20 Minute Penne Pomodoro

This 20-minute penne Pomodoro is a family favorite comfort food that’s easy enough for a weeknight, but elegant enough for date night! It’s made with whole canned tomatoes, fresh herbs, and penne pasta for a simple, hearty vegetarian dish that everyone will love!

 

You Will Love This

• It’s super quick and easy! In about 20 minutes you can have this penne pasta dish ready and on the table. It’s also made with mainly pantry staples with the addition of fresh herbs, so you’ve likely got everything on hand already!
• If you loved this Pomodoro recipe, be sure to check out my Pasta with Tomatoes and Garlic White Wine Sauce, my 20 Minute Pasta Rosa, or my Bacon Pasta with Corn and Basil. 

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Penne Pasta – I like to use penne for this recipe because the ridges hold the sauce beautifully. However, you can use any other pasta that you have on hand. Rigatoni, rotini, or fusilli would all work great! 
• Pasta Water – When you drain your pasta, reserve about a 1/2 cup or so of pasta water. The pasta water in this recipe helps to thin out the sauce and the starch in the water ensures that the sauce will cling to each noodle. If you forget to save some pasta water (it happens to the best of us!) you can use broth or even a splash of heavy cream!
• Garlic – I like to use fresh garlic whenever possible because it has the best flavor, and adds a heavenly aroma, especially to this recipe. You can sub a 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder in its place, but the flavor won’t be quite the same.
• Dried Herbs – Dried oregano and dried thyme are the primary herbs in this penne Pomodoro. You can also use Italian seasoning in their place.
• Whole San Marzano Tomatoes – San Marzano tomatoes have the best flavor compared to other canned tomatoes and they are generally pretty easy to find at the grocery store. Fresh tomatoes – like Roma tomatoes – could be substituted, but I prefer the flavor of canned tomatoes in this Pomodoro sauce. If you can’t find whole San Marzano tomatoes, try use crushed tomatoes, pureed tomatoes, or even diced tomatoes in their place, although the San Marzanos are going to give this dish the best flavor.
• Herbs – Fresh parsley and fresh basil take this pasta dish to the next level. They play off the dried herbs and add such a delicious depth. They’re commonly found in Italian dishes for a reason – they make everything better! If you don’t have fresh, sprinkle in some dried. Remember that dried herbs are about 3 times as potent as fresh, so you’ll want to use 1/3 of what’s called for in the recipe!

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Saute garlic and dried herbs.

Crush tomatoes and add them to the pan along with fresh herbs and sugar if desired.

Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add cooked pasta to the pan along with a splash of pasta water.

Toss to coat evenly, adding more pasta water as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Garnish with fresh grated Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, and fresh basil leaves, and enjoy! If you can find burrata cheese, add a dollop of that on top as well!

Tips

• Salt your pasta water! I always, always recommend salting your pasta water with 2-4 tablespoons of Kosher salt. It completely transforms the flavor of your pasta and, ergo, the whole dish. For this recipe, save the pasta water to add to the sauce too!
• Pasta water is my secret weapon in the kitchen! Once you start saving pasta water, you’ll wonder how you ever dressed pasta without it! The starch from the water combines with the sauce and allows you to perfectly coat every nook and cranny of your noodles! You don’t need to save the whole pot of water, just a 1/2 cup or so will do.
• Whole San Marzano tomatoes come, well, whole! I like to use my hands to gently crush the whole tomatoes as I add them to the sauce. But you could also blend them in a food processor or blender, or even use a kitchen sheers to cut them into small pieces while they’re in the saute pan! An immersion blender would work great as well!
• Add a bit of sugar. Adding sugar to tomato sauce cuts the acidity of tomatoes, so if you are worried about the sauce being too acidic, a dash of sugar will do the trick. If you don’t have any sugar on hand, or prefer not to use it, try adding a couple pinches of baking soda, which will neutralize the acidity of the tomatoes.
• Double the sauce recipe, but keep the amount of pasta the same if you want a saucy pasta. This recipe as written, coats the pasta in a scant amount of tomato sauce.

Variations

This penne Pomodoro recipe is so simple that it welcomes other ingredients like extra veggies or proteins. There’s no reason why this can’t be dressed up or bulked up with a few other ingredients. It’s a great recipe to use to clean out your fridge! We love to add:

• roasted zucchini
• fresh spinach
• crispy pancetta
• grilled chicken
• sauteed onion
• sauteed mushrooms

FAQ

• What is the difference between marinara and pomodoro? The main difference between marinara sauce and pomodoro sauce is their textures. While they’re both made with tomatoes, herbs, and garlic, marinara sauce typically has a thinner consistency and is simmered for at least 30 minutes or more. Whereas, Pomodoro sauce is barely even considered a sauce as it’s made with mainly whole ingredients that only cooked for a short time, and the sauce itself scantly coats the pasta.
• Is Pomodoro the same as tomato sauce? Pomodoro is a type of tomato sauce, but it’s a little different than a traditional tomato sauce or pasta sauce that you might be thinking of. Most tomato sauces are simmered for a while to enhance their flavors. They’re also typically smoother and looser than a Pomodoro sauce and you spoon quite a bit over the pasta itself. Pomodoro sauce is barely cooked fresh sauce that just coats the noodles ever so slightly. It’s typically a lighter dish than pasta that’s made with tomato sauce.
• What is pomodoro in Italian food? Pomodoro is a traditional Italian dish that is meant to be a light tomato sauce that accompanies pasta. Classic Pomodoro recipes use fresh tomatoes, but in this recipe we are keeping it simple by using canned San Marzano tomatoes so you can enjoy this Pomodoro pasta even when tomatoes are not in peak season!

Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

• Make-Ahead: The Pomodoro sauce can be made up to a week in advance so that all you’ve got to do is boil the noodles and dinner is ready!
• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week.
• Reheating: To reheat Pomodoro pasta, add it to a saucepan along with a splash of water, broth, milk, or heavy cream and cook over medium heat. Stir frequently until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Easy Pasta Recipes

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