Tomato Basil Penne

Creamy, Dreamy and delicious are the only words that can describe this pasta. It's a winner for a quick dinner or a family night. This pasta is a definition of how you can achieve ultimate flavours even with just a few ingredients. It takes just under 30 minutes to cook and can be made in abundance. The tangy sweet flavour of the tomato and the earthy basil compose a beautiful melody and you can help but hear it time and again.

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Pasta

250g Penne Pasta

Salt

Sauce

4 chopped Garlic cloves

1 chopped Onion

1 cup Tomato puree

1 tsp Oregano

1½ tsp Chilli Flakes

⅓ cup chopped Basil leaves

Salt to Taste

½ cup Pasta water

1 cup Heavy Cream

¼ cup grated Parmesan

Method

Step 1- Pasta

Fill a deep bottom pan with water. Place on high heat and add salt generously. Once the water boils, add the pasta and cook until advised on the packet or until the pasta is precise. Then drain the pasta reserving ½ cup of the water.

Step 2- Sauce

Place a pan on the heat. Once hot, add olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add chopped garlic and cook till slightly golden and aromatic. Then add chopped onion and cook till transparent.

Step 3

Once the onions are transparent, add the tomato puree. Cook until the tomato puree completely reduces size and forms a thick paste. Then add in oregano, chilli flakes and salt. Mix in well.

Step 4

Then add in the pasta water and heavy cream. Bring the sauce to a boil. Then add in chopped basil and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then turn off the heat. Add in cooked penne and grated parmesan. Toss the pasta well till coated thoroughly. Then serve with hot garlic bread.

Tips

1. Always add salt to your pasta water.

2. If you forgot to reserve pasta water, mix 1 tbsp cornflour with 2 tbsp water, which should work the same.

3. You can replace the tomato puree with 3 tbsp Tomato paste.

4. If using tomato puree, make sure to reduce the puree till all the water has evaporated.

5. You can serve this pasta with the protein of your choice.