A delicious weeknight pasta dinner recipe the whole family will love! Sweet Tomato & Broccoli Rabe Baked Penne that’s gluten-free, vegan, and allergy-free. Packed with flavor and nutritious veggies, this healthy meal will be an easy new favorite!
“I hate pasta!” Said no one ever. Need a great dinner, but don’t feel like getting to fancy, also want something that will bring all the cozy good feels and satisfying comfort after a long grueling day at work or school? Pasta. The great thing about pasta is that you can make it into a dish tailored exactly to your liking. A blank slate and a great base for a killer gluten-free dinner.
MY LATEST VIDEOSThe only time I had REALLY bad “pasta” was at a 3-day baton twirler camp held at Villanova University way back in the day. That whole experience was a disaster from the outset. The dorms at Villanova are legitimate prison cells too. We had to eat out meals in the dining hall obviously and I already knew not to have high hopes as we trekked down in the hot summer heat to our first “dinner”. I don’t remember all the details (I was young, this was back in 2004?). But I’m pretty sure all they had were these cold dried penne noodles to serve us.
I kid you not, the noodles were greyish brown, hard, cold, and literally dried (i.e. not fresh anymore by the time they served us). There wasn’t even sauce (unless I was that out of it and missed the sauce line). It was a sad, sad pasta tragedy and the final nail in the coffin of that terrible sleep away camp. (Good thing for me, my mom was one of the adult volunteers and I went with my good friend). Some how I came home alive…bad noodles and all!
But don’t worry guys, I have you covered today! You don’t have to suffer through a pasta dinner of old, dry, and cold noodle sadness! You get a killer gluten-free, vegan, and top 8 allergy-free meal fit for a king (or queen). A sweet tomato sauce full of herbs and spices, along with some yummy tummy broccoli rabe! All perfectly baked right in the magic iron that we all know and love! My stomach’s growling already!
Sweet Tomato & Broccoli Rabe Baked Penne (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Allergy-Free)
- 1 8oz Box Gluten-Free Penne
- 1 15oz Can Plain Unsalted Tomato Sauce
- 2 Heaping Cups Chopped Broccoli Rabe
- 1 Cup Finely Chopped Sweet Onion
- 2 TB Chopped Fresh Basil
- 2 TB Chopped Fresh Parsley
- 1 TB Pure Maple Syrup
- 1 Tsp Minced Garlic
- ½ Tsp Sweet Paprika
- ¼ Tsp Black Pepper
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Cook pasta according to box directions, but only for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse, and add back to the pot.
- Add in all the other ingredients to the pot of semi-cooked pasta and mix well to combine.
- Pour the pasta mixture into a large seasoned cast iron skillet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove and serve.
No need to ever cry of sad pasta again! Well…I take that back. As long as you eat pasta at home or from a reliable restaurant, then you’ll have some damn good pasta! Gross old noodles from college dining halls? I can’t guarantee you that one! I guess the biggest thing though, is to make sure, no matter where you are, that the noodles are GLUTEN-FREE! That would make a sad pasta dinner into an even nastier disaster!
So tell me:
+ What was your first college dining experience like? That scarred me 10 years before I even got there 😛
+ Worst pasta you ever had?
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This looks SO good! I already pinned your recipe 🙂
Thank you!
This sounds amazing! Pinned!
Thanks!
Oooh, I’m a big fan of broccoli rabe and this recipe looks amazing.
It is a delicious, veggie!
This looks amazing! I love that it’s something that my son could eat too even with his allergy.
So glad to hear!
Yum, there’s nothing better than a big bowl of pasta this looks delicious!
Pasta is always good for the soul 😉
I’m definitely trying this – I love anything with broccoli rabe!
Awesome! It’s an underrated veggie!
We will love your Pasta dish, it looks delicious.
I bet YOU will.
Looks delicious!! Thanks for sharing!
Alright then.
I rarely make baked pasta dishes so this is a nice reminder to do so! What a beautiful dish.
