One of my favorite, favorite, favorite things in the entire world is pasta. I could eat it every day, any meal, of the day, forever. Red sauce, white, sauce, no sauce, anything. I love pasta.

"Life is a combination of magic and pasta."
Federico Fellini

I also love making pasta sauces. From hearty bolognese to creamy alfredo, pasta sauces come in so many colors, textures, and flavors.

One of my favorite tricks when making pasta sauce is pasta water. The pasta water helps bind the sauce to the noodle, avoiding the sauce slipping off the pasta. I do this to almost all of my sauces and it makes a huge difference.

Even though I like making some complex, time consuming sauces, sometimes I just want something simple and fresh, and that's where tomato and garlic penne enters.

You'll Need:

1 package penne pasta
1 carton cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, diced
handful fresh basil
pinch of sea salt
pinch of black pepper
1 mug pasta water
2 tbsp cream

Directions for Tomato & Garlic Penne:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Cut cherry tomatoes in quarters, and add them to your pan with olive oil on medium heat. Let them start to simmer, letting the juices run out in the pan.

Dice your garlic and add to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, and let it simmer on low for 10 minutes.

Add the penne to the boiling water. Let cook about 7 minutes, or until pasta is done to your liking. Before draining the water, save a mug-ful of pasta water and add it to your tomatoes. Swirl around until the tomatoes look "saucy".

Add the cream and fresh basil to the sauce. Add your penne to the sauce. Top with a mountain of parmesan cheese. Serve with some easy garlic bread and your favorite vino.

Tomato & Garlic Penne

Christina Musgrave

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Cook Time 15

Total Time 15

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6 servings

Calories 340.36 kcal

Ingredients

1 lb penne pasta
1 carton cherry tomatoes quartered
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic diced
handful fresh basil
pinch of sea salt
pinch of black pepper
1 mug pasta water
2 tbsp cream

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Cut cherry tomatoes in quarters, and add them to your pan with olive oil on medium heat. Let them start to simmer, letting the juices run out in the pan.
Dice your garlic and add to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, and let it simmer on low for 10 minutes.
Add the penne to the boiling water. Let cook about 7 minutes, or until pasta is done to your liking. Before draining the water, save a mug-ful of pasta water and add it to your tomatoes. Swirl around until the tomatoes look "saucy".
Add the cream and fresh basil to the sauce. Add your penne to the sauce. Top with a mountain of parmesan cheese. Serve with some easy garlic bread and your favorite vino.