Cooking with Kaaleen: Margherita penne

Need a recipe that will impress your friends or something hearty that will stick to your ribs before a night of drinking? Look no further than this awesome and really easy margherita penne dish.

It is the pasta version of the pizza – the kind of pizza that has put true Italian restaurants on the map. With 19 grams of protein and 2.8 grams of fibre, you won’t have to feel guilty after eating this delicious meal, either.

What you’ll need:

• 1 box of penne
• 2 tbsp of butter
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• ½ tsp of salt
• ¼ tsp of hot pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp of all purpose flour
• 2 & 1/2 cups of milk
• 1 container of cherry tomatoes
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 12 mini bocconcini
• ½ cup of thinly sliced basil leaves

What to do:

Step one: In a large pot, bring water with a bit of salt to a boil, cook pasta for 10-minutes or until pasta is slightly soft (al dente). Follow the pasta package for further instructions.

Step two: While the pasta cooks, in another large pot melt butter over medium heat and add the garlic, thyme salt and hot pepper flakes. Cook them for one-minute.

Step three: Sprinkle in the flour and continue to whisk for another minute, gradually add in milk while still whisking. Bring pot to a boil then reduce heat.

Step four: Continue whisking for three to five-minutes or until sauce is thick and smooth.

Step five: Stir in tomatoes and parmesan cheese.

Step six: Drain pasta and return to pot

Step seven: Pour in sauce and stir until pasta is coated.

Step eight: Stir in bocconcini, basil and salt to taste. Serve with parmesan cheese on top.

Making this dish takes about 25-minutes and serves four to six people.

To boost your protein intake with this recipe, you can add cooked chicken when you are adding the pasta and sauce together.

I might have to add this margherita penne to my list of favourite foods!

Let us know what your finished dish tastes like! Leave us a comment below.