This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of RAGÚ®
When I started dating my husband over 20 years ago, we were teenagers, and as teenagers we were BROKE. However, there was a local Italian restaurant that we frequented often because they had the BEST bread and food, and the bill was never over $20.
I had never know much about pasta before meeting him but it quickly became one of my favorite places, and before you knew it, I was trying out recipes on my own!
Luckily I have evolved a lot since that time because now I make pasta for my kids too! One thing I know for sure is that SAUCE MATTERS. The best pasta sauce will make the dish every single time!
Today I am going to share with you my version of Penne Rosa featuring the new RAGÚ Simply Chunky Marinara Sauce as the star of the dish! Plus it helps that this yummy meatless pasta dish only took 20 minutes to make!
The inspiration for this dish came from the 15 Minute Penne Rosa Recipe at TheStayAtHomeChef.com but since hubby is not a fan of mushrooms, I changed up a few ingredients and added some of my own.
Why is it called Penne Rosa Sauce?
Glad you asked because I was curious about this too! Penne Rosa gets it’s name because when heavy cream mixes with tomato sauce it becomes pink like a rose. So interesting right?
Is Penne Rosa Vegan?
It is not vegan. Pasta is vegan by itself but the heavy cream and sugar in the marinara sauce makes it not vegan.

20 Minute Easy and Delicious Weeknight Penne Rosa Recipe
This meatless penne rosa recipe is perfect for a quick meal on busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 cups RAGÚ Simply Chunky Marinara Sauce
- 4 roma tomatoes, diced
- 3 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 8oz Mozzarella cheese roughly chopped
- ½ cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook penne pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. - Add in crushed garlic and let heat 1 minute.
- Stir in cooked pasta and RAGÚ Simply Chunky Marinara Sauce
- Add in Mozzarella
- Pour in tomatoes and spinach. Stir to combine.
- Stir in heavy cream.
- Serve hot sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 433Total Fat 22gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 59mgSodium 952mgCarbohydrates 39gFiber 6gSugar 8gProtein 21g
This Penne Rosa Recipe is super easy to make on busy weeknights after school activities and it’s fast, quick and tasty! I initially made this for hubby because the boys already had dinner, but they ended up eating this instead! The RAGÚ® Simply Chunky Marinara Pasta Sauce has a super fresh taste because they are made with 100% olive oil and contain no added sugar. Healthy weeknight meals are my jam but when I can make them quickly, it helps so much!
You can enter to win a RAGU® SIMPLY PASTA SAUCE Prize Pack! Enter below for a bunch of fun goodies for any chef! The giveaway contest will be open until September 25th, so enter now!
Need more inspiration? Check out these easy meal inspiration ideas!
Fresh Homemade Cheesy Beef A Roni Recipe
Easy Creamy Spinach Artichoke Penne Recipe
Yummy Veggie Tacos Recipe + How To Get Your Kids To Eat More Vegetables
How To Cook Easy Spaghetti Squash Marinara
5 comments
OK, I happen to love pasta pretty much of any kind. So, I haven’t even had breakfast and I am sitting here drooling over your latest pasta recipe. Definitely going to have to give this one a try as not only does it look easy enough to make, but absolutely hands down delicious, too! Thanks Nellie 🙂
I love what you did! It looks so good!! Penne is the best. Also, we have the very same sauce and I was wondering what to do with it! (great food photos too!!)
Thank you so much for your helpful shearing post
I could not agree more that sauce matters – BIG TIME! I love a good tomato sauce. I’m all about quick pasta dishes as my go-to during busy weeknights!
Hey Nellie! I love that this is easy to prepare, I’d love to give this a try one of these days 🙂 Thanks for sharing.