Whole Grain Penne
Penne is one of the most famous Italian pasta shapes, and is a specialty of the Campania Region in Southern Italy. Penne, which means "pen" in Italian, gets its name from its tube shape with angled ends cut to resemble a quill or pen point. Penne have ridges, which allow them to hold more sauce.
Ridged Penne are designed for meat, vegetable, cheese and oil- or butter-based sauces. They are also perfect for baked dishes made with sauce and cheese. Penne all’Arrabbiata, Penne with a spicy tomato sauce, is a favorite Italian dish.
1. Bring 4-6 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add salt to taste, if desired.
2. Add contents of package to boiling water. Stir gently.
3. Return to a boil. For authentic "al dente" pasta, boil uncovered, stirring occasionally for 9 minutes. For more tender pasta, boil an additional minute.
4. Remove from heat. Drain well and serve as desired.
Whole grain pasta is best paired with tomato or cream sauces. Pesto sauces also go well with whole grain pasta. Meat and game sauces pair well too. Green vegetables in general taste very good with whole grain pasta. Pine nuts, walnuts, chestnuts, pistachios, and dried fruit such as raisins and apples pair very well with this whole grain pasta. Cheese sauces made with Parmigiano, Grana, Asiago, Pecorino, Ricotta, Provolone, or Fontina cheese work well with whole grain pasta in terms of flavor profiles.
