Best 6 Zesty Penne Pasta Light Recipes

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Are you craving a delicious and zesty pasta dish that is also light and easy to prepare? Look no further than zesty penne pasta light! This tantalizing dish combines the zesty flavors of lemon, herbs, and Parmesan cheese with the comforting texture of penne pasta. With its bright and vibrant flavors, this dish is sure to tantalize your taste buds and leave you feeling satisfied without feeling weighed down. So, gather your ingredients and get ready to embark on a culinary journey to create this delectable dish that is perfect for a quick and flavorful meal.

Let's cook with our recipes!

LIGHT LEMON PESTO PASTA



Light Lemon Pesto Pasta image

Light, yet full of flavor, this pesto is perfect tossed with hot spaghetti for a quick dinner. It is also excellent as a pizza sauce or smeared on hot French bread. It freezes well to preserve the bounty of summer basil.

Provided by Baking Nana

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     Italian

Time 30m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 (16 ounce) package spaghetti
4 ounces Pecorino-Romano cheese, cut into cubes
6 cloves garlic
2 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves
1 cup firmly packed basil leaves
½ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Steps:

  • Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti at a boil until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 12 minutes; drain. Transfer spaghetti to a large bowl.
  • Put cubed Romano cheese in the bowl of a food processor; process until coarsely grated, about 30 seconds. Put garlic into the food processor and process until the cheese and garlic are combined. Add spinach, basil, walnuts, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt; process until the mixture comes together into a thick paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
  • With food processor running, drizzle olive oil into the mixture. Continue processing until the oil is integrated smoothly.
  • Pour sauce over spaghetti and toss to coat.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 464.7 calories, Carbohydrate 60.2 g, Cholesterol 19.7 mg, Fat 17.2 g, Fiber 3.5 g, Protein 18 g, SaturatedFat 4.7 g, Sodium 337.3 mg, Sugar 2.7 g

PENNE WITH TOMATO SAUCE PASTA RECIPE BY TASTY



Penne With Tomato Sauce Pasta Recipe by Tasty image

Here's what you need: olive oil, medium onion, red chili flakes, garlic, crushed tomato, salt, penne pasta

Provided by Kiano Moju

Categories     Dinner

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 7

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ medium onion, finely diced
½ teaspoon red chili flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
14 oz crushed tomato, 1 can
salt, to taste
½ lb penne pasta

Steps:

  • Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onion, and cook until the onion is translucent, 8-10 minutes.
  • Add the chile flakes and garlic, and cook for another 2 minutes, until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Save ½ cup (120 ml) of pasta water, then drain.
  • Add the drained pasta to the sauce. Stir well, adding a little pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Season with salt to taste.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts : Calories 313 calories, Carbohydrate 52 grams, Fat 7 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 9 grams, Sugar 7 grams

ZESTY PENNE PASTA - LIGHT



Zesty Penne Pasta - Light image

I found this recipe in a magazine, in a Philly (cream cheese) ad. I modified it to make it healthier, and was honestly WOW-ed when I tried it - it's that good! Hope it WOW-s you too!

Provided by megs_

Categories     Penne

Time 20m

Yield 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 6

3 cups whole wheat penne, uncooked
1 lb reduced-fat pork sausage, Jimmy Dean
1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce, I use Prego Heart-Smart
1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Steps:

  • Cook pasta according to directions.
  • While that cooks, brown sausage in a pan sprayed with cooking spray.
  • When sausage is fully cooked, add spaghetti sauce & red chili pepper flakes. Simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Add cream cheese to sauce, stir well for 2 minutes.
  • Drain pasta and mix well with sauce. Top with parmesan, let stand on LOW heat for 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

QUICK & EASY ZESTY ITALIAN PENNE PASTA BAKE



Quick & Easy Zesty Italian Penne Pasta Bake image

We like this recipe because we use fresh peppers, onions, and zucchini from our garden. I can up with this recipe because I needed a quick recipe for unexpected company and had left over marinara sauce in the refrigerator and breakfast sausage in the freezer. I usually make my recipe with ziti, however, penne pasta is basically the same thing. I make this recipe in the summer when I have lots of "fresh" zucchini from my garden. I always pick fresh, baby zucchini for this recipe, therefore, it isn't necessary to peel the zucchini or cook it, because it is very tender. When it is sliced thin, it cooks perfectly in the casserole and does not require prior cooking. I serve this with fresh garden salad and crusty bread or rolls.

