🍝 Penne alla panna (penne with cream)
Penne alla panna is one of the simplest Italian pasta dishes: penne simmered briefly in cream, finished with grated parmesan and a little nutmeg. The sauce is silky and mild, coating every piece of pasta. It is a quick weeknight dish and a favourite with children, served hot with extra cheese on the side.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 360 g penne
- 250 ml cooking cream
- 60 g parmesan, grated
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Cook the penne in salted water until al dente; keep a cup of pasta water.
- Warm the cream with the nutmeg in a wide pan for 2–3 minutes.
- Add the drained penne and toss over low heat for 1 minute.
- Stir in the parmesan, loosening with pasta water if needed.
- Season with pepper and serve hot.
How to make it lighter
- Replace a third of the cream with pasta water for a lighter, still silky sauce.
- Use light cooking cream instead of full-fat.
- Add steamed peas or spinach to the plate to bulk it out with vegetables.
History
Pasta with cream became widespread in Italian home and restaurant cooking in the second half of the 20th century, and penne alla panna is a basic version that many other cream sauces build on. It is eaten all over Italy today.
Count it in one photo
Point your camera at the table — Me Nutrition recognises Penne alla panna (penne with cream) and every other dish, with calories and macros for each. Ate only half? Slide it.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →