Easy Pasta Recipes Easy Pasta Recipes Penne
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07/23/2009
So delicious and very versatile! I made this last night for dinner modifying it to fit what I had on hand. I had tons of fresh basil, a half a pint of grape tomatoes, and 5 pounds of mozzarella on hand left over from a charity event we made baked ziti for. Since I only had half the amount of tomatoes called for, I added an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce I found in the pantry, and loaded the sauce up with fresh basil instead of just adding it at the end. I used two cups of mozzarella in place of the pepper jack and served this over ravioli instead of penne. Usually I stick to a recipe the first time I make it but I wanted a quick dinner using ingredients I already had, so I changed this a little bit and it came out great. Definitely try this recipe, and don't be afraid of doing a little experimentation. I will be certainly be making this again. Next time I'm going to try the recipe exactly as written, but I'm sure it's great either way!
08/07/2009
I was a little hesitant to try this but it was absolutely delicious and I gave it 5 stars. The only modification I made was that I used 3 tbl. regular olive oil and 1 tbl. dried basil. Very creamy and with just a slight kick due to the pepperjack cheese. It's like a new versions of mac and cheese. You won't be diappointed if you give this recipe a shot.
07/23/2009
This is a great pasta dish! I added yellow squash and zucchini (because I do to everything this time of year!), and used plum tomatoes because I didn't have grape. I can't believe I'm going to say it, but the amount of cheese was too much for me, made doing the dishes a bear too trying to get all the cheese off the plates and pans. Next time I make this, which I definitely will, I will use less cheese and more basil. Thanks for the recipe!
01/15/2011
I loved the ingredients when I saw this recipe, but I didn't end up loving the recipe itself so much. Melting the cheese as directed makes the cheese clumpy when trying to mix the penne in. I had to break up chunks of cheese that melted to try to distribute it throughout the dish. Next time, I would advise to put the cheese into the hot penne instead of putting the penne into a pan of melted cheese. After tasting, it was lacking some flavor, so we decided to add some homemade pesto to the recipe.
07/29/2009
I really enjoyed this recipe! I made the following changes: Smart Taste Rotini instead of Penne, followed the directions on the box for cooking time. I used much less cheese than the recipe called for - about 1/2 a cup of mozz, a small amount of parm and added feta instead of the jack. It came out great. Next time I will add spinach for sure. I served it with the Parmesan Chicken recipe by Mollie Hall on this site (see my review there for my adjustments). FANTASTIC dinner - everyone in the family had seconds!
05/02/2011
This tasted like a dish from Macaroni Grill. Loved it! I added spinach, added about 2-3 times as much basil, cut back on the parm and increased the jack for an extra kick. Next time I'll add shrimp.
11/23/2010
WAY TOO MUCH CHEESE!!! Seriously. I used the amt called for and it was overwhelming. I'd halve it. I also used only mozz and parm and it was delicious. The flavor is good though my boyfriend complained it was too tart with the tomatoes. He said maybe we could try broccoli next time... we'll see. Also, I added some chicken broth to simmer the tomatoes... because how do you simmer anything in 2T oil? I think the chicken broth is a good addition. I added maybe 1/3 of a small can.
08/03/2011
So good. I had fresh chicken that I added as well and it made the dish a little more filling. For leftovers a second night I mixed in cooked broccoli which was terrific too. Easy to adapt and so yummy!!!
07/30/2011
This recipe did NOT turn out the way I thought it would. It was bland and the cheese was very lumpy making it hard to serve. My suggestion is to add some garlic salt and put in the cheese right after you put in the penne pasta.
09/27/2009
i asked my mom "on a scale of 1-5 what would rate it?" and without hesitation she said "10!" and my parents are brutally honest with me when it comes to food because they know i want to open my own restaurant in a couple years. i changed it a little bit. i just put in the olive oil and got the pan warm and put in the garlic some basil and tomatoes all at one time. i put half the amount of garlic because my dad doesnt like garlic. i thought it was enough to have some flavor but blend in really well so you couldnt notice it. i did the 1 cup of mozzarella but instead of 1 cup of pepperjack i did half a cup of feta and i didnt add the parmesan because my dad doesnt like that either and the feta has a parmesan flavor to it so i think it would be overpowering a little. it was still really good and my mom said it was perfect and i shouldnt change anything and i totally agree.
