Penne noodles tossed in creamy tomato sauce is everyone’s favorite on pasta night! Enjoy this Penne Rosa recipe that’s just like the menu favorite from Noodles & Co.
Stuck in a dinner rut? Try our Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole recipe. Total comfort food! Or whip up these Zucchini Meatballs for a vegetarian dinner.
Why this Recipe is Best
When it comes to deciding what pasta recipes to make for dinner, I’m always faced with a quandry: cream sauce or tomato sauce?
Sometimes I know for sure I’m in the mood for a simple marinara sauce. Other times, nothing sounds better than a creamy cheesy sauce like in our Sausage Alfredo.
But more often than not, I’m indecisive. I want both.
This Penne Rosa recipe brings you the best of both worlds! Inspired by the Noodles & Co. menu favorite, this red sauce is about to change your pasta game forever.
Now, you can have that herb-y, tangy, garlicy flavor of your favorite red sauces AND the luscious creaminess of white sauces all in one.
What is Penne Rosa
I first sampled Penne Rosa at the restaurant Noodles & Company. a while back. A friend of mine recommended I order it next time I found myself at a Noodles & Co. and I’m glad she did.
After a few bites of that pasta with mushrooms and spinach in a zesty tomato cream sauce, I was already scheming about how to recreate it in my own kitchen.
I loved the slight spicy kick to the sauce that complimented the rich creamy texture so well!
The savory mushrooms and the chunks of fresh tomato in each bite got a big thumbs up, too. . .and no pasta dish is complete without a little (or a lot) of Parmesan cheese on top!
This Penne Rosa Noodles and Company copy cat recipe tastes even better than the restaurant version (in my humble opinion). If you’re looking for a pasta recipe that’s easy and fresh, with the warmth of comfort food, this is just the ticket.
Ingredients You’ll Need
To make my Penne Rosa Noodles and Company recipe, I started with these ingredients:
{Ingredients at a glance; scroll down for amounts and full printable recipe]
- Penne pasta noodles
- Marinara sauce
- Sliced mushrooms
- Garlic, pressed
- Roma tomatoes, diced
- Heavy whipping cream
- Fresh spinach leaves
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper
- Grated Parmesan cheese
Served on its own, this pasta recipe happens to be vegetarian. It has so much flavor you won’t even miss the meat!
Easy Instructions
STEP 1. Cook penne pasta according to package directions.
STEP 2. While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for about 3 minutes, until mushrooms are tender.
To the skillet, add the pressed garlic and cook for an additional minute.
STEP 3. Stir in cooked and drained penne pasta, marinara sauce, and crushed red pepper flakes.
STEP 4. Add in fresh diced tomatoes and spinach. Stir to combine and cook until spinach is mostly wilted. Stir in the heavy cream. Add kosher salt and pepper. Heat just until warm.
Serve hot with plenty of fresh parmesan cheese grated on top! This would be delicious served with a side of Garlic Bread and a simple homemade Olive Garden salad for a full Italian feast.
Tips & Tricks
- This is a meatless meal that’s full of flavor! If you want to add some meat, go for it. Parmesan crusted chicken, tilapia , Italian sausage or pork chops would all taste wonderful in Penne Rosa.
- Like it spicier? Add more red pepper flakes to taste! Or, swap out the tomatoes for Rotel Tomatoes (my favorite)!
- Any marinara sauce or tomato-based spaghetti sauce will be delicious in this recipe. Make your own or use your favorite store bought sauce.
- Cook the pasta to al dente to avoid the noodles getting soggy when you add them to the sauce.
- This is not the time to substitute skim milk or other lower fat alternatives to the cream. Real whipping cream is what gives this sauce the silky texture and incredibly creamy flavor. It’s worth it, I promise!
- Don’t have penne? You can still make this dish with other shaped noodles. Farfalle Rosa, Ziti rosa, linguini rosa. . . whatever pasta you have in your pantry can go right into this sauce. Or serve it up with zoodles!
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Penne Rosa
Ingredients
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 8 oz sliced mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic pressed
- 1 ½ cups marinara sauce
- 1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 roma tomatoes diced
- 3 cups fresh spinach
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook penne pasta according to package directions.
- While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for about 3 minutes, until mushrooms are tender.
- To the skillet, add the pressed garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Stir in cooked and drained penne pasta, marinara sauce, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Add in fresh diced tomatoes and spinach. Stir to combine and cook until spinach is mostly wilted.
- Stir in the heavy cream. Add salt and pepper. Heat just until warm.
- Serve hot with parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Add parmesan crusted pork chops for a complete protein packed dinner.
- Skip the pasta and serve over zoodles.
- Like it spicier? Add more red pepper flakes to taste! Or, swap out the tomatoes for Rotel Tomatoes (my favorite)!
- Any marinara sauce or tomato-based spaghetti sauce will be delicious in this recipe. Make your own or use your favorite store bought sauce.
- Cook the pasta to al dente to avoid the noodles getting soggy when you add them to the sauce.
- This is not the time to substitute skim milk or other lower fat alternatives to the cream. Real whipping cream is what gives this sauce the silky texture and incredibly creamy flavor. It’s worth it, I promise!
- Don’t have penne? You can still make this dish with other shaped noodles. Farfalle Rosa, Ziti rosa, linguini rosa. . . whatever pasta you have in your pantry can go right into this sauce.
Nutrition
If you’re tired to making the same old pasta dishes, try my Penne Rosa recipe to shake things up! Zesty and creamy with the summertime flavors of fresh Roma Tomatoes, this pasta dinner is about as irresistible as it gets.
This was terrific! Very easy and quick to pull together, and super delicious! Thank you for the fantastic recipe.
You’re welcome, glad you love it!
I’m planning to make this dish for my family. I do not like mushrooms and neither does my dad or brother mushrooms, but my sister and mother do. Do you have any suggestions or tips for being able to cook their portions with mushrooms and the rest without mushrooms?
My daughter was craving this Noodles & Co meal so figured I’d try to make it. It turned out so amazing I’m making it for the second day in a row. Thanks for the great recipe!!
Great recipe! Super fast & really delicious!
I used to work at Noodles and Company and this is pretty accurate! The only difference is that we would sauté the noodles with the veggies and about 1/2 to 1 tbsp of white wine per serving. It really compliments the rest of the sauce!
That sounds like a delicious tip!
So easy and so good!
So so good! Spot on noodles and co copycat! Reheats amazingly too!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Oh, I could so take a huge bowl of this! Looks SO yummy!