Penne in barca

“Penne in barca” is a fun and tasty dish named for its presentation: the penne are positioned to resemble small boats. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 400 g of penne rigate
• 500 g of tomato puree
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 200 g of mozzarella
• 100 g of grated Parmesan
• Fresh basil
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation

1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil for cooking the pasta. Once boiling, add the penne and cook until al dente. Drain while conserving some of the cooking water.
2. In a large pan, sauté the garlic cloves in extra virgin olive oil until golden. Then add the tomato puree, salt, and pepper to taste, and let simmer for about 15 minutes.
3. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
4. Once the sauce is ready, remove the garlic cloves and add the penne to the pan with the sauce, mix well to coat the pasta. If necessary, add a bit of the cooking water to make it creamier.
5. Grease a baking dish with some oil and arrange the penne vertically, as if they were little boats lined up.
6. Cut the mozzarella into cubes and insert the pieces among the penne in the dish.
7. Sprinkle everything with grated Parmesan and some torn basil leaves.
8. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the mozzarella has melted and a light golden crust has formed on the surface.
9. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.

Trivia

This dish is sort of an alternative version of baked pasta and can be customized to personal tastes: some variations may include adding ricotta to the sauce, or pieces of salami or cooked ham among the “boats” of penne to further enhance the flavor.