02/18/2011
Really good, and super easy. I added a can of diced tomatoes and served with grilled chicken on top. I also didn't have basil oil so just sprinkled basil in the olive oil.
05/05/2012
This was very good, very flavorful and super simple to make.... will be making this on sports nights when time for making supper is limited. I didn't have pepperjack cheese so I used a prepared mix of strong shredded cheeses and added just a teaspoon of red pepper... As for the portion - not gonna feed 4 adults with this recipe, it would have to be doubled... very good. I may add prosciutto next time I make it, or italian sausage, altough it was good as is, I think prosciutto would make it ahhh hmmmm perfect! Made it again and added Prosciutto - ahhh, was soooo perfect!
03/27/2011
loved it! Didn't have all the cheeses so used one slice of veggie pepperjack, 1/2 cup of mexican mix kroger brand shredded cheese, and about 1/2 cup of parmesan. Also used fresh basil leaves and a couple of shakes of dried basil (maybe about 1 tsp).
07/27/2009
Terrific! We loved this! The cheeses were so good together. I would have never guessed pepperjack could have been so smooth and delicious when paired with mozzerella! I did add black olives since they were in the frige and thw whole thing was wonderful!
11/21/2010
Sucha great recipe. I was crunched for time, and ingredients. I put actual basil spice in with the olive oil & used baby shell pasta. Also, just used cheddar cheese. Put some cheddar cheese on top when it was all combined in casserole dish & baked in oven for 10min. Company absolutely loved it!
08/30/2010
This is our new family favorite and I make a modified version several times a month. Like others, I reduced the amount of cheese in half and reserve some to sprinkle over the top of each serving, since much of the cheese clumps or sticks to the bottom of the pan. I also add some basil to the olive oil at the beginning since I don't have basil oil. I saute yellow summer squash with the tomoates and add extra basil while the veggies simmer. A great dish - quick, easy and flavorful.
10/22/2010
I tried this recipe and it came out really good. I'm not the best of all cooks and my boyfriend devoured it. I made it as is, and I thought it was a little bit cheesy. I think however, that I'll add more tomatoes next time and see how that works out. :) Yum-o!
04/02/2010
my 3 year old nephew loves this dish as well as my bf. Easy to make and doesnt take long to cook
10/10/2009
sorry, but I had to throw my sauce out.
08/28/2010
I loved this Recipe! However, I did make a few modifications. First, I used Monterey-jack cheese instead of mozzarella (only because it what i had on hand). Since My mom, sister, and i dont eat wheat, i made this with penne pasta as well as gluten free. I was very surprised it actually tasted good gluten free. Finally i added both fresh and dried basil for more flavor. Overall, I thought this recipe was easy, fresh, and delicious and i will definitely make it again :)
12/17/2009
it was way too cheesy, the pepperjack was too overpowering and at the same time bland. maybe if you cut both the mozzarella and pepperjack in half then add about 1/3c of chicken broth and salt and pepper to taste, it would be more enjoyable. i added some chicken broth to mine which seemed to have saved the dish.
10/08/2010
very yummy, i made it for kids and they loved it!
06/25/2010
This was definitely a cheesy dish, which I can't complain about because I love anything cheesy. I did double the pasta but only added a little more than the amount of cheese and it was still had plenty of cheese. Overall, it has a very nice blend of flavors with a little kick from the pepperjack. Thanks from the great recipe!
07/17/2010
This was a great idea. I eliminated the pepper jack and mozzarella (cause i didn't have any) and used whole wheat spiral. It was perfect. My 4 year old asked for more.
07/22/2010
Very easy and very tasty!
07/24/2009
Yum, yum! I didn't have basil oil so I just doubled the olive oil. My husband had 3rd, which never happens. I can't wait to make it again!!
07/29/2009
Great recipe! I had a ton of grape tomatoes from our yard to use and some fresh basil too so this was a great way to use them. I have two small children, so I sauted some diced up chicken in olive oil with a little garlic & s/p first and then removed the chicken added a little more oil and followed the recipe minus the basil oil. I used whole wheat rigatoni and it was DELICIOUS! Great recipe! Thanks!
06/28/2010
This was really good. I added some crushed red pepper for a little extra kick. I can't wait to have it again tommorow for lunch.
