Copycat Noodles and Company Pasta Fresca Recipe

This copycat Pasta Fresca recipe from Noodles and Company is such an easy meal that's ready in less than 30 minutes! Add your favorite protein like chicken, shrimp or beef or keep it as a meatless vegetarian meal! Save money and make this restaurant favorite at home!

Copycat Noodles and Company Pasta Fresca

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My daughter and I love Noodles and Company. 

Pasta Fresca is my daughter's absolute favorite thing to get there, so we decided to save some money and try to re-create it at home.

This dish turned out amazing! The flavor was almost spot on and it got better with every bite. 

I'm not even sure we will ever have to go to Noodles and Company again. 

I did not add meat, but grilled chicken or shrimp would be a great addition! You can also make and add the Copycat Parmesan Crusted Chicken!

This meal is great for those busy weeknights, and would be even better with tomatoes, spinach and onions from the garden or farmer's market! So perfect for any time of the year and super easy to make!

It's also easy to customize and you can switch up many ingredients depending on what you have on hand. Check out some of my suggestions below!

What is in Pasta Fresca?

• Balsamic vinegar: A very dark, concentrated, and intensely flavored vinegar originating in Italy. It's made from grape must which is freshly crushed grape juice with all the skins, seeds and stems. It has antioxidants, and is usually aged for at least 12 years, up to 25 years in wood barrels. 

• Extra virgin olive oil: This is a liquid fat obtained from pressing whole mediterranean olives. It's used for cooking, bread dips and making salad dressings. It has a lower smoke point than other oils, so you'll want to use it when cooking at a lower temperature. 

• Fresh parsley: This herb is not just a garnish! It has a robust, fresh flavor and is great in salads, sauces, marinades, soups and more! It has vitamin k which is needed for blood and bone health.

• Fresh tomatoes: They are technically a fruit since they have seeds, but are prepared or served as a vegetable in savory dishes. They contain lycopene, which has great health benefits, vitamin c, potassium and folate. They are served fresh or cooked and can be roasted, canned, dehydrated or frozen for use later.

Other penne pasta recipes you may like:

• Cheesy Beef and Kale Penne Pasta
• Chicken Penne Casserole
• One Pot Caprese Pasta
• Penne Pasta Goulash
• World's Best Mac and Cheese
• Penne with Vodka Basil Sauce

This recipe is ready in these steps:

• In a small bowl, mix together the sauce mixture ingredients
• In a large skillet, saute garlic in olive oil then add the red onion and continue to saute
• Add the cooked pasta, and saute
• Add the spinach, tomatoes and sauce mixture, sauté
• Remove from heat, and sprinkle with shredded parmesan

Full recipe below

You can add or substitute with the following ingredients:

• fresh chopped kale
• cavatappi pasta
• yellow or white onion
• fresh basil
• garlic olive oil
• shallots
• red wine vinegar

Looking for more fresh tomato recipes?

• Capellini al Fresco
• Roasted Italian Tomatoes
• Caprese Bites with Pesto
• Cucumber and Tomato Bowtie Pasta Salad
• Cherry Tomato Salad
• Tomato Garlic Vinaigrette

What readers are saying about this recipe:

• Patti: Outstanding!! made this tonight, was a BIG hit!!
• Trari: I used red wine vinegar instead of white wine and it still tastes awesome! The flavor isnt exact because of this but it's still really great!
• Layne: Literally amaaaaaaazing. This will be a weekly meal for now on! So light but filling. I wish I could make it again tonight. Loved this so much!
• Christina: Pretty damn close to the real thing. Next time I think I will add the tomatoes at the same time as the onions. I also added some pecorino cheese at the end. Will be making again.
• Kyra: Super easy and delicious! Just like the original! 

What to serve with this recipe:

• Parmesan Crusted Chicken
• Buttery Garlic Bread
• Loaded Kale Caesar Salad

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!


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Copycat Noodles and Company Pasta Fresca

Yield: 6 servings

Author: Hot Eats and Cool Reads

Ingredients

• Sauce mixture:
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Saute ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup red onion, thickly sliced
• 12 ounces penne pasta, cooked al dente, rinsed and drained
• 2 ounces spinach, torn into smaller pieces
• 6 vine on tomatoes, each cut into 6 wedges (could also use campari or roma)
• shredded parmesan

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mix together the sauce mixture ingredients and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, saute garlic in olive oil for a couple minutes and then add the red onion and continue to saute for a few more minutes. 
3. Add the cooked pasta, and saute for about another 5 minutes until the pasta starts to lightly brown.
4. Add the spinach, tomatoes and sauce mixture, sautéing for 5-7 minutes or until spinach starts to wilt.
5. Remove from heat, and sprinkle with shredded parmesan.

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