Easy Penne Pomodoro – Classic Italian Comfort Food
Need dinner on the table fast? This Penne Pomodoro combines tender pasta with a rich, garlicky tomato sauce and a touch of cream for a comforting meal ready in just 15 minutes. Finish it with fresh basil, Parmesan, or creamy burrata for an easy weeknight pasta that tastes far more indulgent than the time it takes to make. For another quick pasta night, try my One-Pot Sausage Pasta
Ready in just 15 minutes, this Penne Pomodoro pairs tender pasta with a quick, rich tomato sauce made with garlic, tomato paste, seasonings, and a touch of cream. The cream rounds out the acidity and adds richness without overpowering the tomato flavor, while optional burrata makes it extra indulgent. It's a simple, satisfying pasta dinner designed for busy weeknights.
Quick Look: Easy Penne Pomodoro
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏲️ Total Time: 15 minutes
- 🍝 Servings: 4
- 🍅 Flavor: Rich and tomato-forward with garlic, Italian herbs, and a lightly creamy finish
- ✨ Texture: Tender penne coated in a smooth, velvety tomato sauce
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- 🥛 Dietary: Vegetarian and easily adaptable with gluten-free or low-carb pasta
- 🍳 Equipment: Large pot, skillet, colander, and wooden spoon
- 💡 Why This Recipe Works
- This Penne Pomodoro is designed specifically for busy nights. Tomato paste concentrates the tomato flavor without requiring a long simmer, while a small amount of heavy cream gives the quick sauce a smoother, richer finish. Tossing the penne directly with the sauce helps every piece get evenly coated, and optional burrata adds an extra creamy finish without making the recipe complicated.
- 🍽️ Serving Idea: Serve it with a simple green salad and crusty bread for an easy complete dinner. For something warm and homemade on the side, pair it with my Easy Naan Without Yeast.
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Ingredients
- Penne pasta – Its short, tubular shape holds onto the creamy tomato sauce particularly well. Regular, whole-wheat, gluten-free, or low-carb penne can be used depending on your preference.
- Olive oil – Used to sauté the aromatics and create the flavorful base of the quick pomodoro sauce.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic adds savory depth to the tomato sauce. Keep the heat controlled so it becomes fragrant without browning or turning bitter.
- Tomato paste – An important ingredient in this quick version. Because the sauce doesn't simmer for a long time, concentrated tomato paste provides deeper tomato flavor in minutes.
- Tomatoes – Form the body of the pomodoro sauce. Good-quality tomatoes make a noticeable difference in such a simple sauce; San Marzano tomatoes are a great option.
- Italian seasoning – Adds an easy blend of herbs without requiring several separate seasonings.
- Salt and black pepper – Season the sauce to taste, remembering that Parmesan and other finishing cheeses will add saltiness, too.
- Heavy cream – Just enough rounds out the tomatoes' acidity and creates a smoother, slightly creamy sauce. It also helps give this fast-cooking pomodoro some of the richness normally developed through longer simmering.
- Fresh basil – Adds freshness and classic tomato-basil flavor. Add it toward the end so its flavor stays bright.
- Parmesan cheese – Freshly grated Parmesan adds a savory, nutty finish and melts beautifully over the hot pasta.
- Burrata (optional) – Spoon it over the finished pasta for an extra-creamy contrast to the warm tomato sauce. Add it after removing the pasta from the heat rather than cooking it into the sauce.
- Ingredient tip: Because this recipe has relatively few ingredients, the quality of the tomatoes, olive oil, and Parmesan has a noticeable impact on the final flavor.
How to Make Easy Penne Pomodoro
1. Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne until al dente, following the package directions. Reserve a little pasta water, then drain.
2. Make the pomodoro sauce: Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the garlic until fragrant, then stir in the tomato paste. Add the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, then stir in the heavy cream and fresh basil.
3. Toss the pasta with the sauce: Add the drained penne to the skillet and toss until every piece is well coated. Stir in freshly grated Parmesan. If needed, add a splash of reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.
4. Finish and serve: Divide the pasta among bowls. Top with burrata, more fresh basil, and Parmesan, if desired. Finish with a drizzle of good-quality olive oil and serve immediately.
FAQ About Penne Pomodoro
Pomodoro means “tomato” in Italian. Pasta al pomodoro refers to pasta served with a simple tomato-based sauce, typically built around tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and basil.
