Lucky Penne

Penne is my absolute favorite type of pasta. Don't ask me why. Spaghetti, ravioli, bow-tie, linguine... all of them are wonderful, but penne is just at the top of my list. Perhaps it's because I always feel like I'm eating healthily when I eat penne. Usually it's tossed with a lighter sauce, real tomatoes, maybe some olives... it feels lighter than spaghetti and meat balls or chicken Alfredo or cheese and meat ravioli or lasagna... you know what I mean?

This recipe is super light and super easy. I definitely cannot take all the credit for this one. I did some research and there were so many recipes with sundried tomatoes I decided to give it a shot. Normally I would not have used sundried tomatoes, but would probably have stuck to Roma tomatoes or something like that. Well, since the research showed multiple recipes with sun dried tomatoes, I thought I'd try something new. After all, when have I ever turned down a challenge in the kitchen?

Supplies:

- 12 oz package of Penne Pasta (I always use whole grain)

- 1 C of Sundried tomatoes

- 2 C of boiling water

- 5 tblsp Olive Oil

- 4 Cloves of Garlic

- 1 Red Onion

- 2 tsp of Basil

- 2 tsp of Oregano

- 1/4 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper

- 1/2 tsp crushed Red Pepper

- 1 to 2 tsp of Parsley

- Parmesan Cheese, grated or shredded

Directions:

- Pour 1 C of boiling water over the sundried tomatoes. Set them aside. Let them soak for about five minutes. Afterwards, drain them and chop them up.

- Cook the Penne according to the directions on the package. Drain it, leaving a little bit of water in it, and keep it warm.

- In a skillet,sautee 1 tblsp of the olive oil, the garlic, and onion together until the garlic is browning and the onion is nice and tender.
Then add the Sundried tomatoes and seasonings except the parsley.

- Add the onion/sundried tomatoes mixture to the cooked penne pasta in a large pan/pot. Toss in pan adding the left over olive oil, until evenly distributed. Let sit for two to three minutes, mixing every 30 seconds or so.

- Divide the pasta into bowls or onto plates, sprinkle with cheese and parsley, and enjoy!