Best Super Easy Penne…with a lot of garlic.
Best Super Easy Penne…with a lot of garlic. A tried and true family favorite, make this on nights when you’re craving Italian, but also need something easy. Slow simmered red sauce with a lot of garlic, Italian herbs, rich olive oil, and spicy chicken sausage. Simmer this sauce low and slow, then toss in fresh penne pasta and top with plenty of cheese. This is a hearty, cozy pasta that comes together in minutes and is ideal for feeding plenty of family and friends. It’s delicious, looks pretty on any table, and everyone enjoys a GOOD penne pasta. Just add crusty bread…and maybe some wine and you’ll be good to go!
Happy December twenty-sixth. Crazy that Christmas has come and gone and we’re now gearing up for the New Year. Hoping you all had a wonderful holiday and enjoyed time with family. Ours was just as chaotic and crazy as it is every year but perfect at the same time. Wouldn’t change a thing.
We had a snowy two days filled with plenty of cooking, good food, drinks, and many laughs. Nothing fancy, but all the things I love. In addition to the usual family members, we also had a very sweet little addition that made this Christmas incredibly special and blessed. More details to come, but it’s safe to say that my family had a very memorable Christmas!
I’m so excited to have the next few days to spend with everyone, and chill and catch up. But the thing about having family in town? It requires a lot of food. Like a lot. This is the time of year when I turn to my super easy, super simple, recipes. The ones I know will feed a crowd and that will be loved by all. Enter this penne pasta. It’s a recipe I adapted from a close family friend. Over the years I’ve tweaked it to make it more of my own, with just the slightest adjustments.
The best part? It is SO incredibly EASY! You can make it on the stove, in the Instant Pot, or in the slow cooker. Do what works for you.
Here is how you make this Best Super Easy Penne…with a lot of garlic.
The key to this sauce? A lot of olive oil and a lot of garlic. If you hate garlic, I’m sorry to say that this recipe is probably not for you. But if you love garlic? This recipe is 100% for you.
When cooking on the stove or in the instant pot, start the sauce by slowly simmering the garlic, herbs, and olive oil together until the garlic is golden and caramelized. This is really important for the best flavor, so take your time when cooking the garlic and go low and slow with it. If you burn it, your sauce will not be nearly as good.
Note: when cooking the sauce in the slow cooker, just add everything to the slow cooker all at once, cover, and again, cook low and slow for several hours. Because you’re cooking the sauce for a long period of time, you can skip cooking the garlic in oil.
Once the garlic has turned golden, add a couple of jars of your favorite marinara sauce (I love Rao’s Marinara) and spicy Italian chicken sausage. The spicy sausage adds an incredibly rich flavor to the sauce and pleases the meat-eaters in the family.
Then just slowly simmer the sauce over low heat, and that’s pretty much all there is to it. The longer the sauce simmers, the better the flavor. My tip? Make the sauce the night before you plan to serve, simmer a couple of hours, then chill overnight. The following day, place the sauce on the stove, simmer, then serve. This will give you truly the BEST penne sauce.
When ready to eat, simply cook up some penne pasta, spoon the sauce over the penne, and top with plenty of grated parmesan and fresh oregano. Toss it up, eat, and enjoy!
Simple and easy as that.
Want to make this vegetarian?
I often make this vegetarian by omitting the sausage from the recipe. When doing so, I always like to add additional crushed red pepper flakes for heat, herbs, and spices to make up for the lost flavor. I’ve listed out all the measurements in the notes section.
If you’d like to add protein, I would recommend crispy chickpeas. That will be so delicious!
Your sauce is oily you say?
GOOD it should be. This sauce is all about the oil and it’s whats makes this the best penne. Once the sauce and penne are combined everything comes together beautifully. And most importantly?
It tastes delicious! So an oily sauce is a good sauce. Please trust me.
I’ve already made this once this past week for the family. But I’m planning to make another batch for New Year Eve. I like to have this simmering away on the stove for people to enjoy throughout the day. Cold temperatures and outdoor activities mean that people are almost always looking for food. This is the perfect recipe to have warmed and ready to go. You really can’t beat it.
If you make this Best Super Easy Penne…with A Lot of Garlic, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Best Super Easy Penne...with A Lot of Garlic
A hearty, cozy pasta that comes together in minutes and is ideal for feeding plenty of family and friends.
