Penne Rosa

Last Updated: March 1, 2022

Penne rosa is a traditional dish from Rome. It was invented in 1960 by the chef Pasquale Alemanno at the Trattoria del Campazzo, where he was working at the time in Palazzo Cenci Bolognetti, located right next to Campo de’ Fiori in Rome, an area famous for its food markets and traditional restaurants. The restaurant was soon renamed after this delicious penne rosa.

In this day and age, when no one seems to have enough time to get everything done, it’s truly a blessing to have dishes like Penne Rosa in our arsenal. This dish requires virtually no prep work. Penne rosa (literally Red Penne in Italian) is a creamy cold pasta dish commonly made in Italy. The mellow flavoring of tomatoes and cream works wonderfully with spinach. It’s the taste of Italy at your fingertips!

Ingredients

8 Oz Sliced Mushrooms
1 Lb Penne Pasta
3 Cups Fresh Spinach
½ Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
½ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
3 Cloves Garlic Pressed
¼ Tsp Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
3 Roma Tomatoes Diced
½ Tsp Kosher Salt
½ Cups Marinara Sauce
½ Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

Equipment

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1

The first step is to boil the pinne paste according to the instructions on the package.

Step 2

Take a large frying pan and add olive oil to it and heat over medium heat.

Step 3

Slice the mushrooms and add them to the olive oil and cook about 3-4 minutes until they are soft.

Step 4

Peel the garlic and make it pressed. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook for 1 minute more.

Step 5

Add marinara sauce, and crushed red pepper flakes to finished penne pasta, stir.

Step 6

Wash the tomatoes, spinach and dice them on a cutting board. Add to the skillet and cook until the spinach is soft.

Step 7

Salt and pepper and add heavy cream, now heat until warm.

Step 8

Serve hot with parmesan cheese.

This delicious and ultra-flavorful Penne Rosa pasta dish is a great way to enjoy penne noodles in a creamy sauce! The best part about it is that it’s so simple to make. This penne rosa pasta recipe takes about 20 minutes start to finish.

It is a super easy sauce which comes together quickly. With fresh spinach and garden-fresh tomatoes, you can enjoy this spring pasta dish all year round!