09/01/2011
Mine did not quite turn out the way it looks in the photo. Lot less red and less green. We still liked it, but felt it needed more of something...not sure what? 2 pints of grape tomatoes? Maybe trying the chicken broth I saw suggested too? I will try it again though.
02/02/2010
I added some slice black olives. It was delicious.
09/24/2010
Yum! I "downgraded" to regular tomatoes (local, flavorful and NOT Roma) to save a little money, but it still tasted great. Also, I used wheat pasta. Do not be afraid to add more basil! I think I ended up adding 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup and it added a great flavor.
11/04/2009
way too cheesy. good at the first bite, but overwhelming if you have an entire serving.
11/09/2009
Its a keeper! Really easy to make, I usually keep most of these ingredients in my house already so this side dish had been added to our regular rotation. The only thing I did different was used wheat penne instead of regular penne. Goes great with breaded chicken cutlets (or adding leftover chicken cutlets cut into small pieces)
08/30/2011
A good use of cherry tomatoes from the garden, but not my favorite recipe.
03/19/2013
If I try this again I would leave out the mozzarella. All the cheese clumped together....not a creamy dish as described. But I think it would have been delicious, otherwise. Maybe use cream cheese instead of mozzarella.
02/09/2012
Yummmmo! Don't know what others mean on too much cheese,More cheese for me please! I added Shrimp to make it a complete dinner for the hubby :)
06/26/2010
It was indeed cheesy though I had taken the advise of several other cooks and cut the pepper jack cheese. My kids still loved it.
07/29/2009
This was very good and my family enjoyed it. I thought it was a little too cheesy, pan and plates were hard to clean afterward. Maybe I'll try adding more tomatoes and basil next time so it's not so sticky. I will definitely make it again!
02/01/2011
Meh. Pretty bland, and the cheese got grainy and odd when mixed with the tomatoes. Wasn't bad by any means, but I also won't be making it again.
01/02/2018
I've made this twice. While it is good, it's just a macaroni and cheese recipe with a little tomato in it. I believe it would be better for a side dish to your meal. Mozzarella gives it a nice creamy texture and the pepper jack give it a slight bite. While it is good, and it is meatless, it's not really a recipe I would consider make a lot.
09/16/2014
Very good! I did have to substitute the jack cheese. I'm feeding tots & I didn't have any. I used feta! It was great! The only other thing I did different was sauté some diced red onion with the garlic. And because I didn't have basil oil I used extra olive oil & added fresh basil & 1/2 tsp of prepared pesto.
05/02/2016
The first time it was extremely bland with way too much cheese. The second time around, I added more garlic, put the penne in the pan with the tomatoes before adding half amount of cheese. This helped blend it together easier then added pesto along with italian seasoning, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper and added a spoonful of sour cream. This gave it a creamy texture which was tasty. My rating is for the original recipe as is but I would recommend playing around with it.
12/06/2013
Eating this for dinner right now and I'm really enjoying it! Used about 1 1/4 cup of cheese (1 cup mozarella, 1/4 cup parm) and added dried basil and red pepper flakes to the oil before cooking garlic. I used nearly a full box of pasta and it had a great cheese to pasta ratio, for us. Also added 1/3 cup of chicken broth. Very simple, delicious recipe.
08/31/2012
A delicious pasta dish that turned out really well. It was easy to follow and a hit with the family. I recommend it to anyone who loves penne and tomatos!
05/01/2012
Husband love it, but the kids not so much.
03/27/2013
Loved it, but I made a few changes. I add ground beef, crushed red pepper for more flavor, and instead of grape tomatoes I used two cans of Rotel diced tomatoes with peppers. The whole family loved it.
10/01/2018
Great Tasting Dish! Never thought my husband would go for it because its meatless, but he actually loved how flavorful it was. I think it was the pepperjack cheese that did the trick of so much flavor. Definitely yummy. I didn't have basil oil so I used all olive oil but because I'd spent the money on the fresh basil and had so much of it I actually minced up a heaping tablespoonful and cooked it along with the garlic . At the end I still garnished with additionl fresh basil, as is called for in the recipe, and hoped it wasn't too much. Nope, the taste was awesome ! Wonderful, wonderful.
10/11/2018
Awesome!!! So easy to make
10/20/2018
No, we didn't make any changes, when we had to give the pasta a rating between 1 and 10 everyone chose 8, 9, or 10. I loved it! I would totally make it again!