Both are tomato-based sauces, but pomodoro is generally thicker and smoother, while marinara tends to be looser and may retain more tomato texture. Your quick version also contains a small amount of heavy cream, which makes it smoother and richer than traditional pomodoro.
No. This is my quick adaptation designed to be ready in about 15 minutes and easily made with low-carb pasta. Traditional pomodoro sauce is simpler and doesn't typically contain the tomato paste or heavy cream used in this version. Those additions help develop concentrated flavor and a creamy texture without a long simmer.
Yes. Ripe Roma or plum tomatoes work well, especially during tomato season. Blanch them briefly, transfer them to ice water, peel and core them, then chop before making the sauce. Good-quality canned San Marzano tomatoes are the faster option and provide consistent flavor year-round.
Absolutely. Ziti, rigatoni, fusilli, spaghetti, and other shapes that pair well with tomato sauce can be used. You can also choose whole-wheat or gluten-free pasta, or use zoodles or hearts-of-palm noodles for a lower-carb meal.
The tomatoes may contain too much liquid or the sauce may not have simmered long enough. For this recipe, drain most of the liquid from the canned tomatoes, leaving just a little behind, and simmer the sauce until it thickens.
Usually not. Sugar is sometimes added to balance acidic tomatoes, but good-quality San Marzano tomatoes are naturally sweeter and less acidic, so taste the sauce before adding any sweetener.
Yes. For the best texture, make the sauce ahead and cook the penne fresh when you're ready to eat. Pomodoro sauce is particularly well suited to making ahead; reheating the sauce separately also prevents the pasta from becoming overly soft.
Yes, but I recommend freezing the sauce separately from the pasta. Pasta can soften after freezing and reheating, whereas the tomato sauce freezes very well. Thaw the sauce in the refrigerator, reheat it gently, and toss with freshly cooked penne.
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Penne Pomodoro Recipe
Equipment
- 1 pot
- 1 saucepan
Ingredients
- 8 oz dry penne pasta I used low-carb pasta but you can use any regular, whole wheat, or gluten-free pasta of choice. Palmini and zoodles make great keto noodles as well!
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or extra virgin olive oil (for sautéing garlic), plus more for the cooking pasta in boiling water and to drizzle over the final dish
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 14 oz can San Marzano tomatoes crushed (mostly drained)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes plus more for garnishing
- Fresh basil about 4 large leaves for the sauce and more for garnishing
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- Grated parmesan for serving
- Burrata optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add a drizzle of olive to prevent sticking! Cook penne until al dente, then drain and reserve. It will take about 8-10 minutes!
- Meanwhile, heat a no-stick saucepan or large sauté pan over medium heat. Then add olive oil and sauté the garlic for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Stir in San Marzano tomatoes, tomato paste, onion powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and basil.
- Simmer on medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes. Use an immersion blender to smooth the sauce if needed.
- Remove sauce from heat and stir in heavy cream. Toss the cooked penne until combined.
- Serve with grated parmesan, fresh basil, burrata, a drizzle of olive oil, and more red pepper flakes.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- For the best sauce texture: Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water before draining. Add only as needed if the sauce becomes too thick when tossed with the penne.
- Tomato choice matters: Use good-quality canned tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, for a naturally sweeter, less acidic flavor.
- For fresh tomatoes: Use ripe Roma or plum tomatoes. Blanch, peel, core, and chop them before adding them to the sauce.
- For a baked variation: Transfer the finished pasta to a baking dish, top with mozzarella and Parmesan, and broil briefly until the cheese is melted and lightly golden.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water or cream to loosen the sauce.
- Freezing: For the best texture, freeze the pomodoro sauce separately and cook fresh pasta when ready to serve.
Nutrition
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Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
I remade this Penne Pomodoro while updating the recipe, and I love how much flavor it delivers for such a quick pasta. Cooking the tomato paste briefly before building the sauce really deepens the tomato flavor, while the touch of cream makes it smooth and velvety without turning it into a heavy cream sauce. I finished mine with fresh basil and burrata, which slowly melts into the warm pasta and makes every bite extra creamy. It’s a simple 15-minute dinner I’ll definitely keep in my weeknight rotation. — Valentina
I made this pasta pomodoro for a quick dinner recently. It was tasty and comforting. However, I used regular penne instead of a low-carb pasta. Next time I intend to use palmini noodles.