Ingredients
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 25 to 30 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano plus fresh oregano, for serving
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 (24 ounce) jars marinara sauce
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 3/4 pound spicy ground Italian sausage or chicken sausage
- 1 pound dry penne pasta
- grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
Stove Top
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1. In a large pot, combine the olive oil, garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, dried parsley, and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is golden and caramelized, 8-10 minutes. Add the marinara sauce and season with salt and black pepper. Stir to combine. It will seem as if the ingredients aren’t coming together, but don’t worry.
2. Roll the sausage into tiny grape-size meatballs and place them in the sauce. Stir to combine. Partially cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and cook for at least 1 hour or up to all day, stirring every hour or so.
3. When ready to serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne according to package directions until al dente. Drain and divide the hot pasta among plates, topping each with sauce, parmesan, and oregano. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the extra sauce. Enjoy!
Instant pot
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In the instant pot, combine the olive oil, garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, dried parsley, and red pepper flakes. Set the instant pot to sauté and cook until the garlic is golden and caramelized, 5 minutes. Stir in the marinara sauce and season with salt and black pepper. It will seem as if the ingredients aren’t coming together, but don’t worry.
2. Roll the sausage into tiny grape-sized meatballs and place them in the sauce. Stir to combine.. Cover and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.
3. Finish as directed above.
Slow Cooker
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1. In the slow cooker, combine the olive oil, garlic, dried oregano, dried basil, dried parsley, red pepper flakes, marinara sauce and season with salt and black pepper. Stir to combine. It will seem as if the ingredients aren’t coming together, but don’t worry.
2. Roll the sausage into tiny grape-size meatballs and place them in the sauce. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
3. Finish as directed above.
Recipe Notes
If Your Sauce Is Oily: It's probably just right! This sauce is all about the oil and it's meant to be oily. Once the sauce is tossed with the pasta, everything comes together perfectly. If you feel like the sausage has released more oil than you'd like, you can scoop away excess oil using a large spoon or 1/4 cup measure.
To Make Vegetarian: omit the sausage and instead add, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
Our Favorite Recipes
Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli.
Anxious to hear about your sweet little addition.
Thank you Charlotte! xTieghan
Ok, I just skipped the entire post to comment….you simply cannot say there’s an addition and then leave us hanging!!! Oh my gosh, is it a puppy, kitten, or did your parents adopt a baby? Please tell SOON!
Haha I cannot wait to share!!! xTieghan
This looks amazing! I can barely keep up with all the things I want to make now! I’m curious about the addition too! I do recall one of your brothers got married recently…maybe a little niece or nephew is on the way? 😉 Whatever the case may be, Happy New Year to you and yours, and I’m glad to hear your Christmas was excellent.
Thank you Aline!! Cannot wait to share… Happy New Year to you! xTieghan
This sounds so good, I love a rich and meaty sauce, and penne is the perfect pasta for that. How long does it take to chop 25-30 garlic cloves? Could you chop them in the food processor?
HI! It takes me about 5 minutes, but yes you can easily chop in the food processor too. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and Happy New Year! xTieghan
This looks like some serious ultimate comfort food right here!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
It so is! Thank you Paige! xTieghan
Wow, sounds delicious! We bought your Super Simple cookbooks as gifts for three grown-up nieces, along with a recipe chosen for each of them to cook for us! There are some family challenges right now, but food is a universally good thing, and everybody perked up when they saw your gorgeous books. Thank you for being a part of our Christmas!
This dish sounds heavenly and of course your photos make it look irresistible! Can’t wait to give it a shot–I LOVE garlic!
I wanted to mention that I made your Grinch cocktail for our family Christmas brunch. I think it actually was a hit but everyone had a little to fuss about. I loved it…all those sweet and spicy elements! I happily shook everything up in a huge Ball jar-how fancy-and even had a few cut crystal glasses to follow along with your gorgeous pics. The consesious was by my two sons and two son-in laws was: Son #1. Not a fan of ginger beer. Next time use bubbly for him. My other son loves vodka and anything. He drank two. Son in law #1: Drank his glass politely, praised it, but avoided a refill. Lastly, my other son in law claimed it was a hit but needed more vodka! ?