Provided by Judy-Jude

Categories     Penne

Time 1h15m

Yield 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 package Jimmy Dean sausage
1 medium onion, course chop
1 small sweet red pepper, course chop
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon hot crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dry basil
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 small zucchini, unpeeled,sliced very thin (do not cook zucchini, it will cook in the casserole)
salt and black pepper
1/2 box penne pasta
1 (8 ounce) package shredded colby-monterey jack cheese
1 tablespoon butter, to grease casserole dish

Steps:

  • Cook pasta to aldente stage, put in strainer, do not rinse and set aside to completely drain.
  • Heat large saute pan, add olive oil, onion, sweet red peppers, hot crushed red pepper flakes and garlic.
  • Saute on low until soft, not brown.
  • Place in a small bowl and set aside.
  • In same pan, brown sausage until cooked through.
  • If not using Jimmy Dean Sausage, remove any excess fat.
  • Return vegetable mixture back to pan and add tomato sauce, basil, salt and pepper to taste.
  • Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 10 minutes.
  • Grease 2 quart casserole, put 1/2 of the pasta, cover with 1/2 of the meat/sauce mixture, lay slices of 1/2 of the zucchini, sprinkle 1/2 of the cheese, repeat with a second layer of pasta, meat/sauce mixture, zucchini slices, ending with the remaining cheese.
  • Bake covered in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, remove cover and bake until lightly brown, about 10 minutes.

SPICY SHRIMP & PENNE PASTA



Spicy Shrimp & Penne Pasta image

I created this creamy pasta dish when I needed to use up some marinara. Red pepper flakes give it a little heat, which my family loves. It's super versatile, so try it with chicken, or simply stir in some fresh basil, too. -Lorri Stout, Gaithersburg, Maryland

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner

Time 30m

Yield 6 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 8

3 cups uncooked penne pasta (about 12 ounces)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 pounds uncooked shrimp (31-40 per pound), peeled and deveined
1 jar (24 ounces) marinara sauce
3/4 cup half-and-half cream
4 cups chopped fresh spinach

Steps:

  • Cook pasta according to package directions; drain., In a large skillet, heat 1/2 tablespoon each butter and oil over medium-high heat. Saute 1 pound shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon pepper flakes until shrimp turns pink, 3-5 minutes. Remove from pan; repeat., In same skillet, combine marinara sauce and cream; bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in spinach until wilted. Add pasta and shrimp; toss and heat through.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 396 calories, Fat 12g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 206mg cholesterol, Sodium 723mg sodium, Carbohydrate 38g carbohydrate (8g sugars, Fiber 4g fiber), Protein 33g protein. Diabetic Exchanges

ZESTY PENNE, SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS



Zesty Penne, Sausage and Peppers image

Take a trip to penne heaven when you make this Zesty Penne with Sausage and Peppers. Prepare this super easy dinnertime dish in under 30 minutes!

Provided by My Food and Family

Categories     Recipes

Time 30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

3 cups penne pasta, uncooked
3/4 lb. Italian sausage
1 each green and red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 jar (24 oz.) CLASSICO Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce
1 tsp. fennel seed
dash crushed red pepper
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1/4 cup KRAFT Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Steps:

  • Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt.
  • Meanwhile, crumble sausage into large skillet; cook and stir on medium heat 8 min. or until done. Drain. Add peppers; cook and stir 5 min. or until crisp-tender. Stir in next 3 ingredients; cook 5 min. or until heated through. Add cream cheese; cook 2 min. or until melted, stirring frequently.
  • Drain pasta. Add to sausage mixture; mix lightly. Top with Parmesan.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 640, Fat 26 g, SaturatedFat 11 g, TransFat 0.5 g, Cholesterol 80 mg, Sodium 1330 mg, Carbohydrate 0 g, Fiber 7 g, Sugar 0 g, Protein 26 g

Tips:

  • Choose the right pasta: Use a short pasta like penne, shells, or rotini. These pastas hold the sauce well and are perfect for a light and flavorful dish.
  • Cook the pasta al dente: This means cooking the pasta until it is just tender, but still has a little bite to it. This will help the pasta hold its shape and prevent it from becoming mushy.
  • Use fresh, high-quality ingredients: The fresher and better quality the ingredients, the better your pasta dish will taste. Look for ripe tomatoes, fresh herbs, and a high-quality olive oil.
  • Don't overcook the vegetables: The vegetables should be tender, but still have a little crunch to them. Overcooked vegetables will lose their flavor and nutrients.
  • Season the dish to taste: Add salt, pepper, and other seasonings to taste. You can also add a squeeze of lemon juice or a grating of Parmesan cheese for extra flavor.

Conclusion:

This zesty penne pasta is a light and flavorful dish that is perfect for a quick and easy meal. With its fresh ingredients and simple preparation, this pasta dish is sure to be a hit with everyone at the table. So next time you're looking for a delicious and healthy meal, give this zesty penne pasta a try!

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