Cherry Tomato Sauce with Penne

The best ways to eat cherry tomatoes are as follows: plucked warm off the vine and eaten raw standing in front of the plant. Next best is raw, in some sort of salad. Third best is made into a sauce as I’ve done here. Ladle into bowls and top with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Step: 1

Combine cherry tomatoes, oil, garlic, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook and stir until garlic is just toasted, 2 to 3 minutes.

Step: 2

Pour chicken broth into tomato mixture; bring to a simmer and cook until tomatoes start to collapse and burst, about 10 minutes. Stir oregano and red pepper flakes into tomato mixture.

Step: 3

Puree tomato mixture with a stick blender until sauce is smooth.

Step: 4

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain and return pasta to the pot. Pour tomato sauce over penne and stir until pasta absorbs some of the sauce, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into pasta and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Per Serving: 475 calories; protein 17.7g; carbohydrates 76.2g; fat 12.3g; cholesterol 8.8mg; sodium 204mg.