I love the combo of sweet and spicy. Keep up with the cocktail recipes. I love having a signature drink for every occasion.
Jane
Haha thank you for trying that drink! I am so glad most of you loved it and the others are easy fixes haha! I hope you had a wonderful Holiday! xTieghan
Your slow cooker directions say to “cook on high pressure for 20 minutes”, then cook on low for 6-8 hours. I assume that is just a typo?
HI! Yes, that is a typo. Recipe is all fixed. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and Happy New Year! xTieghan
Made this tonight and it was unreal! It was so easy and managed to elevate inexpensive jar sauce and store bought dry pasta into an expensive tasting meal!! Im absolutely stuffed but man alive that was good. I will definitely be making this again. Oh and you were right, it’s a lot of oil but man it’s what really helps make it good!!
Thank you so much Amanda! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Really want to try this but the serving size seems like a large portion! What would you recommend for a small serving size for like four people rather then 8? Thank you can’t wait to try this!
Hi Cristina, I am sorry I am confused as to what you are asking. Can you please clarify? If you would like to make less pasta, just cut the recipe in half. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I’ve made this recipe twice now, in as many weeks. It is by far the best pasta sauce I have ever had. Thanks so much for sharing. I cannot wait to try more of your recipes once my, well your, new cookbook arrives..?
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Steph! I hope you love all of the recipes in the book!! Thank you for getting it! xTieghan
Hi! Excited to try this recipe! I saw mentioned that you included measurements for herbs and spices in the notes section for making this recipe vegetarian but only see a pinch of red pepper flakes in the note. Are there other herbs and spices you would recommend adding to make up for the flavor lost by omitting the sausage?
Thanks!
Hi Ashely! Thanks for catching that. See below. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
To Make Vegetarian: omit the sausage and instead add, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
Hey Tieghan! Super excited to try this tonight!
What is the parmesan rind mentioned in the instructions? I didn’t see it listed in the ingredients. I’m not even sure how to go about using a parmesan rind.
Additionally, I’ve gotten a burn notice while using my IP. Should I be adjusting anything to prevent that?
Hi Emily! You can ignore the rind, that is a typo. All fixed.
Are you referring to this recipe when using the instant pot? I have never gotten this message so I’m not sure how best to advise.
Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Just made this for the fam! I did half with Field Roast sausage and the other half with no meat. I was worried about too much oil in the recipe but it came together so nicely with the loads of garlic and tomato sauce! A winner that will stay in the rotation!
Thank you so much Denise! xTieghan
Dear Tieghan, I printed this recipe off the morning after Christmas while I was looking through my last Christmas present… your first cookbook. Funny but true, I tagged Mrs. Mooney’s Penne as a “Must Make Soon” recipe… and then laughed when I pulled this recipe off the printer :o))) I made your revised recipe last night and it was Off-The-Charts, Over-The-Moon, Craveworthy delicious. If I had had any leftovers, I would have had them for breakfast today… That Good. Love the cookbook and have enjoyed other recipes from it since Christmas. Can’t wait until Mother’s Day for your new one… HINT HINT Family ;o)
Wow that is so great! Sounds like it was meant to be made haha! I am so glad you enjoyed it, Belle! I also hope you love the new cookbook! xTieghan
I’m on day 3 of this sauce and it just keeps getting yummier!!! I pre made the sauce then made with penne day 2. I made with zoodles tonight and I honestly loved it just as much! Plus I don’t feel as bad if I have bread. Lol such a good EASY recipe!
Thank you so much Adara! I am so glad you have been loving this recipe!! xTieghan
Hii!
I was just wondering what can replace the marinara sauce with? Because in Sweden I could not find one :/
Hi Nayla! Would you be open to making your own marinara? I will link a recipe below! xTieghan
https://cookieandkate.com/simple-marinara-sauce-recipe/
Excited to make this tonight! I was hoping to do the crockpot method but I’ve started it too late in the day, it says to cook on low for 6-8 hours, could I cook it on high for 3-4 hours instead?
