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Penne with Tomato and Balsamic Vinegar Sauce á la Marcella Hazan
Prep Time
3 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
33 mins
 
Tomato and Balsamic Vinegar Sauce with Penne is a delicious and easy meal that can be prepared within the time it takes to cook the pasta. Rosemary and balsamic vinegar are the special ingredients, creating a light sauce with chunky tomatoes and garlic/rosemary infused olive oil. The splash of balsamic vinegar at the end brightens up the tomato-garlic-rosemary infusion creating a very elegant delicious sauce. It is one of my favorite pasta sauces and meals from Marcella Hazan's, Marcella's Italian Cookbook

 You can make this for a light and quick supper served with a tossed green salad, or add cooked sausage, fried crispy prosciutto, or as a side to grilled chicken. If you do add the sausage cook it separately so you do not add additional fat in sauce. Then slice the sausage to your desired size and mix in with the sauce when it is all cooked. Serve tomato sauce with balsamic vinegar and penne immediately and garnish with grated Romano or Parmesan Reggiano cheese.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Ginger
Ingredients
  • 1 lb box of dried penne pasta
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 - 4 garlic cloves sliced very thin (green germ removed)
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (about 4-6 inches long) or 2 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary chopped
  • 2 cups canned Italian peeled plum tomatoes (1 lb 12 oz, 794 g, can of plum tomatoes)
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 tea balsamic vinegar
Instructions
  1. Fill a large sauce pot with water and place on the stove at high heat. Bring the water to boil.
  2. Meanwhile, place a skillet or sauté pan on the stove over medium heat. Add olive oil, sliced garlic, and fresh minced rosemary to the pan, (if using dried rosemary don't add it yet.) Gently cook the herbs until the garlic begins to sizzle. Add the tomatoes to the pan, squishing the tomatoes into smaller sized chunks, or use a knife to cut the tomatoes up. If using dried rosemary add it after you have added the tomatoes. Add a pinch of kosher salt and a little of freshly ground pepper. Cook the tomato sauce, stirring occasionally, at a gentle simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.
  3. Turn off heat
  4. When the water comes to boil add 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt and the pasta to the pot. Cook the pasta according the directions on the back of the box. You will need to stir the pasta frequently while it cooks to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Cook the pasta to al dente and drain the water. Return the pasta to the pot.
  5. Just before the pasta is finished cooking, turn the heat on under the tomato sauce to medium and gently heat it up. After you have added the cooked pasta back into its pot, add the warmed tomato sauce and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Mix together until everything is evenly combined and the pasta is nicely coated with the tomato sauce.
  6. Serve immediately with grated Romano or Parmesan Reggiano cheese.
Recipe Notes

If you are cooking a 1/2 pound of pasta use the same amount of sauce instead of decreasing the recipe in half. You will enjoy the extra sauce coating the pasta and it will not be too much.