I reworked this recipe from an original that called for vodka and heavy whipping cream. My friends and family had a hard time believing a sauce this rich, flavorful and creamy could be light. &mdash;Margaret Wilson, Hemet, California 

Blushing Penne Pasta

(16 ounces) penne pasta

butter

onion,

thyme thyme

basil basil

salt

half-and-half cream, divided

white wine chicken broth

tomato paste

all-purpose flour

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

In a 6-qt. stockpot, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; return to pot.

Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat butter over medium heat; saute onion until lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Add herbs and salt; cook and stir 1 minute. Add 1 cup cream, wine and tomato paste; cook and stir until blended.

Mix flour and remaining 1/2 cup cream until smooth; gradually stir into onion mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese. Stir into pasta. Serve with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.

This is a very good basic recipe. Easily adaptable to your family’s favorite additions.
I usually add garlic.  Sometimes I use vodka in place of the white wine. Pancetta, zucchini, mushrooms, chicken tenderloins, meatballs, -whatever your family enjoys.

We loved this recipe! I halved the amount of noodles, doubled the sauce and sautéed mushrooms with the onions. Perfect!

A nice recipe, tasty. I did add  to the onions, one medium zucchini and 1/2 pound, sliced, fresh mushrooms.  Very good!

I made this a couple of nights ago and we enjoyed it.  I didn't have any white wine, so I used the red that we had open and it just added to the "blush".  Served with French bread and a green salad for "Meatless Monday".  Seems it would also be good with some cooked chicken, as others have mentioned.

I was disappointed with the sauce. It had a gummy texture and the flavor was just okay. Next time I will make a bechamel sauce instead of mixing the flour with the cream at the end and add sun-dried tomatoes and garlic.

Easy and quick dinner, I added peas and white wine and the sauce was much better.

Read thru the reviews and made some changes - cut the amount of thyme, added garlic, made extra sauce and was not thrilled with the end result. Needs way more flavor. And the sauce was sticky. Good thing was it was pretty quick to put together, but doubt I'd make it again.

I thought it was ok. However, the wife thought the thyme was overwhelming and made the dish taste like soap.

Really Good! This dish is tasty & creamy. Used 1/4 vodka & 1/4 cup chicken broth. Also added minced garlic after the onions were cooked.

I thought it was very good, although I agree that the thyme is overwhelming. It was pretty easy to put together. I served this with a green salad and garlic bread.

I like the simplicity of this sauce. It lends itself to a variety of possibilities for additions. I did double the sauce ingredients. I added minced garlic & used a can of petite diced tomatoes in place of the paste. I like Italian sausage added to this recipe also. I browned that along with the onions. Thanks for the inspiration :)

We loved it, I agree with the other reviews that a little less thyme. Only problem I had  is the sauce to pasta ratio, I took out a large amount of pasta before adding sauce and could have still done with a little more sauce to look like the picture.

I thought the amount of thyme called for was just a bit too much for my tastes, so I cut it in half.  I added an extra tablespoon of tomato paste, and I thought that was just right.  This recipe is so rich and creamy.  Everyone in my family ate it, including the kids!  This is a keeper.

This was such a breeze to make and tastes great! I really liked the strong spice blend with the light sauce. We lightened it up even more by serving it with cooked spaghetti squash instead of penne. Even tastes great as leftovers! :)

This was a simple recipe that came together quickly.  The sauce stuck very well to the penne but it was too thick for most of family's taste.  While everyone ate it, it was dubbed "different" and "weird but still good" from the kids.  Ultimately, I think it comes down to this was not a different pasta dish than they are accustomed to.  I served it with grilled chicken and salad and everyone was content.

This is my family's favorite meal.  It's the requested birthday dinner for my husband and daughter.  I make it a lot when we have company over.  I use more tomato paste than the recipe calls for.  It's also great with shrimp or chicken added to it.

I rated this a four because it was a great inspiration and I loved the basic sauce part of the recipe.  I did however omit the basil and thyme and added oregano and garlic instead. I also added pancetta, mushrooms and spinach to the sauce and it was amazing! I agree with Kim as the sauce to pasta ration was a bit off so I also made less pasta for this amount of sauce. It was only for my husband and myself so it worked out fine. If I were to be serving to more than two, I would just double the recipe. Thank you for the inspiration!

Thank you Ms. Wilson for this recipe.  I left out the thyme & used fat free half & half.  It turned out great.  Soooo Yummmmmy!

I am not a big fan of tomato based sauces, so for me, this was the perfect balance of flavors.  With some added chopped chicken, this is a recipe I will make again and again.

Incredibly bland.  Even red pepper flakes didn't help.  So disappointed - it looked so good.

I thought this was a little bland.  I used fresh thyme and fresh basil.  I also added fresh tomatoes.  I just thought it needed something else.

My family loved this!  The sauce is rich and creamy and so easy to make.  This is a keeper!  Thanks fo the recipe.

https://videodam.tmbi.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/BlushingPennePasta_DIYD_34895_090720_H.mp4

Check out this video for how to make Blushing Penne Pasta

blushing penne pasta

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Servings: 8

Author : Taste of Home

Ingredients

Instructions

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