If you are a master in the kitchen or love to cook for your family, you might already know all about penne pasta. The penne pasta is a tube like noodle which is a couple of inches long. The penne noodle shape and size make it a very useful choice for many different types of salads, main dishes and pasta recipes that the whole family will love.
For almost any recipe, penne pasta needs to be cooked ahead of time. Take a large pot and fill it with several quarts of water. If you are preparing one box of pasta, that should be enough but if you are cooking two or more boxes, you will want the water to the top of the pot.
Once the pot of water boils, pour the noodles in. They will take approximately 5 – 10 minutes to cook until they are tender. Depending if you are making a salad or a baked dish with them will determine how ender you want the noodles to be. Some dishes may call for the noodles to be left slightly hard, so if they absorb moisture from a salad dressing they won’t become mushy.
If you are making a hot dish, drain the noodles right away and start making your dish with the necessary ingredients. If you are making a salad, let the noodles cool before you mix them up.
For Cheesy Meat and Penne Pasta
1 box penne pasta, cooked and drained
1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
1 jar tomato sauce
1 package mozzarella cheese, shredded
Grease the inside of a large baking dish. Mix the cooked pasta noodles, the ground beef and the tomato sauce inside. Pour half of the shredded cheese inside and mix well. Pour the rest of the cheese over the top of the dish and then cover with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 15 – 20 minutes. Remove the lid and let it cook for another 5 minutes or until the cheese on top becomes a light brown color. Serve with garlic brad or green beans and you have a complete meal.
Chicken and Vegetable Pasta Salad
1 box penne pasta, cooked and cooled
1 can shredded chicken
1cup green beans, thawed
1 cup corn, thawed
1 cup carrots, thawed
1 cup peas, thawed
2 c mayo
Salt
Pepper
In a large bowl, add in the noodles with 1 tablespoon of oil to keep it from sticking together while it cools. When the noodles are completely cool, add in the chicken and the mayo and stir well. Slowly add in the vegetables and stir until the mixture is covered. If the mayo soaks in quickly, more may be added until it is to your likeness for creaminess.
Add salt and pepper to your taste. Serve overtop of lettuce or serve on its own as a meal or a side dish to another meat – Penne Pasta.