12/18/2012
Absolutely fabulous! I used the creamy feta which coated everything even better. Everyone I have served this to raves.
05/07/2015
Used Classico sun dried tomato sauce as base. Followed the recipe, but left out pepper jack. Quite good.
03/21/2015
Just made this, and it's really good. the cheese gets all melty and stringy and hard to keep under control while eating. Beware. Also, I added a chopped habenero for some extra heat and it was fuego.
01/24/2019
I always enjoy cooking this recipe. So easy and delicious
09/29/2018
Quick, tasty and delicious. Serve with garlic bread and a fresh salad. Yummy
10/15/2018
Expected it to be more saucy, was VERY cheesy. Too much cheese. But at the same time, the tomato is framed well by it, so YMMV. I used fresh basil and it could have used more, but that's on me. Will make it again though!
06/03/2013
I could have eaten a whole pot of this all by myself... but I didn't! I used Monterey Jack cheese and a 1/2 tsp. of red pepper flakes instead of the Pepper Jack to tone down the spice for my kids. Next time, I'll try adding spinach. This was a wonderful way to use up some extra grape tomatoes I had leftover from a catering event.
09/29/2018
Delicious and a winner with the family
10/04/2018
I added mushrooms, broccoli and asparagus, which helped, but it was a bit heavy on the cheese and not enough flavor, other than cheese.
01/05/2017
Have made this a few times and love the recipe, but like the others, I'm not a fan of the clumpy cheese that results as you follow the recipe. Decided to try something different so I sauteed the garlic in with a Tbl of butter and some olive oil...added a couple tablespoons of flour to make a roux, and then a bit of milk and some broth. I then added all the cheese to this and got a very nice creamy sauce to add to the pasta and tomatoes and basil with no clumps!
04/22/2016
I made this dish exactly as the recipe directed. Everything was fine up to the point of adding the 3 cheeses to the pan. It completely balled up and would not incorporate with the pasta. The only way to save the dish was to quickly make 1 cup of cream sauce to loosen the ball of cheese. The taste was nice but I would not make it again because of the added calories & fat with the sauce and 3 cheeses.
10/09/2018
I would make this recipe into a casserole dish because that sounds really good combined with the end result of this recipe.
12/24/2012
Followed directions as stated and loved it. fast and easy. Some say to much noodles, but you need to make sure you look at the size of the package you use. Most are 12 to 16oz packages, so only use half the package and it is great. Will diffidently do this again.
03/04/2021
Great recipe, used a rotisserie chicken, added the extra chicken broth and 1 cup white wine...some red pepper flakes, and let it cook down....at end, thickens the broth a little bit...so very good..
01/17/2013
This recipe was amazing, quick, and easy. I was able to cut recipe in half to make it for two people. I added a bit of oregano, used wheat penne pasta, cut the basil oil, and only used parmesan cheese because that is all I had on hand. It still turned out great, I can only imagine how delicious it would be if I had all the proper ingredients.
04/09/2015
Delicious! Kept to recipe except added a few mushrooms while the tomatoes were simmering. SO GOOD!
04/16/2015
My family really enjoyed this dish. I would just recommend doing the cheese differently as another reviewer said it melted in clumps and was challenging to distribute evenly. There were no leftovers which says it all.
12/19/2012
It's just missing a little salt and pepper. This would be a complete meal if it has some kind of meat in it. It makes a wonderful side dish alongside some eggplant and chicken Parmesan or Pane'd pork chops (breaded and deep fried). I absolutely LOVE this combination of flavors!!!
01/10/2016
This is outstanding as is! Made it into our weekly dishes! Thank you so much
10/10/2017
This dish was quick and delicious! My three kids and husband loved this! This recipe will be added to our family dinners.
05/09/2016
This came out very good ! At first I was worried that the melting cheese would not blend properly with the pasta but as I could mutinied to stir it it meshed perfectly ...I used tri color penne which added a pop of color and cooked the basil into the sauce because I didn't have the basil oil...the pepper jack cheese blended very well w the mozzarella ...would Def use again
08/31/2016
Easy and delicious. Serve with toasted French bread--buttered and sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese. Mmmm good!
11/24/2018
I made this recipe exactly as written..It was delicious...
01/05/2015
Love this recipe. The whole family raved about it and want me to make it again.
