Italian Penne Pasta Recipe Penne Pasta Recipe

Italian Penne Pasta

Today we are moving back to Italy. There is nothing more to say about Italy than Pasta and Garlic bread. It is possibly the cutest combinations in food. Don’t forget to check out Garlic bread recipe too. This is a simple pasta dish with lot of colourful vegetables and olives. I found different colours of capsicum, But if you can’t find those you could make this dish with the usual green colour capsicum(but please try to get all). Unlike other other pasta it is not dunked with lots of tomato sauce, this is a simple light pasta dish with good olive oil.

About Italian Pasta

Penne is an extruded pasta with cylinder-shaped pieces with an angle cut at the ends. Penne is the plural form of the Italian penne, which is derived from the Latin word penna, and is a cognate of the English word pen. This format was designed to mimic the steel nibs of fountain pens, which were popular at the time. Penne is a popular Italian pasta shape that is popular both in Italy and around the world. Penne translates to pen and gets its name from its shape, which is a short cylinder-shaped pasta with angled edges. A quill inspired the design. This is a simple pasta dish made with onions, bell peppers, garlic and herbs tossed in goos quality olive oil. This dish has a final touch of olives and lemon juice which adds freshness to the pasta dish. Serve it with barbeque chicken or side salad and you are good to go.

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Italian Pasta Ingredients

Penne Pasta - Penne is probably my favourite type of pasta due to its versatility. Its delicious served fresh or in baked pastas. It comes in a variety of sizes to complement any meats or vegetables you may add. And because of the shape of the pasta, you get big flavourful bites every time. Onion - The flavour and aroma of onion transforms any ordinary dish into a mouthwatering and delectable one. Bell peppers - I used three colour capsicum or bell peppers in this dish which adds colour and taste. Garlic - One of the most important ingredient in making pasta is garlic. Make sure you chop them finely so it distributes evenly into the dish. Seasoning - I used dried oregano, salt, sugar and little red chilli flakes. You can use Italian seasoning or dried basil. Olives - I used sliced black olives which adds tang to the dish. You can skip this if you are not a fan of olives. Olive Oil - use good quality olive oil, which imparts their fruity flavour. Optional - mushrooms or any vegetables can be used. You can use sliced chicken, tofu in this as well.

How to Make Penne Pasta (3 Easy Steps)

Cooking Pasta - Cook pasta in boiling salted water as per package instructions, Drain them and set aside. Sauteing Veggies - In a pan, heat some olive oil and garlic together, so that the garlic flavours the whole oil. Add in the onions and sauté for 1 min. In goes capsicum and saute them for 2 to 3 mins on high. Tossing Pasta & Finishing - Add in pasta and toss well in the oil.Now add in the oregano and red chilli flakes, salt, sugar and toss well.Now add in olives and toss. Squeeze some lemon juice and mix well. Add in coriander leaves and toss well. Serve hot with Garlic bread.

How to Make Italian Penne Pasta (Stepwise Pictures)

Cooking Pasta

1)Start by cooking the pasta. You have to cook the pasta as per package directions. Bring lots of water to a full boil in big size pot. Once the water starts to boil add good amount of salt. Add in pasta of choice. I am using penne pasta. Cook it as per package directions. once cooked, strain and set aside.

Sauteing Veggies

2)When the pasta is cooking, you have to saute the veggies. This has to happen simultaneously. So when the pasta is done cooking, The veggie will be cooked too. For that, in the second burner. Heat good quality olive oil in a saute pan. Add in lots of garlic and saute on low heat for 45 seconds to 1 minute so the garlic flavour infuses with the oil. 3)Add in sliced onions. Make sure the onions are sliced thinly so it cooks faster. Saute the onions on medium high heat for 2 minutes. 4)Add in sliced bell peppers. I used three colour peppers which added beautiful colour to the pasta. Once peppers are added, sprinkle some salt and cook on medium high heat for 2 minutes. You want the peppers to have some crunch. Unlike this pasta peperonata where peppers are cooked till soft.

Tossing in Pasta

5)Now add in the cooked drained pasta. You can use any pasta shapes you like. Spaghetti, penne, macaroni or spirals. 6)Toss the pasta with the onions, garlic and pepper mixture. The oil will coat on the pasta.

Seasoning Italian pasta

7)This pasta dish has light seasoning which clings to the pasta. I used some salt and sugar and sprinkled all over the pasta. 8)Add good amount of dried oregano and red chilli flakes. These both are to taste. You can add more or less to your taste. Pro Tip: You can use dried basil, Mixed Italian seasoning or pasta seasoning. 9)Toss the pasta with the herbs and chilli flakes.

Serving Pasta

10)Now to finish the pasta. I am adding in some sliced black olives and lemon juice. These adds a zing and freshness to the pasta. 11)Finally add in chopped parsley or chopped basil. 12)Toss well and enjoy immediately. 13)Serve this Italian pasta hot with grilled chicken or garlic toast.

Expert Tips

You can use any shaped pasta or variety as you like. Some of my favorites are spaghetti, spirals, macaroni. Make sure you don’t over cook the pasta. Cook till al dente. Using three colour capsicum adds bright colour to the pasta. But you can use any colour as you prefer. Italian seasoning, dried basil can be used for flavour. Black olives are optional, if you don’t prefer the taste. Fresh basil can be used for parsley.

Storage & Serving

This pasta taste great when served cold too. So any leftovers can be kept in fridge and reheated if needed. You can serve cold as well. Serve with some buttery garlic bread, grilled chicken, garlic knots or this simple Italian chicken salad.

Where did penne pasta originate?

Penne originates in southern Italy’s Campania region and is perhaps best known for penne alla vodka, which is the ideal pasta for a smooth and creamy vodka sauce.