Categories: Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for finishing
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 3 (14 ounce) cans peeled cherry tomatoes
- 3 large, full stems basil
- 1 carrot, peeled and cut in half
- 1/2 pound parmigiano reggiano cheese rinds, cut into 3 inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pound penne rigate pasta
- 3 to 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
Directions
- Heat a medium nonreactive saucepan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and the garlic and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the garlic for 5 minutes, stirring often and mashing gently with a wooden spoon, until golden brown and beginning to soften. Add the cherry tomatoes and their juices, the basil, carrot and the parmesan rinds. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Bring to a simmer and adjust the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 35 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Season the sauce with the salt. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
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Remove the rinds, carrot and the basil. At this point you can use an immersion blender to puree slightly or leave it as a chunky sauce.
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne 2 minutes less than the package directions. Meanwhile, rewarm the sauce in a large, straight-sided skillet over medium heat. Using a spider, strain the pasta from the water and add directly into the pan with sauce. Before stirring, sprinkle the pasta with the 1/2 cup of grated parmesan. Toss the pasta, cheese and sauce together. Add the butter, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 cup of pasta water and continue to cook until the sauce is creamy and the pasta is al dente.
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Serve topped with more cheese if desired.