she is new to cooking, and she wants a recipe that is quick and almost foolproof so this one is for her.
With 5 basic ingredients and salt and pepper to taste, the prep time on this recipe is a measly 10 minutes, and with just the penne to cook, the overall time from start to finish is about 25 minutes
Vegetarian friendly, sorry not VEGAN due to the Parmesan cheese, however if you are a meat-a-terian, a little Italian sausage meat browned in a fry pan then added at the end works great with this recipe as well
This recipe is also great if you are looking for a meal that is light and not to heavy or rich.
Penne with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
Credit: The Food Network
Ingredients
- 12 ounces penne pasta
- 1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Directions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
- Blend the sun-dried tomatoes and their oil, garlic, salt and pepper, to taste, and basil in a food processor and blend until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer the tomato mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the Parmesan.
- Add the pasta to the pesto and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper and serve.
This one is so quick and so easy, it really is perfect for any first timer out there. Biggest mistake usually made is draining all of the liquid down the sink when you drain the pasta. Don’t forget to reserve that 1 cup of water people lol. I also find this recipe can work great as a side dish if you are hosting a larger crowd. Please give this recipe a try and then leave me a comment and let me know how it turned out. Enjoy!!
Where to eat and what to cook in the amazing world that is the food scene in Winnipeg 