Penne Pasta Salad with Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano

A high-quality, aged Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is essential to this recipe's success: the bold, salty flavor curbs the need for extra fat or seasoning. The salad also makes a quick weeknight meal when served hot. Serves 6.


Ingredient List:

• 6 oz. penne rigate pasta
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 9 cloves garlic, minced (3 Tbs.)
• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/2 red jalapeño chile, seeded and chopped (1 Tbs.)
• 10 fresh red or yellow grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 oz. shaved or crumbled Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water 8 minutes. Add broccoli, and cook 1 minute more. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water.
2. Return pot to stove, and heat oil over medium heat. Sauté garlic in oil 1 minute. Add jalapeño, and cook 30 seconds. Stir in pasta mixture, tomatoes, and reserved cooking water. Transfer to large serving bowl, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cool to room temperature, and top with cheese.

Vegetarian Times Issue: July 1, 2009 p.48

Smoky Penne with Corn and Cherry Tomatoes

Most people associate goat cheese with French cuisine, but it plays a big role in Mexican cooking, too. Chipotle chiles are smoked jalapeños that can be found dried or canned in adobo sauce. Serves 4.

Ingredient List
* 12 oz. penne pasta
* 1 dried chipotle chile, soaked in hot water 10 minutes, or 1 chile from 4-oz. can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
* 2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
* 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)
* 1 4-oz. log goat cheese, plus more for crumbling and sprinkling, if desired
* 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
* 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
* 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, remove seeds from chipotle chile and finely chop. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium-low heat. Add chile and garlic, and sauté 1 minute, or until fragrant. Stir in goat cheese and 1/3 cup water, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until smooth sauce forms, stirring constantly. Simmer 2 minutes more, then remove from heat and add cilantro and remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil.

3. Drain pasta, and return to pot. Add tomatoes, corn and cheese sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and transfer to warm serving bowl. Toss in extra goat cheese crumbles, if desired.

Vegetarian Times Issue: September 1, 2006 p.71

Penne with Asparagus and Red Peppers

Ingredients
1 tablespoon kosher salt
12 ounces penne pasta, ziti and rigatoni also work well
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound asparagus, ends snapped off and stalks cut into 2" pieces
2 roasted yellow bell peppers, peeled and diced
2 roasted red bell peppers, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 cups low-sodium canned [...] stock
1 1/2 tablespoons minced, fresh thyme
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
black pepper freshly ground

Cooking Instructions
1. Bring 1 gallon water and 1 tablespoon kosher salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just before it becomes al dente. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 10" skillet over medium heat. Add the asparagus and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the peppers and garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add the stock, bring to a boil, and lower the heat to medium.

3. Add the penne and thyme. Stir to combine the ingredients and simmer until the pasta is al dente, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in half of the cheese and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.

4. Transfer to a warm bowl, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve.

This recipe serves: 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Michael Romano's Penne with Asparagus and Red Peppers Recipe by FoodFit

Penne with Summer Squash, Zucchini and Sugar Snap Peas

Ingredients
1 pound penne rigate
1 cup Basic ... Stock, or low-sodium canned ... stock
1/2 pound summer squash, seeded and julienned
1/2 pound zucchini, seeded and julienned
1/4 pound sugar snap peas
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper

Cooking Instructions
1. Bring 1/2 gallon of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook until al dente, about 7 to 9 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, bring the ... stock to a boil in a skillet large enough to hold the vegetables. Add the vegetables to the ... stock and steam, covered for about 3 to 4 minutes.

3. When the vegetables are just tender, add the cooked penne and the olive oil and toss until it is heated through.

4. Divide the pasta and vegetables evenly among 4 warmed plates or bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and basil.

5. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Penne with Summer Squash, Zucchini and Sugar Snap Peas [Recipe Brought to you by FoodFit]

Smoky Penne with Corn and Cherry Tomatoes

Most people associate goat cheese with French cuisine, but it plays a big role in Mexican cooking, too. Chipotle chiles are smoked jalapeños that can be found dried or canned in adobo sauce. Serves 4.

