Pasta in tomato sauce or Pasta marinara / Penne with marinara sauce

The pasta makes the easiest dinner after a tiresome whole day. If the sauce is precooked then the dinner is ready in minutes. You can also incorporate any veggies of your choice to this dish.

Preparation Time: 5 min
Cooking time:40 min
Serves:2

Ingredients needed:  

• Olive oil - 2 Tbsp
• Garlic cloves, minced - 5
• Tomato, finely chopped/pureed - 5 large
• Onion, finely chopped - 1 small
• Dried Oregano - 1/2 tsp
• Fresh parsley, finely chopped - 1 tbsp
• Fresh basil - 1 spring
• Paprika/red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - To taste
• Penne Pasta - 2 cup
• Shredded cheese (Optional)

Preparation:

Marinara sauce:

• Heat oil in a pan and add garlic to it.
• Then add onion and saute until translucent.
• Add tomatoes, bring to boil and cook for 10 minutes with closed lid.
• Check in between to make sure not to stick to the bottom.
• Again cook for 10 minutes with open lid and occasional stirring.
• Add spices and herbs and cook for few more minutes.
• Marinara sauce is ready.

Pasta:

• Cook Penne as per the package.
• Bring a pot of water to boil, add salt and  oil.
• Add pasta to it and cook uncovered until al dente, firm not mushy.
• Once pasta cooked, drain water using a colander.

Serving:

• Add cooked pasta to the marinara sauce and toss.
• Add shredded cheese and mix well on low heat.
• Serve hot. 

Notes:

1. The marinara sauce can be refrigerated up to 3-4 days or freezes up to 2 months.
2. You can also add cooked seasonal vegetables while mixing sauce and cooked pasta.
3. You can completely skip the use of cheese if you want.
4. You can use shredded Parmesan or mozzarella or any cheese of your taste.