Penne with Tomato, Cream & Five Cheeses: Your New Favorite Baked Pasta Recipe

Imagine a dish that perfectly blends the comforting familiarity of your favorite mac & cheese with the sophisticated layers of a baked ziti, yet somehow surpasses both in pure deliciousness. That’s exactly what you get with this exquisite Penne with Tomato, Cream & Five Cheeses. It’s a symphony of flavors and textures, promising a culinary experience that is both rich and incredibly satisfying.

What’s even better? This decadent dish is surprisingly quick and easy to prepare. With minimal hands-on time, it transforms into a bubbling, golden-brown masterpiece in just ten minutes in the oven. Don’t just take our word for it; try this recipe at home, and you’ll understand why it’s destined to become a staple in your kitchen.

The Storied Origin and Delicious Adaptations of This Baked Penne

This remarkable dish first graced the tables of Al Forno, a highly regarded trattoria located in Providence, Rhode Island. Al Forno is renowned for its robust and imaginative Italian cooking, and this Penne with Tomato, Cream & Five Cheeses quickly became a signature item. Its genius lies in its simplicity and the masterful combination of ingredients.

My attention was drawn to this particular adaptation while exploring pasta recipes on Food52, a treasure trove of culinary inspiration. What’s fascinating about Al Forno’s approach is their commitment to seasonal variation, which truly allows this dish to evolve throughout the year. This philosophy encourages home cooks to experiment and make the recipe their own, ensuring it never gets boring.

Embracing Seasonal Creativity with Your Pasta Bake

The beauty of this recipe extends beyond its foundational flavors. Al Forno itself is known for introducing delightful seasonal twists, inspiring us to do the same:

• They’ve been known to infuse the mix with fresh asparagus and bright lemon zest, adding a springtime vibrancy and a subtle tang.
• Imagine creating a stunning fall rendition by incorporating sweet pumpkin puree and savory pancetta, transforming it into a hearty, autumnal comfort food.
• For a more robust and earthy flavor, the popular combination of tender broccoli rabe and spicy sausage makes an excellent addition, offering a delightful contrast to the creamy sauce.

If you’re looking for even more inspiration, do yourself a favor and explore their cookbook, Cucina Simpatica: Robust Trattoria Cooking From Al Forno. It’s truly packed full of innovative ideas that will elevate your Italian cooking.

Tomato Cream vs. Vodka Sauce: What Makes This Dish Unique?

You might be wondering if this Penne with Tomato, Cream & Five Cheeses is simply another variation of a classic tomato cream sauce or a vodka sauce. While the luxurious, velvety texture might feel familiar, that’s where the similarities largely end. This dish transcends a basic tomato cream sauce, offering a depth of flavor that is truly unparalleled.

The magic lies in the carefully selected blend of five distinct cheeses. Each cheese contributes its own unique character – from the sharp, salty notes of Pecorino Romano to the pungent earthiness of Gorgonzola and the melt-in-your-mouth richness of Fontina. This complex cheese combination creates a flavor profile that is far more nuanced and utterly delicious than a standard cream or vodka sauce, making every bite an unforgettable experience.

The Quintessential Ingredients for Your Five Cheese Penne

The success of this Penne with Tomato, Cream & Five Cheeses hinges on a selection of high-quality ingredients. Each plays a crucial role in building the dish’s incredible depth of flavor and creamy texture:

• Heavy Cream: This is the backbone of our rich sauce. While whipping cream can be a substitute, heavy cream is preferred for its slightly higher fat content, which yields a more decadent and velvety finish.
• Canned Tomatoes in Heavy Puree: Opt for chopped or crushed tomatoes. My personal recommendation is to use organic whole San Marzano tomatoes. Crushing them by hand not only gives you better control over the texture but also creates rustic, uneven chunks that add character to the sauce.
• Pecorino Romano Cheese: Always use freshly grated Pecorino Romano. This hard, salty Italian cheese made from sheep’s milk brings a sharp, piquant flavor that beautifully cuts through the richness of the cream and other cheeses. Locatelli is a widely available and excellent brand.
• Fontina Cheese: Coarsely shredded Fontina is a semi-hard Italian cow’s milk cheese cherished for its exceptionally rich, creamy texture and a delightful nutty, buttery flavor. Its taste can range from earthy to subtly mushroomy, with an increasing sharpness as it ages, adding a complex layer to our cheese blend.
• Gorgonzola Cheese: Crumbled Gorgonzola, a renowned blue-veined Italian cheese, provides a distinct yet milder blue cheese flavor compared to some of its counterparts. Its creamy consistency melts beautifully, contributing a tangy and slightly sweet pungency that elevates the entire dish.
• Creamy Ricotta Cheese: Regular whole milk ricotta works wonderfully here, delivering excellent results. For those seeking an extra layer of indulgence, Galbani’s double cream ricotta offers twice the creaminess, making the sauce even more luxurious.
• Thinly Sliced Mozzarella Cheese: Low-moisture mozzarella is the ideal choice for its superior melting qualities and less watery outcome. Slicing your own from a block of good quality mozzarella ensures a better melt and a fresher taste compared to pre-shredded options.
• Kosher Salt: An essential seasoning. If using table salt as a substitute, exercise caution: table salt is denser, so use approximately two-thirds the amount specified for kosher salt to avoid over-salting. Salting your pasta water generously is also crucial for flavorful pasta.
• Fresh Basil Leaves: Coarsely chopped fresh basil is non-negotiable for its vibrant, sweet, and slightly peppery aroma. Its fresh notes provide a perfect counterpoint to the rich cheeses and tomatoes.
• Penne Rigate Pasta: For optimal flavor and to avoid undesirable additives like glyphosate often found in American-made pastas, I strongly recommend using pasta imported from Italy. The ridged surface of penne rigate also excels at clinging to the luscious sauce.
• Unsalted Butter: Thinly sliced pats of unsalted butter are dotted on top before baking. Using unsalted butter is key to controlling the overall sodium content of the dish and allows the natural, pure butter flavor to shine through, enhancing the crust.

