Penne noodles tossed in creamy tomato sauce is everyone's favorite on pasta night! Enjoy this Penne Rosa recipe that's just like the menu favorite from Noodles & Co.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Total Time25 minutesmins
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: copycat noodles & co, penne pasta recipes
While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for about 3 minutes, until mushrooms are tender.
To the skillet, add the pressed garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Stir in cooked and drained penne pasta, marinara sauce, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Add in fresh diced tomatoes and spinach. Stir to combine and cook until spinach is mostly wilted.
Stir in the heavy cream. Add salt and pepper. Heat just until warm.
Serve hot with parmesan cheese.
Notes
Add parmesan crusted pork chops for a complete protein packed dinner.
Like it spicier? Add more red pepper flakes to taste! Or, swap out the tomatoes for Rotel Tomatoes (my favorite)!
Any marinara sauce or tomato-based spaghetti sauce will be delicious in this recipe. Make your own or use your favorite store bought sauce.
Cook the pasta to al dente to avoid the noodles getting soggy when you add them to the sauce.
This is not the time to substitute skim milk or other lower fat alternatives to the cream. Real whipping cream is what gives this sauce the silky texture and incredibly creamy flavor. It's worth it, I promise!
Don't have penne? You can still make this dish with other shaped noodles. Farfalle Rosa, Ziti rosa, linguini rosa. . . whatever pasta you have in your pantry can go right into this sauce.