Quick and Easy Penne Recipe: Bold Flavor with Zero Fuss

Quick and Easy Penne: A Fast Pantry Pasta That Doesn’t Cut Corners

When you’re low on ingredients but high on hunger, Quick and Easy Penne saves the day. This recipe delivers comfort and flavor in minutes—without the need for fancy sauces or a long list of ingredients.

A Pasta Dish Built for Busy Days

Some days call for shortcuts in the kitchen. Maybe you’ve just come home from work. Maybe your fridge looks bare. Whatever the reason, this penne dish steps in as the perfect solution. It uses common pantry staples to create something unexpectedly rich and satisfying.

Tomato Soup: The Secret Sauce Hack

Instead of a traditional marinara, this recipe leans on tomato soup—yes, the kind in your pantry. A classic like Campbell’s Cream of Tomato adds creaminess and a touch of sweetness that balances beautifully with the pasta.

Boosting Flavor with Herbs and Garlic

To lift the sauce from basic to bold, stir in dried herbs like oregano or basil. Garlic powder or freshly minced garlic brings depth and a bit of bite. If you have an open bottle of white wine, add a splash. It deepens the flavor and adds just the right hint of acidity.

The Cheese That Makes It Sing

A crumble of blue cheese gives this dish a subtle tang and creamy texture. Don’t like blue cheese? Swap it out for feta, Parmesan, goat cheese, or whatever’s in your fridge. That’s the magic of Quick and Easy Penne—flexibility meets flavor.

Ready in 10 Minutes, Enjoyed Anytime

The best part? This dish comes together in just 10 minutes. Toss the pasta with your sauce, let it simmer for a few, and you’re done. Serve it hot for dinner, or chill it for a cold pasta salad the next day. Leftovers store beautifully in the fridge and taste even better after the flavors meld.

Quick and Easy Penne: A Go-To Pasta for Everyday Life

This recipe isn’t just about speed—it’s about convenience that still delivers bold, satisfying flavor. Keep a can of tomato soup, some pasta, and your favorite cheese on hand, and you’re always just minutes away from a comforting plate of penne.

Next time you need dinner fast, don’t reach for takeout. Whip up Quick and Easy Penne instead—a simple, smart, and tasty way to turn humble ingredients into something special.

Quick and Easy Penne Recipe: Bold Flavor with Zero Fuss

Author: Dino B Cooking Method: Boiling, Sautée Cuisine: Cuisine, Italian Cuisine

Difficulty: Easy Cook Time 10 mins Total Time 10 mins

Servings: 4

Description

If you ever find yourself in a rush and not with all the ingredients or time to make red sauce from scratch this is a really fast substitute that tastes great. Most pantries have soup for this penne sauce I substitute it with tomato soup, in fact, Campbell's Cream of Tomato, which makes it very creamy but you can use any tomato soup.

All you need is some dried herbs, the soup, some garlic fresh or powder, and hopefully some cheese, the best is blue cheese, you won't really taste it but it adds to the flavor. And what household does not have wine? A cup of wine in the pasta sauce does wonders. This is really fast you can prepare it in 10 minutes and if you make a large batch of pasta then you can keep it in the refrigerator, as you can enjoy this penne both warm or cold. So here is a simple and fast recipe for Penne with tomato sauce.

Keep in mind the serving is really based on the amount of Pasta. Usually, one can of soup is fine for an average-sized pasta package, you can multiply it if you need to make more. I usually add more tomato paste (I like to keep the ones in a tube) as I really like that strong tomato taste and color and the cream of tomato soup is more orange than red, but I leave that to individual tastes. The nice thing is the pasta has enough flavor that you don't even need to add more cheese before eating but if you prefer to add some shredded parmesan by all means sprinkle on top before eating.

Ingredients

Servings

• 1 pack of penne pasta (you can use any pasta)
• 1 can of tomato soup (I used Campbell Cream of Tomato)
• 1 tbsp dried basil (You can use fresh if you have it. Chop it fine.)
• 1 pinch of garlic powder or to taste
• 1 tbsp blue cheese
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 dash ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp tomato paste (I usually keep those tomato pastes in tubes in the refrigerator as they are easy to use for smaller quantities.)

Instructions

1. In a pot boil hot water and after it starts boiling add some salt and stir, then add a package of penne pasta and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes or as instructed on the package note some fresh pasta requires very little cooking time. After it is done cooking drain the water and add a tablespoon of olive oil and mix.
2. In another pot open a can of tomato soup and add some hot water to the can and rinse any remainder. As it is heating up stir it and add the following: a tablespoon of dried basil or if you have fresh ones roll up the leaves and slice them, add black pepper, garlic, and two tablespoons of tomato paste (optional), I like the intense flavor and color of tomatoes, add a cup of white wine and if you don't have white wine don't worry red will do! Mix and let it start bubbling. Then toward the end add a tablespoon of blue cheese and continue stirring until it melts.
   
3. Now you are ready to add the sauce to the pasta just pour it on top of the pasta with the heat on and mix it well until the pasta is fully covered and mixed.
   
4. It is ready! You can enjoy it warm or keep it in the refrigerator as it tastes as good when it is cold as a snack!