If you’re looking for a fabulous, simple baked penne to feed a crowd, you’ve come to the right place!
I’ve been watching a ton of Nicki Positano on YouTube the last year and she often features baked pasta with loads of cubed mozzarella in her inspiring Amalfi Coast videos. The last time I saw her make one, I thought, I’m going to try that! And it came out delicious.
First, cook the pasta according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, simmer some whole peeled tomatoes (I used organic canned tomatoes but by all means, feel free to do this when you’ve got loads of Roma tomatoes in the garden!) with garlic, fresh oregano, basil, and Italian parsley.
Toss the penne with the sauce and a whole ball of mozzarella, cut into cubes. Top with parmesan and pop in the oven until the mozzarella is all melty. So easy! All you need is a nice salad with leafy greens and some warm bread and you are dinner party ready in less than half an hour. Buon appetito!
Baked Penne1 box penne pasta
1 Tbsp olive oil
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes
Sea salt, black pepper
1 Tbsp fresh oregano
1 Tbsp fresh basil
1 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley
8 oz mozzarella ball, cut into small cubes
Parmesan cheese
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cook penne in salted water according to package directions.
- While water is boiling, heat olive oil in a large pan over medium low heat. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, just until garlic starts to brown. Add whole peeled tomatoes, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Raise heat to medium and let tomatoes simmer while pasta cooks.
- When tomatoes have mostly become a sauce, season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Stir in fresh oregano, basil, and Italian parsley. Add a small ladle full of pasta water to the sauce and continue to let simmer until pasta finishes cooking.
- Drain the pasta and add penne to the sauce, stirring to coat with the sauce. Pour pasta and sauce into a 9×13 baking dish. Toss with cubed mozzarella and top with grated parmesan. Bake until mozzarella is melted to your liking, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately with lots of parmesan cheese and more chopped herbs.
Happy baking,
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