Penne al forno
Penne al forno with Fruity Cherry Tomatoes and Mozzarella
Al forno—these two words immediately bring to mind bubbling sauces, cheese au gratin, and deliciously aromatic dishes. Whether it’s tortellini al forno, gnocchi al forno, or, for example, melanzane alla parmigiana—these dishes have one thing in common: they come from the oven! Al forno literally translates to “baked in the oven.”
In this “al forno” recipe for homemade penne al forno, it’s all about using good ingredients—you don’t need many of them. And the best part: our penne al forno is easy to prepare in advance. All you have to do is pop the casserole in the oven and wait until it smells irresistibly good. With Italian dishes like this, it’s the high-quality ingredients and the simplicity that ultimately make the dish a truly special taste experience. Good food doesn’t have to be complicated.
Ingredients
300 g penne
1 can of ORO di Parma unpeeled cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp ORO di Parma tomato paste with basil
1 clove of garlic
1 onion
1 small chili pepper
125 g mozzarella
100 g Parmesan*
1 handful of basil
Sea salt, sugar, and freshly ground pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
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*Certain types of cheese (e.g., Parmesan) are made with animal rennet and are therefore not suitable for vegetarian dishes.
Step 1 : The Sauce
Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Remove the seeds from the chili pepper and chop it finely as well. Slice the mozzarella.
Heat the oil in a pot. Sauté the onions and chili pepper, then add the tomato paste. Let it cook briefly, then add the cherry tomatoes. Season to taste with pepper, a little sugar, and salt. Then add the garlic and let it simmer briefly.
Step 2 : The Pasta
Cook the penne in salted water according to the package directions. In the meantime, grate the Parmesan. Is the penne al dente? Then drain the pasta and add it to the tomato sauce. Toss the tomato sauce with the pasta and about half of the grated Parmesan.
Step 3 : The Casserole
Place the penne and sauce in a baking dish, arrange the mozzarella slices over the penne, and generously sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on top. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 15–20 minutes, until the tomato sauce and cheese are bubbling deliciously.
Ingredients
300 g penne
1 can of ORO di Parma unpeeled cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp ORO di Parma tomato paste with basil
1 clove of garlic
1 onion
1 small chili pepper
125 g mozzarella
100 g Parmesan*
1 handful of basil
Sea salt, sugar, and freshly ground pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
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*Certain types of cheese (e.g., Parmesan) are made with animal rennet and are therefore not suitable for vegetarian dishes.
