Penne with Triple Tomato Sauce

Hello friends. . it’s been a while. We moved to WA and are all settled in. I’m ready to get cooking again!

So, I made this dish for Valentine’s day. . don’t know about you, but after the kids, we don’t go out to eat as much anymore and trying to get a reservation for Valentine’s day and a sitter? Forget it. Not worth the effort or money. This recipe is super quick and simple. If you like penna pasta and tomatoes, give it a shot! Creating the sauce in a blender is not for everyone (and initially I did not like it) but I’ve made some adjustments and will definitely go back to this one if I am in a crunch!

INGREDIENTS

1 pound penne
2 medium tomatoes (5 ounces each), cut into 1-inch dice
4 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 large basil leaves
1 garlic clove
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the penne until al dente.
Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the diced tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, garlic and olive oil. Puree until smooth. Pour the tomato sauce into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.

3. To me, this sauce tastes much better HOT (or warm) so heat up the sauce, either on the stove or in the microwave (in a microwave safe dish)

4. Drain the pasta, add it to the sauce and toss well to coat. Add more salt & pepper if you’d like and tear more basil to throw on top! Serve the pasta piping hot.