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Baked Penne Pasta

January 3, 2021 In Curious Favorites Curious Inspirations Curious Locations Featured Meals Italy This Week

Menu

1.4.21 – 1.7.21

Baked Penne Pasta

Rich tomato sauce baked with penne pasta + Italian sausage and topped with melted cheese

*plant-based option: Beyond Sausage

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Ceasar Salad

Fresh romaine lettuce with croutons & parmesan cheese 

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Ceasar Dressing

Classic creamy garlic salad dressing

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Tuscan Loaf

Fresh baked traditional loaf of bread

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Garlic Butter

Roasted garlic whipped with creamy butter

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Add-on Option: Fruit Tart

Let us know if you want us to send
you a homemade custard fruit tart: $10

OR post about us on Facebook or

Instagram and get the bread for free!

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Plating Instructions

Scoop the baked penne pasta onto your plate, toss the dressing with the Ceasar salad and enjoy a slice of the Curious Bread with garlic butter!

 

Curious Story

Good pasta is glorious. Thank goodness Marco Polo discovered it as he traversed between Italy and China! Well, not really…The story of Marco Polo discovering pasta in China was a myth promoted by the American food industry to drive the sale of pasta. In fact, pasta as a staple in Southern Europe dates back to Greek and Roman times. Where wheat could grow and where water flowed to power mills, pasta was made as a reliable local food that could be easily stored, shipped, and traded.

It is hard to call any pasta authentic as there are over 1,300 documented varieties in Italy alone! But traditional pasta shares a few commonalities – semolina flour derived from the endosperm of hard wheat, water, a drying process, and a particular shape. Semolina flour has unordered starch and gluten proteins that are activated by water when mixed and brought into alignment when rolled or pressed through a die. The best pasta is pushed through copper dies that cause the dough to slightly stick. This causes small ridges that cause the pasta to better carry sauce and flavors. Thus, the shape of each type of pasta has uniquely aligned starches and proteins that define its unique taste and properties.

This week the shape is penne rigata–a short hollow tube with ridges that holds tightly to the wonderful sauce it is baked in. Enjoy!

Tag Curious Table online and get a free bonus bread next week!

Facebook: @curioustable

Instagram: @thecurioustable

From our table to yours…

Eat well, be well!



About The Author


Curtis Linton
A lifelong learner and entrepreneur, Curtis Linton has had many career successes and experiences that have culminated in Curious Table: best-selling educational author, co-owner of School Improvement Network, noted expert in educational equity, caterer, filmmaker, alumni of the USC School of Film and Television, recipient of an Executive MBA from Oxford University, world-traveler and passionate home chef. He and his wife, Melody, started the Domino Foundation, which supports transracial adoption families through education and social supports. They live and cook in Salt Lake City, Utah, with their two children Dominic and Maya, and their beloved dog Coco. Curtis can be found in the kitchen every day, and he looks forward to providing you with a gourmet meal at home each week!