Hey Erica! Yes, cooking on high should be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Made this in my Instant Pot today and it was amazing! I’ve made a lot of pasta sauces, both from scratch and using jarred sauces in a similar fashion to this recipe, but this by far the best way I’ve made it. I absolutely LOVE garlic and taking that extra step to sauté all those cloves with the dried herbs and olive oil made the biggest difference. Also loved the addition of the spicy Italian sausage! I am obsessed with all your recipes and they always turn out so good!
Thank you so much for trying this Sam! I am really glad it turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hey! Can you substitute Italian or Chicken Sausage for Beef Sausage (Or any other at hand) ?
Hi Rush,
Yes you can use whatever you have on hand! I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions. xTieghan
Oh. My. Gosh. This is the most delicious thing I have eaten. I was skeptical by how much garlic went into it but trust the recipe – it was amazing. We licked the bowls clean. I only had one jar of marinara so added a 28oz can whole tomatoes and let them cook down a bit before adding in the sausage. Also made with it the No Knead Bread recipe from the HBH cookbook.
Thank you so much Helen!! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! Thank you for trying it! And trusting the recipe haha! xTieghan
Hey there! This looks delicious and I can’t wait to make it! I was wondering if it works to freeze any left over/extra sauce? Thank you!
Hi Emily! Yes you can freeze the sauce! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
Delicious! I was craving restaurant-quality pasta during this time and this recipe was just that!!!
Thank you Stacey!! xTieghan
Your cookbook says TWO cups of EVO! So glad I looked this up!
It’s a different recipe! xTieghan
I am confused about two recipes…this one and Mrs Mooneys. They seem so similar yet one is 1 cup oil and 48 oz marinara, the other is 2 cups oil and 24 oz marinara. I assume both are accurately recorded so what is the difference necessitating 2 different recipes?
Hey Nancy, you need 2 (24 ounce) jars marinara sauce and 1 cup olive oil oil for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Really good! Quick to put together and then just simmers. I cut the recipe in half – it makes alot! Also food processor is a life savor for mincing so much garlic.
Oh so amazing! Thank you so much Mara! xTieghan
I tried this recipe tonight and it was a hit! The only thing I wouldn’t do next time is add salt to the sauce. There was plenty of salt in the Italian sausages so it was not needed in the end.
Love to hear that!! Thank you so much Eneida! xTieghan
Cannot wait to make it this week. Can I use ground beef instead ?
Hey Natalia,
Yes ground beef would work. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This is in your half baked harvest cookbook (mrs. mooney’s penne). I should’ve trusted my instincts to know 2 cups of olive oil is way too much. I noticed you changed the recipe to 1/2 the oil and double the marinara. Makes more sense but I could kick myself for wasting two cups of good olive oil.
Not sure how your original recipe ever made the cut for your cookbook.
Hi Susie! That is usually how it is made with 2 cups of olive oil! I am sorry if it felt like a waste and I am glad you like this one as well! Please let me know if there is anything I can help with! xTieghan
Made this for family dinner tonight at my parents’ and it was a huge hit! At the very end before serving I whisked the sauce to get the oil to combine into the marinara sauce. Loved the red pepper flakes to add the spice; all the flavors were beautiful. So easy and will definitely be making again!
Thank you so much Anna! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Sounds delicious! Do you cook the sausage in the sauce, it sounds like? You don’t brown beforehand? Thanks!
Hey Katie,
Yes, that is correct:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan, I noticed that in your cookbook, you call for 2 cups of olive oil instead of one here. Which do you recommend? Thank you!!!!
Hey Melissa,
My family likes this both ways, if you like yours to have lots of oil use 2 cups. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other question. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Made this tonight. Amazing!! I cooked it for a couple hours on the stove. Will definitely be making it again!
Hey Amanda,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Tried this pasta tonight.. Was so worried about the oil (I skipped the sausage and made this vegetarian) and I’ve never been happier to be wrong. Served with warm garlic bread, this was an absolute hit. AMAZING recipe and sauce! Will be using it over and over again.
Hey Arnela,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it out! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
I made this recipe in the slow cooker. I normally feel lukewarm about red sauces but when I got home from work I had to make myself stop dunking bread straight into my slow cooker. Waiting for the noodles to boil seemed to take foreverrrrr. I already can’t wait for leftovers. I will definitely make this again. Easy and delicious.
Hey Lindsey,
I am thrilled you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan