Name: Penne Con Salsa Al Rosmarino
Ingredients: 1 lb penne rigate (good quality Italian preferred); 2 tbsp butter; 2 tsp fresh rosemary (finely chopped); 10 oz heavy cream; 4 oz pomodoro sauce (see recipe below); 1 tsp kosher salt; ½ tsp red pepper flakes; freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano to taste

Why it works: Rosemary and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,324 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓

Penne Con Salsa Al Rosmarino

Time8–10 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb penne rigate (good quality Italian preferred)
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp fresh rosemary (finely chopped)
10 oz heavy cream
4 oz pomodoro sauce (see recipe below)
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp red pepper flakes
freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano to taste

Directions

Cook the pasta

Cook the pasta in 4 quarts of salted, boiling water for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Drain pasta when it is toothsome (al dente) and slightly chewy.
Do not overcook and do not rinse.
Be sure the sauce is ready before the pasta is done.

Make the sauce

While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a 10‑inch skillet or sauté pan.
Add the rosemary and sauté for 7 seconds over medium heat, being careful not to brown the butter.
Add the cream, tomato sauce, salt and red pepper flakes.
Simmer over low heat until thickened.

Combine and serve

Add the cooked, drained pasta to the pan.
Heat and toss the pasta with the sauce for a few seconds.
Transfer the pasta and sauce to serving bowls.
Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.
Serve immediately with grated Parmigiano Reggiano at the table.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

165Calories

1 gProtein

18 gFat

2 gCarbs

Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 5 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Cream	1 tbsp (15ml) heavy	51
Chili	1 tsp (2.7g)	8
Rosemary	1 tsp dried (1.2g)	4
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0
Sauce	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Rosemary + peppertop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together2,324 recipes

Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together41,516 recipes

Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Cream + saucetop 9% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together4,787 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Butter + saucetop 15% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together15,338 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Butter + peppertop 21% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together85,593 recipes

Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).

Butter and sauce barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 15,338 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Penne rigate: Provides the sturdy shape and bite that hold the creamy sauce.
Heavy cream: Forms the rich, thickened sauce base and adds fat for a smooth texture.
Butter: Adds richness and a silky mouthfeel to the sauce.
Pomodoro sauce: Adds tomato flavour and acidity that balance the rich cream.
Parmigiano reggiano: Adds salty, savoury depth when grated over the finished pasta.

The step that matters

Stop cooking the pasta at al dente. Pasta keeps softening from residual heat and from tossing in the hot sauce, so draining it at al dente and not rinsing it keeps the texture firm and lets it absorb the sauce.

Swap the rosemary

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, cream, sauce, pepper):

Nutmegfits better
Tarragonfits better
Parsleyfits better
Rosemarythe original

Fit is the average pairing score against butter, cream, sauce, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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Penne Con Salsa Al Rosmarino