This will be a fabulous dinner then!
This looks so delicious. I wish I had some right now even though it’s only 9am.
That’s a good sign!
Which brand of penne is that? They look like bigger versions of ziti. Lovely recipe!
You can click the link in the recipe section to see.
Oh man this looks amazing! baked pasta is next level good 🙂
Haha, that is so right 😉
This would make the perfect mid-week dinner, I love it!
Yes it would!
I never tried baked pasta recipe. My husband loves baked Spinach pasta. That we ate at our neighbors house. Let’s make this. My husband will be happy 🙂
I know he will!
The worst pasta I ever had was at a little Italian place . The only vegan thing on the menu was Spaghetti Aglio Olio. They took the olio part too far. The pasta was literally swimming in 4 cups of olive oil. It was disgusting! This baked penne on the other hand looks perfect! Can’t wait to try it 😉
Oily noodles…yum 😉
This pasta looks delcious, and so easy too! I don’t remember my college dining experience being to bad, I do remember lots of salads and sandwiches. I think I was pretty lucky with the food :).
Thankfully I’ve always been able to cook during my real college time and counting!
Well, this pasta looks a lot better than the one you remember as a child! Beautiful flavors in this. And I have an amazing box of gluten free penne in my cupboard 🙂
Haha, much better! Thanks, Michelle!
You are right, gross noodles are the worst! It doesn’t matter what you put on them. But I’m loving how easy your sauce is. Sometimes we try to get too fancy and it’s the simple foods and flavors that tend to be our favorites.
Let all the real simple flavor shine!
We’ve never made broccoli rabe, but this is a great recipe for us to try it out on! Thanks for sharing!
You will love it! A new favorite veggie for you!
I wish I could eat all the 4 servings of this right now…..So good!
Whole pans of pasta make for some self-care 😉
Pasta always makes a great meal. Your sauce looks fresh and tasty too. A great dish to make midweek when you want a quick but tasty supper
Yes! It’s quick, easy, and comforting!
I love that the pasta only cooks for 5 minutes and then can finish baking in the oven. Multi-tasker!
Don’t want it to be mushy 😛
This sounds amazing! I need to make this ASAP!
Yes, I hope you do!
I didn’t think I would like broccoli rabe but then I tried it and it’s delish. And I can never say no to penne.
Right? It’s so yummy and a little sweet!
Everything about this is making me hungry! Pasta is my ultimate comfort food!
You can’t get any classic cozier than pasta!
I could dig into that right now. I always love a good bowl of pasta and if you can add some extra vegetables in all the better. Some nights simple is just the right thing.
Right? Pasta is always a good choice!
I just bought rapini this morning. I love it roasted with olive oil. This pasta looks delicious.
It is so lovely!
Looks so yummy! I know I can always rely on pasta when I need a quick meal that will please everyone!
Got that right!
Ooh, I’ve not had rapini since I left Pozzuoli in 2015 (it’s called friarielli there)! It’s so cheap to buy in southern Italy, so of course, in the summer, it’s a staple food! Really yum too, especially when you get the buds as well!
Haha, what’s rapini?
Baked gluten-free penne is one of my favorite comfort dishes. I love this variation with broccoli rabe! Looks delicious.
Baking in some extra veggies!
This looks SO delicious! I want to make it for dinner this week.
I urge you to do so 😉
Looks delicious!
Thanks!
This dish looks so fresh and delicious! Perfect for a pasta fix.
You bet!
Healthy? Yes please.
Alright then.
Oh dear Rebecca, that sounds like a Bad experience! This on the other hand looks amazing! I love the combination of fresh basil and parsley, and pasta of course! 🙂
Haha, well thank you!
This looks like such a good recipe! I will have to try it out this week. Thanks for sharing!!
Awesome, enjoy!
I agree that pasta is a wonderful blank canvas. This sauce sounds absolutely lovely with it.
Yes! Thank you!