If you have vegetarians to cook for, penne rosa is easy to make and can be modified to include beef or sausage if desired.

The key to this dish’s success is to use good quality Parmesan cheese and real cream—none of that low fat stuff.

Plus, you need five to eight ounces fresh spinach; frozen doesn’t do it justice. That might look like a lot of spinach (about half a bag, depending on size) but it cooks down quite a bit.

This is a two-pot dinner; one pot to cook the penne pasta and a large fry pan to make the sauce and put it all together. I serve it right from my large stainless steel skillet. Add a simple Caesar salad and garlic bread and you have a dinner fit for a leader of Rome.

While eating more vegetarian meals is highly recommended, you can easily add cooked ground beef or sausage to the dish to satisfy everyone.

Do not shy away from using crushed red pepper flakes in your Italian sauces; it adds a warmth to the flavor profile. If you like it spicier, add more to taste.

Penne Rosa

Seves 6-8

12-16 oz. raw penne pasta

2 Tbsps. olive oil

2-4 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

21-23 oz. crushed tomatoes

1 Tbsp. sugar

3/4 cup heavy cream or half and half

Salt and pepper to taste

5-8 oz. fresh spinach leaves

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While it is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add crushed garlic and pepper flakes and saute for a minute. Add tomatoes and sugar. Cook five minutes; add cream and combine.

Drain pasta but do not rinse. Add to sauce along with spinach. Stir to combine. Cook, covered, until spinach wilts. Give it another stir. Remove from heat and garnish with shredded Parmesan cheese and serve.