07/30/2015
My family and I loved this recipe! I agree with the other reviews that it does need some tweaking. In regards to the ratio of cheese to pasta, that is definitely going to come down to personal preference. If you typically like a lot of sauce with your pasta then don't change the listed amounts. If you prefer to have your pasta lightly coated with sauce to enhance the flavor then use either double the amount of pasta or half the amount of cheese. Here is how I made this one: First I cooked some chicken in the pan seasoned with the oil, salt, pepper and chili powder. Once that was done I cooked the garlic then poured in 1/3 C chicken broth and followed the recipe from there. I read that people were having issues with combining the pasta and cheese and I did too, at first. I decided to pour the cheese into the pasta as suggested then let the whole thing sit on low heat until I heard it sizzle. Once it was heated I started to stir everything together. That made it so much easier to get the pasta well coated. Hope that helps :-)
10/05/2018
It came out great, I still have more grape and cherry tomatoes to remake.
09/30/2018
This is so good and easy to make. Great week night supper.
11/20/2016
My boyfriend & I loved this. Fresh basil is a must! I would but cubed fresh mozz on after the pasta is mixed with the garlic/ tomato mixture. It melted together in the pot and was one glob.
01/24/2017
Absolutely delicious. It's super easy and quick to make and pleases everyone in my family. None of my family really likes pepper jack cheese so we leave that out and it's still delicious.
05/14/2016
When it came time for the oil I put in two tablespoons fresh Basil (minced).Then I added 4 total tablespoons of oil total. As for the cheese I waited to to add it last after I combined the base with noodles, I used a cup of jalopeno cheese and a cup of mozzarella cheese. After all them changes I enjoyed the meal.
03/13/2022
Love this recipe, it's easy and very simple to make, and its quite delicious also.. My family loves it..
10/04/2018
Awesome
10/05/2018
Very enjoyable dish!!!!
10/13/2018
Delicious!!! My husband loves more after this recipe!
10/07/2019
I not only loved it, but 44 of 44 guests loved it as well. It was easy to prepare in advance and every last bit of pasta was eaten. I added red pepper flakes to the sauce, because I like a little kick to my food. My only regret was that I didn't make more. I could have made another 16 portions and it would have disappeared as well. Sadly, no leftovers for me.
10/03/2016
Easy to make and taste good.
01/04/2019
This was pretty good although I will make a couple of changes next time. For starters, there was just way too much garlic for my taste. I'll cut it down from 3 to 1 clove next time. Also, as others have commented, there is a little too much cheese. I'll cut it back next time and/or add some milk or cream to make it creamer. Otherwise, it was pretty good.
11/30/2017
This is a wonderful break from Turkey! Not at all difficult and delish!
04/23/2016
Very flavorful! Would definitely make again.
03/24/2020
I was cooking for 5 so next time I'll probably double the cheese and tomato
10/04/2018
Easy and awesome
03/07/2019
really good, for sure will be making it many times
09/02/2016
I used 2T. Of olive oil, as I couldn't get basil oil and I used about 3/4 the amounts of mozzarella and pepper jack cheeses and it still turned out wonderfully. My husband, who is not a big pasta fan, loves this recipe!
08/08/2016
Was Fantastic but i would add a little more liquid but that was my own fault. I did add chicken which gave it some protein and some meat but a very good recipe and definitely would make it again!
04/19/2016
Quick and easy. Added frozen meatballs. Yum!
07/31/2016
I loved the ingredients, but didn't turn out as I had hoped. I love lots of sauce so this dish wasn't for me. Maybe I will try it again with a marinara or a white sauce :)
06/17/2017
A bit dry for my taste. Suggested cooking the garlic a little too long. ( I knew better but followed the directions anyway. :P) Maybe a little stock or wine added to the tomatoes while cooking to add flavor and moisture. Added cheese right before serving to improve the texture. Great recipe to build on but as is, not a keeper.
03/26/2019
I added cut up zucchini to it. It was delicious.
04/13/2020
This turned out really good with a few modifications. I added sautéed red onion, sausage oregano & Italian seasoning. I also used Roma tomatoes instead of the grape tomatoes and did not add the pepper jack cheese.
11/15/2018
It takes a bit of tweaking to get the cheese sauce smooth. I had to add milk to loosen things up. Overall, the the flavors were good, but the recipe as printed requires adjustments. Added some tomato basil chicken sausage, just because.
Source: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/193187/tomato-basil-penne-pasta/
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