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Marinara Pesto Penne Pasta

Marinara and Pesto Penne Pasta

Marinara and Pesto are a match made in heaven. If you haven't tried these together, I bet you should. The marriage of umami tomatoes and garlicky herby pesto is so scrumptious. This is a semi-homemade recipe, and god it is amazing.
5 from 12 votes
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Vegetarian
Keyword: 20 mins Easy Recipe, Semi-Homemade Recipes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 3
Calories: 893kcal
Author: Aayushi Patel

Equipment

  • Heavy Bottom Pot
  • Colander
  • Heavy Bottom Pan
  • Spatula

Ingredients

To Cook the Penne Pasta

  • 1 Lb Penne Pasta 1 box of Penne Pasta
  • 4 to 6 Quarts Water
  • 1.5 Tsp Salt

To Make the Sauce

  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1/2 Cup Onions Finely Chopped
  • 1.5 Tbsp Garlic Minced
  • 1 Tsp Mixed Italian Herbs
  • 1 Tsp Red Chili Flakes
  • 8-10 Baby Bella Mushrooms Sliced
  • 24 Oz Rao's Marinara 1 Jar of Marinara Sauce
  • 1/2 Cup Pesto
  • 1/3 Cup Mascarpone Cheese You can also use whipped cream cheese
  • 1 Cup Pasta Reserve Water We will reserve pasta water before straining the pasta.

Toppings

  • 2 Tbsp Flat Leaf Parsley Finely Chopped
  • 2-3 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese Finely Shredded
  • Red Chili Flakes

Instructions

To Cook The Pasta

  • Place a Heavy Bottom Pot on The Stove on High Flame.
  • Fill 4 to 6 quarts of water. Cover it and bring it to a boil.
  • Now when the water is heating up, start working on your sauce.
  • Once the water comes to a boil, add salt and full box of pasta.
  • Cook the pasta as per the box instructions until Al Dente.

To Make The Sauce

  • On a Medium Flame, place the heavy bottom pan on the stove.
  • Add olive oil and let it heat up.
  • Add finely chopped onions, garlic.
  • Once the onions soften, add red chili flakes, and Italian Seasoning along with sliced mushrooms and 1/2 tsp salt.
  • Saute the mushrooms until they are cooked. It should take like 3-5 minutes.
  • Add your marinara and pesto sauce to the pan. Mix everything well.
  • Let it cook for 2-3 minutes, then add mascarpone cheese or cream cheese. Mix it in the sauce and incorporate it well.
  • Once the pasta is boiled, save 1 cup of water. Then, strain the pasta using a clonader. Wash the pasta with cold water.
  • Add 1 Cup of Reserved Pasta Water to the sauce. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add your cooked pasta to the sauce. Mix it well.
  • Turn off the stove after a minute.

Serve The Pasta

  • Serve Pasta Hot topped with fresh parsley, red chili flakes and parmesan cheese

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 893kcal | Carbohydrates: 109g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 4136mg | Potassium: 5010mg | Fiber: 35g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 82120IU | Vitamin C: 717mg | Calcium: 1195mg | Iron: 26mg