Penne Rosa is a creamy tomato pasta dish, with a delightful kick! This 15 minute meal is sure to please!
Noodles and Company makes a delicious pasta dish they call Penne Rosa. It was love at first bite and we knew it would be incredibly simple to make it at home. And bonus, at home you get to add more of the good stuff that restaurants always skimp out on to cut costs. That’s right, this recipe is even BETTER than Noodles and Co. And better yet, it takes just 15 minutes to whip this pasta up, making it a staple weeknight meal. It’s packed full of fresh ingredients like tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach, so you’re also getting your veggies in. This is a complete meal. Add some chicken if you’d like, but this is a meal we enjoy meatless. Welcome to one of our family favorites!
Pasta Options for Penne Rosa:
We love this dish with penne, but you could really use just about any pasta. Penne, rigatoni, elbows, and shells are all great options.
Mushrooms:
We know many of you have strong opinions about mushrooms. While you technically could make this dish without mushrooms, we find that they add so much to this dish, and we highly recommend them!
Spice Level:
This dish has a delightful bit of heat to it, but it is not overpowering. If you are particularly spice sensitive, keep it at 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. If you enjoy spice, go ahead and use that full 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, or even add more!
Heavy Cream Substitute:
Heavy cream makes penne rosa perfectly creamy. If you would like a bit lighter version of this dish, you may use half and half.
Storage and Reheating Instructions:
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat until warmed through.
If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other delicious pasta recipes:
- Super Easy Olive Oil Pasta
- Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti
Watch the video below where we will walk you through every step of the recipe with a video demonstration.
This is such a pretty dish! I’m making it this evening and can’t wait to see how it turns it out. I’m also adding onions into it.
Would bacon be good in this recipe?
Is bacon ever NOT good in pasta? 🙂 Sure would be worth a try!
So sad they closed locations in Houston , but will be making this as soon as possible. A perfect dish, thanks for sharing!
Just made it today for lunch. It was a good substitute. There are no noodles and company locations here, and I was having a bad craving for penne rosa. I cut the recipie in half. I think i will have to tweak it a little if I’m going to make half again. Really nice easy recipe! Thank you!
What about sun dried tomatoes!! I think the Noodles and co version has them.
Nope! The Noodles and Co. version does not include sun-dried tomatoes at any location I’ve ever been to.
No they do not use sun dried tomatoes. I add 1 cup of white wine like they do and it tastes Alot better
what is marinara and can it be purchased in the UK
Marinara is an Italian tomato based sauce.
Is there anyway to make this without the heavy cream?
You can always use milk or half and half in its place.
I love noodles and company and have tried a couple receipts before that did not work out….this one was perfect! Just make sure you start with a good marinara sauce …we used Raos brand and it was delicious.i cut th receipe in half and it was perfect for two..will definitely make again !! Thank you
This was absolutely amazing!! Tasted almost identical to noodles and co but so much better!!
Just made this! It does taste better than noodles and co. I added peas, broccoli and chicken! Yum
So glad you liked it! I think it tastes better than theirs too. 🙂