Crafting Your Perfect Penne Bake: Simple Steps for Amazing Results

The beauty of this Penne with Tomato, Cream & Five Cheeses recipe lies in its straightforward preparation. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can bring this gourmet-level dish together.

The Secret to Superior Pasta: Why Imported Matters

In our household, we’ve made a conscious choice to exclusively use organic imported pasta, and for good reason. A significant concern with many American-made pastas is the potential presence of toxic glyphosate, a widely used herbicide. Choosing imported pasta, particularly from Italy, helps us avoid this issue, ensuring a cleaner, purer product.

One of our top recommendations is Garofalo Pasta. For this particular recipe, their Penne Ziti Rigate is absolutely perfect. It’s readily available in a convenient six-pack on Amazon. However, for those who are Costco members, definitely keep an eye out for it there – we’ve often found six pounds of this premium organic pasta for an incredible price, sometimes as low as $9.99.

The important takeaway here is that not all pastas are created equal. Different brands have varying cooking times and textures. For example, Garofalo typically recommends cooking their penne for 11 minutes for a perfect al dente. For this baked pasta recipe, you’ll parboil the pasta for only 4 minutes. This partial cooking allows the pasta to finish absorbing the rich sauce and flavors while baking in the oven, resulting in that ideal al dente texture that holds up beautifully. If you’re using a brand with a different recommended cooking time, be sure to adjust your parboiling time accordingly to achieve the best results.

It’s important to bake this pasta in a dish large enough to accommodate a shallow layer, ideally about one inch deep. This ensures that the heat penetrates evenly and that you achieve that delightful golden, bubbly top. You’ll have enough mixture to fill a very large baking dish, two medium-sized dishes, or six to eight smaller individual gratin dishes. The choice is yours, depending on your serving preference.

For a perfect outcome every time, I consistently reach for my Le Creuset 3-Quart Oval Baker. Its generous dimensions, measuring 17.3 x 2 x 10.2 inches, are ideal for creating the shallow layer required for the best possible crust and texture.

Once the pasta is perfectly arranged in your chosen baking dish and adorned with pats of butter, you’re just ten short minutes away from enjoying what might just become your new favorite baked pasta. The anticipation is part of the experience!

Admittedly, this isn’t a dish for those strictly counting calories or limiting fat intake. But sometimes, a little indulgence is exactly what the soul needs. As they say, moderation is key, and a dish this incredibly flavorful is absolutely worth the occasional splurge. It’s an experience that truly nourishes both body and spirit.

A Worthwhile Indulgence: Why This Penne with Tomato, Cream & Five Cheeses is a Must-Try

After its brief but intense stay in a very hot oven, the parboiled pasta lovingly melds with the rich, creamy tomato and five-cheese sauce. This process not only warms the dish through but also produces an exquisitely flavorful al dente texture that’s neither too soft nor too firm. The ingenious addition of butter dots on top ensures that the uppermost layer develops a satisfyingly crisp, golden-brown “crunch.” The result? Pure Perfection.

An added bonus to this already fantastic recipe is its make-ahead potential. You can easily assemble your Penne with Tomato, Cream & Five Cheeses earlier in the day, or even the day before. Simply cover and refrigerate it. When you’re ready to enjoy, just pop it into the preheated oven, and within minutes, you’ll have a hot, delicious, and incredibly satisfying meal. This makes it an ideal option for entertaining or for preparing a quick, gourmet weeknight dinner without the last-minute rush.

This Penne with Tomato, Cream & Five Cheeses is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or simply craving a deeply satisfying meal, this recipe delivers exceptional flavor with surprising ease. We encourage you to try it and experience the rich, comforting taste for yourself.

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