Al dente gluten free penne with earthy basil oil, creamy blush sauce and gooey torn bocconcini cheese. Dacadent and flavourful, sure the satisfy everyone.
Wash and dry all of your produce. Preheat broiler to high.
In a large pot over high heat add 12 cups of water, 2 tsp of salt and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Cover and Bring to a boil.
Once boiling add gluten free penne. Stir occasionally and make sure it doesn’t boil over. Cook penne for 12-14 minutes.
*Tip 1: Place a wooden spoon across the top of the pot to prevent the pot from boiling over.*
*Tip 2: Cook gluten free pasta about 2 minutes longer than regular pasta.*
When the penne is done cooking, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
Next pick the basil leaves and set aside the stems. Peel and mince the garlic. Chop the red onion.
In a small bowl place half of the basil leaves and 2 tbsp of the reserved pasta water. Combine together bleaching the basil leaves.
Drain the water from the bowl and dry the basil leaves with a paper towel. Wipe the bowl clean.
Thinly slice the blanches basil leaves. Add them back into the small boil and combine with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Set aside.
Oven
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add cherry tomatoes to the baking sheet and toss with 1 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Place in the preheated oven under the broiler for 4-5 minutes or until starting to burst open.
When the tomatoes are done, remove from oven. While still on the baking sheet, toss with 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar.
Pan
In a large pan over medium heat add 1 tbsp of olive oil and red onions. Cook, stirring often 2-3 minutes. Then add in the garlic, continuing cooking until the onions are soft and translucent, another 1-2 minutes.
Add in crushed tomatoes, vegetable better than bouillon (or broth concentrate), basil stems, and 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Cook the mixture until it starts to slightly reduce, about 7-8 minutes. Stir often.
When the sauce is slightly thickened remove the pan from the heat. Remove the basil stems. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, sour cream and grated parmesan cheese. Season with pepper. Stir to combine.
Transfer the cooked penne to the pan and cook with the basil-blush sauce.
Finish and Plate
Divide the penne and blush-basil sauce into bowls or onto plates. Top with balsamic tomatoes. Tear bocconcini on top and season with salt.
Lastly, take remaining half of the basil leaves and tear them on top of the pasta. Top with the basil oil, drizzling it over the balsamic tomatoes, pasta and bocconcini. Serve immediately.