Mini Penne with Cherry Tomatoes

Pasta dishes don’t always have to be weighed down with a heavy sauce, especially during the summer. And summer is a great time to plan a lighter meal and this Mini Penne with Cherry Tomatoes is perfect. Pasta is one of our family’s favorite meal, whether it’s the main course or paired with meat or poultry, I love having a quick & easy pasta dish that I can pair with maybe grilled chicken or even a sandwich to make it a meal.

This recipe is terrific served hot and I loved it chilled the next day as well.

this recipe!

Now like all pasta you will want to follow the directions on the box, one little addition I have learned over the years is to add salt to your water to season the pasta. Doug thinks this makes a HUGE difference and loves it. Once you have heated the olive oil and saute the onions the addition of the tomatoes goes very quickly, so make sure you have the pasta cooked and drained. Otherwise it is very easy to over cook the tomatoes. Now that you have the pasta added you can season with salt and pepper to your taste.

We added Parmesan cheese but Doug thinks fresh Mozzarella would work great with this as well.

This Mini Penne with Cherry Tomatoes uses fresh basil and parmesan cheese. Barilla has a new line of pasta, Piccolini Rich in Fiber – White. We used the Mini Penne and adapted the recipe on the back of the box.

Mini Penne with Cherry Tomatoes

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• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4-6 1x

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Description

Recipe from PocketChangeGourmet.com

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Ingredients

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• 1 box Barilla Piccolini Mini Penne
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 basil leaves, torn
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Salt and Pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Boil pasta according to directions on box.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil.
3. Saute onions, until slightly brown
4. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup water.
5. Add tomatoes and saute for additional 2 minutes.
6. Add pasta and liquid to skillet and cook additional 1 minute.
7. Season with salt and pepper
8. Top with basil and Parmesan cheese right before serving.

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes

Let’s talk…Do you have a favorite pasta? What pasta is the best for summer meals?

I’m linking to…Weekend Wrapup Party, It’s a Keeper Thursday

Chef