Ingredient List
* 12 oz. penne pasta
* 1 dried chipotle chile, soaked in hot water 10 minutes, or 1 chile from 4-oz. can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
* 2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
* 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)
* 1 4-oz. log goat cheese, plus more for crumbling and sprinkling, if desired
* 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
* 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
* 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, remove seeds from chipotle chile and finely chop. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium-low heat. Add chile and garlic, and sauté 1 minute, or until fragrant. Stir in goat cheese and 1/3 cup water, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until smooth sauce forms, stirring constantly. Simmer 2 minutes more, then remove from heat and add cilantro and remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil.

3. Drain pasta, and return to pot. Add tomatoes, corn and cheese sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and transfer to warm serving bowl. Toss in extra goat cheese crumbles, if desired.

Vegetarian Times Issue: September 1, 2006 p.71

Penne with Butternut Squash and Pesto

Cubed butternut squash is a recent addition to most frozen food sections—and a welcome one since it eliminates all the peeling, scraping and slicing that go with fresh squash. (Fresh butternut squash will also work, though.)

1/4 cup prepared pesto, divided
1 cup chopped frozen onions
1 1/4 lb. frozen diced butternut squash, about 4 cups
2/3 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
3/4 lb. whole-wheat penne

1. Heat 1 Tbs. pesto in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 6 minutes, or until softened. Stir in squash and broth. Cover, and cook over medium low 10 minutes, or until squash is tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, and divide among 4 bowls. Swirl remaining 1 Tbs. pesto into sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over pasta, and use remaining pesto to garnish each serving.

PER SERVING: 489 CAL; 16G PROT; 9.5G TOTAL FAT (2G SAT. FAT); 87G CARB; 5MG CHOL; 332MG SOD; 10G FIBER; 7G SUGARS

Serves 4 - 30 minutes or fewer
Penne with Butternut Squash and Pesto

Penne with Yellow Tomato, Eggplant and Basil

Penne Con Pomodori Gialli, Melanzane e Basilico (Serves 4)

Ingredients: For sauce
8 vine-ripened yellow tomatoes or beefsteak tomatoes
1 cup minced white onion
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
8 fresh basil leaves, minced
For pasta:
1 eggplant , cubes (Sicilian preferred)
6 tablespoons olive oil
Fresh basil leaves
¼ pound dry aged ricotta, grated (Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano can be substituted)
Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pound penne

Directions: For sauce
If using fresh tomatoes, begin with step 1. Otherwise, start with step 2.
1. With the point of a paring knife, cut out and discard the stem bases of the tomatoes, removing small cones about 1/4” deep, then lightly cut X-shapes on the tomatoes’ opposite ends.

Bring water to boil in a large saucepan, drop in the tomatoes, and cook 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to a colander, run cold water over them, and slip their skins off with your fingers.

2. Pass tomatoes through a food mill. In a nonreactive saucepan, lightly sauté the onion in the olive oil. Add the tomatoes, crushing each directly over the pan as it is added. Add the reserved juice if the tomatoes have been seeded. Season to taste and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the basil before serving.

For pasta:
Fry the cubed eggplant in oil until golden. Strain it and remove more oil with paper towels. Add the eggplant to the sauce, then add a few basil leaves. Add grated aged ricotta and stir well. Serve over penne cooked al dente in salted water.

Penne with Yellow Tomato, Eggplant and Basil

Penne with Butternut Squash and Pesto

Serves 4 - 30 minutes or fewer

Cubed butternut squash is a recent addition to most frozen food sections—and a welcome one since it eliminates all the peeling, scraping and slicing that go with fresh squash. (Fresh butternut squash will also work, though.)

1/4 cup prepared pesto, divided
1 cup chopped frozen onions
1 1/4 lb. frozen diced butternut squash, about 4 cups
2/3 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
3/4 lb. whole-wheat penne

1. Heat 1 Tbs. pesto in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 6 minutes, or until softened. Stir in squash and broth. Cover, and cook over medium low 10 minutes, or until squash is tender, stirring occasionally.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, and divide among 4 bowls. Swirl remaining 1 Tbs. pesto into sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over pasta, and use remaining pesto to garnish each serving.

PER SERVING: 489 CAL; 16G PROT; 9.5G TOTAL FAT (2G SAT. FAT); 87G CARB; 5MG CHOL; 332MG SOD; 10G FIBER; 7G SUGARS

Vegetarian Times: PENNE WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND PESTO