Flavorful Tomato Penne Pasta
Make Restaurant-Worthy Tomato Penne Pasta at Home! (Includes Penne Cooking Time)
Today, we’re sharing a recipe for a special homemade Tomato Penne Pasta. It’s a wonderful dish to surprise your parents with when they’re tired of the everyday Korean home cooking. I made this especially for my mother, who enjoys pasta. She might have guessed what I was up to while I was secretly preparing the ingredients, but now, I’ll reveal the secrets so anyone can follow along and make this delicious Tomato Penne Pasta. Let’s create a delightful mealtime with this simple yet rich pasta!
Essential Ingredients- Penne pasta 200g
- Store-bought tomato sauce 1.5 cups (approx. 360ml)
- Pasta water (water from cooking pasta) 2/3 cup (approx. 160ml)
- Garlic cloves 3
- Thick-cut bacon 3 strips
- Cherry tomatoes 5
- Black olives (pitted) 5
- Extra virgin olive oil 4 Tbsp (60ml)
- Grated Parmesan cheese 1 Tbsp (15g)
- Coarse salt 1 Tbsp (15g, for boiling pasta)
- Ground black pepper a pinch
- Dried parsley a pinch (for garnish)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare about 1.5 liters (L) of generously salted water in a large pot for boiling the penne pasta and bring it to a boil over high heat. Plenty of water is crucial to prevent the pasta from sticking together.
Step 2
Peel the 3 fresh garlic cloves and slice them thinly into 0.3cm thick rounds. The garlic aroma will add depth to your pasta.
Step 3
Wash the cherry tomatoes, remove their stems, and then halve them. Fresh tomatoes add a lovely tanginess to the pasta.
Step 4
Similarly, slice the pitted black olives in half, just like the cherry tomatoes. The salty flavor of the olives complements the tomato sauce beautifully.
Step 5
Cut the thick-cut bacon into pieces about 2cm wide. The rendered fat and flavor from the bacon will enrich the sauce.
Step 6
Once the water is at a rolling boil, add 1 Tbsp of coarse salt and stir until dissolved. Then, add the 200g of penne pasta and cook for about 10 minutes, or 1-2 minutes less than the time indicated on the package, for al dente. Reserve about 2/3 cup of the pasta water (called pasta water or ‘myeon-su’) as it will be used in the sauce.
Step 7
Drain the cooked penne in a colander, then transfer it to a large bowl. Drizzle 1 Tbsp of olive oil over the pasta and toss gently to coat. This prevents the penne from sticking together.
Step 8
Now, let’s make the sauce. Heat 3 Tbsp of olive oil in a preheated frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced garlic and sauté gently until fragrant, making sure not to burn it. The mild aroma of garlic will begin to rise.
Step 9
Once the garlic is fragrant, add the cut bacon to the pan and sauté over medium heat until it’s nicely browned and slightly crispy. It’s good to let the bacon render its fat.
Step 10
When the bacon is cooked to your liking, stir in 1.5 cups of tomato sauce, 2/3 cup of the reserved pasta water, 1 Tbsp of grated Parmesan cheese, and a pinch of black pepper. Stir and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.
Step 11
Once the tomato sauce is bubbling gently, add the cooked penne, halved cherry tomatoes, and sliced black olives. Toss everything together with the sauce for about 1-2 minutes, either by shaking the pan or stirring gently with a spatula, allowing the ingredients to meld.
Step 12
When the penne has absorbed the sauce, the cherry tomatoes are tender, and the sauce has a nice consistency coating the pasta, turn off the heat. Transfer the pasta to a serving plate and sprinkle with a pinch of dried parsley for garnish. Your delicious Tomato Penne Pasta is ready to be enjoyed!
