Basic Parmesan Pomodoro
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 722
- Total Fat
- 38
- Saturated Fat
- 15
- Carbohydrates
- 67
- Dietary Fiber
- 7
- Sugar
- 8
- Protein
- 30
- Cholesterol
- 52
- Sodium
- 932
- Total: 1 hr 5 min
- Active: 30 min
Ingredients
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
3 large, full stems basil
Three 14-ounce cans peeled cherry tomatoes
1 carrot, peeled and halved
8 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano rind, cut into 3-inch pieces
Kosher salt
1 pound penne rigate pasta
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
3 to 4 tablespoons butter
Directions
- Heat a medium nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 cup of the oil and the garlic, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the garlic, stirring often and mashing gently with a wooden spoon, until golden brown and beginning to soften, 5 minutes. Add the basil, tomatoes and their juices, the carrots and cheese rinds. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Bring to a simmer and adjust the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 35 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
- Remove the rinds, carrots and basil. At this point you can use an immersion blender to puree slightly or leave it as a chunky sauce.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne 2 minutes less than the package directions. Meanwhile, rewarm the sauce in a large, straight-sided skillet set over medium heat. Using a spider, strain the pasta from the water and add it directly into the pan with sauce, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Before stirring, sprinkle the pasta with the grated cheese. Toss the pasta, cheese and sauce together. Add the butter, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the reserved pasta water and continue to cook until the sauce is creamy and the pasta is al dente. Serve topped with more cheese if desired.