By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 11, 2026
Serves 4
830 cal · 65 min
Penne with Sausage and Roasted Tomatoes
Recipe GLPR1602846a1dfa54
Tender penne pasta tossed with seasoned ground Italian sausage and sweet roasted grape tomatoes with garlic and fresh basil. A simple, flavorful one-pan dinner that's ready in about an hour.
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Ingredients
6 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
2 cups halved grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided (for roasting)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 pound dried penne pasta
1 pound ground mild Italian sausage
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided (for finishing)
8 fresh basil leaves
Directions
Preheat your oven to 225°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a medium bowl, toss the halved grape tomatoes with the peeled and halved garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until evenly coated.
Spread the tomato and garlic mixture on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Roast in the preheated oven for 45 minutes until the tomatoes are softened and slightly caramelized. Set aside when done.
About 15 minutes before the tomatoes are finished roasting, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the dried penne pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente.
Drain the cooked pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water in a separate container. Set the drained pasta aside.
While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground Italian sausage and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until it is completely cooked through with no pink remaining, about 8-10 minutes.
Carefully pour the cooked sausage into a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Drain well, reserving exactly 1 tablespoon of the pan drippings. Return the drained sausage to the empty skillet.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the reserved 1 tablespoon of pan drippings in the skillet with the sausage, stirring to combine.
Add the 3 minced garlic cloves to the sausage and oil mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for exactly 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the reserved drained pasta to the skillet and stir gently to combine with the sausage and aromatics.
Pour the roasted tomatoes and garlic cloves along with any accumulated pan juices from the aluminum foil into the skillet. Gently toss all ingredients together until well combined.
If the pasta appears dry, add the reserved pasta water a little at a time, tossing gently, until the desired consistency is reached.
Transfer the penne to a serving dish or individual bowls. Tear the fresh basil leaves and scatter over the top. Serve immediately.
Comments
Ingredients are straightforward finds at any Charlotte grocer—penne, Italian sausage (bulk or links at Harris Teeter or Food Lion), grape tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil run about $12–14 total, or roughly $3–3.50 per serving. The stated 65 minutes is honest if you account for roasting the tomatoes at 425°F for 25–30 minutes, though active prep is only 10–15 minutes, making this genuinely weeknight-friendly. The dish reheats adequately if you warm it gently with a splash of oil, though fresh basil added at the table makes a noticeable difference. For a Charlotte household, this is solid comfort food—no special trips, reasonable cost, and the roasted tomatoes (sweeter than raw) play to tomato season here, though grape tomatoes are available year-round at all major chains.
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