Tomatoes and Penne in a Balsamic Reduction
A rich and flavorful glaze to turn your pasta into something extra special. With one simple ingredient you’ll enjoy the full, intense flavor of a balsamic reduction over delicious Chickapea noodles and fresh cherry tomatoes. The balance of sweet and tangy balsamic glaze adds a deep color and unmistakable flavor to this gluten-free, vegan, nut-free recipe. This recipe couldn’t be easier and is a quick way to enjoy a healthy dinner.
Tomatoes and Penne in a Balsamic Reduction
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Course: Dinner
- Cuisine: Italian
- Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 Package Chickapea Penne
- 2 Tbsp table salt (for boiling pasta)
- 1 ½ cups balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp minced dehydrated garlic
- 1 lemon, juice of
- Basil for garnish, to taste
Instructions:
- In a small sauce pan bring balsamic vinegar to a boil over medium heat
- Reduce heat to medium/low and simmer to reduce for 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently. Balsamic vinegar will be sufficiently reduced when it is a syrup like consistency or thickly coats the back of a spoon and slowly drizzles off
- Meanwhile, prepare Chickapea penne to package specifications (heat 16 cups of water in a large pot over high heat until boiling. Add pasta and 2 Tbsp of salt to the water, decrease the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Stir and cook the pasta for 7 minutes)
- Add halved tomatoes, minced garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and dehydrated garlic to a large bowl and mix well
- Dain the pasta and rinse with cool water
- Transfer the pasta into the large bowl and toss all ingredients gently to incorporate the noodles
- Squeeze a lemon over the mixture
- Drizzle in all, (or desired amount of), balsamic reduction and stir the pasta well to evenly coat the noodles
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- The better quality the balsamic vinegar, the better the reduction will be
- Look for a balsamic vinegar from Modena Italy or the Reggio Emilia area of Italy
- When using a good quality vinegar, avoid the temptation to quicken the reduction process by adding additional sugar
- The balsamic reduction will continue to thicken once removed from the heat
- The balsamic reduction can be stored at room temperature in a sealed container for up to a week
- This meal can be served warm or at room temperature
- This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled for larger groups
- For longer term storage of balsamic reduction, the mixture will be best kept in a refrigerator