If you enjoyed my vegetables and pasta au gratin recipe, you’ll love this one. It’s the same type of dish. Obviously, there are differences, but both dishes use pasta as a base as well as a cream sauce. And like the au gratin recipe, feel free to use any pasta you like. It really doesn’t matter. I happen to have an affinity for penne and rigatoni, with rigatoni’s boldness being my favorite, but even spaghetti would do well in either. So have at it.
What is Penne Rigate?
Penne is an interesting pasta. There are a few different variations of it. The name penne is Italian for “quill.” If you look at a piece, you’ll see why the Italians gave it the name penne. In general, penne comes in two varieties; smooth (lisce) and ridged (rigate). I actually haven’t seen much smooth penne in my life. I’ve mostly seen the rigate version. Penne rigate isn’t only ridged for looks – it’s got ridges because they firm up each piece, making it sturdier. The ridges also hold onto more sauce, making the pasta more fun to eat. So just to be clear, penne rigate is a variant of penne and rigate means ridged. There’s something you never thought you’d learn today.
The Recipe
Just as I was finishing preparing this dish, I gave it a tasting from the skillet. After that, I couldn’t wait to come write this post, just so I could tell the world (or anyone) how great it was. There are a few ingredients in the cream sauce that bring the flavors home. First and most prominent is the prosciutto. What flavors the prosciutto added to the entire dish. Because it’s simmered in the sauce, it keeps to itself, yet transfers its flavors to everything else, and what flavors they are. Salty and robust. Next is the mushroom. I adore mushroom and no matter what type is used, if cooked down enough, they’ll add tons of flavor to any dish. Finally is the garlic and the Parmesan cheese. I mean, c’mon. So in the cream sauce alone, among other things, is prosciutto, mushroom, garlic, and Parmesan. That makes for a good tasting dish. Cover the penne with that and you’ll have a good night.
I do want to make you aware of one thing though. To enjoy this dish’s flavors to the highest degree, you should eat it while hot, right out of the pan. All those flavors meld together and while excellent when piping hot, they don’t make nearly as good leftovers. Sure, leftovers are great, but if you want the best there is, eat this one right off the stovetop.
I’d also like to thank Christian Teubner and Carlo Bernasconi for this recipe. I pulled it from their The Complete Italian Cookbook and it’s just great.
Ingredients
Serves: 4
1 Pound Fresh Porcini Mushroom (Substitute with White Button)
1 Cup Cream
4 Ounces Prosciutto, Diced into 1/4 Inch Pieces
2 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 Cup Onion, Chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1/4 Cup Parsley Root, Diced (Substitute with Parsnip)
1 Pound Dry Penne Rigate
1/8 Cup Parsley, Chopped
1 Teaspoon + 1 Tablespoon Salt, Divided
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Parmesan Cheese, Shredded
Prep Ingredients
I prepped all my ingredients and put everything in bowls, just to make life easier while I was cooking. I used to prep as I went, but that can get hectic. Here are some photos. Also, please note that I subbed in some white button mushrooms for the porcini and celery for the parsley root.
Sweat Onion, Garlic, & Parsley Root
Warm a large skillet over medium heat on your stovetop. Add the butter and then add in the onion, garlic, and parsley root. Cook, while stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until soft.
Add Mushrooms & Prosciutto
Next, add in the mushrooms and the prosciutto. Keep cooking and stirring for about five more minutes. The goal is to cook the mushrooms down a bit to remove some of the liquid. Depending on how hot your pan is, this can take between five and 10 minutes.
Add Cream & Parsley
Add the cream, parsley, one teaspoon of salt, and the ground black pepper to the skillet and stir in well. Simmer everything over the same heat for about five more minutes. The goal here is to make sure the mushrooms are tender. When finished, turn off the heat.
Cook the Pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add one tablespoon of salt to the water. Then, add the penne to the pot and cook for approximately 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Then, drain the pasta into a colander.
Combine Ingredients
Immediately after straining the pasta in the colander, add the pasta to the skillet and stir it into the other ingredients.
Plate & Serve
Divide the contents of the skillet between plates and sprinkle some Parmesan cheese over each. Then, serve and enjoy!
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