My skinny-as-a-spatula 10-year old nephew who won’t eat anything ate this penne pasta with gusto and asked for more. My carb-avoiding sister couldn’t resist it. My father declared it a triumph! Later that night, Dad had my mom recount to him exactly what she did to make this particular penne pasta dish. Thank goodness, because experience has shown that my mother’s memory for recipes has a half-life of only a few hours. Sure enough, when we asked her to make it again a few days later (so we could get a good photo for this post) she had a hard time recalling the details. Diligent Dad supplied a few notes and it all came back to her.
Tip for the Meat Sauce
The main trick to this penne pasta recipe? Sufficiently browning the meat for the meat sauce! Which means using a cast iron frying pan on high heat, letting the ground beef cook in its own fat, and not stirring it, so that the meat has a chance to brown well.
How to Store and Freeze
Leftovers of this penne pasta will keep for about five days and reheat well in the microwave. If the mixture seems dry, stir in a splash of water or milk to loosen it up again. The meat sauce also freezes quite well, though not with the pasta. If you want to freeze some or all of the meat sauce for future meals, just skip adding the pasta. To freeze the sauce by itself, cook the sauce completely, then let it cool completely. Transfer to freezer containers or bags, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating, or reheat directly from the freezer over low heat in a sauce pan. Add a splash or two of water or milk to loosen up the sauce if it seems dry.
Try These Other Great Pasta Dinners
Baked Ziti Hamburger and Macaroni Pepperoni Pizza Penne Pasta Shrimp Pasta alla Vodka Pasta Skillet with Chicken Sausage, Cheese, and Spinach
Leave uncovered, let cook on high heat with a vigorous boil. Put the timer on for 8-10 minutes, or whatever your pasta package says is appropriate for al dente (cooked but still a little firm). Drain. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened. Add the garlic, fresh thyme, season with salt and pepper. Cook for an additional minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside. If the pan is too hot and the meat is burning, not browning, take the pan off the heat for a little, and reduce the heat to medium high. On our coil electric stove, it takes the high heat setting for the meat to brown sufficiently, but your stove may be different. Once the meat is browned on one side (a couple of minutes), use a metal spatula to flip the meat over to brown on the other side. At this point, assuming you are using a cast iron pan, you can remove the pan from the heat. The residual heat in the pan will finish cooking the meat. Add tomato sauce. Use the edge of your metal spatula to break up the bigger chunks of meat into smaller pieces. Add basil. Add a teaspoon of sugar. Bring to a simmer on low heat, let cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
