Penne al Baffo (Creamy Tomato-Ham Pasta) Recipe (2024)

As the recipe notes, tomato puree is simply the American way of saying tomato passata. Passata/puree is smooth with no chunks or lumps and no ingredient other than tomato, except perhaps some salt. It has a very mellow flavor. Don’t substitute tomato sauce or paste or any other tomatoey stuff.

This is precisely why we subscribe to this newsletter. We made (and loved!) this recipe for lunch. Not only does it work (clearly, it has been tested) and is delicious. But that does not explain our enthusiasm. This is not some sort of “fusion” creation that calls itself “al baffo,” but really is not. It’s a classic recipe, one that we had heard about, and had never tried, not even in a restaurant, and wanted to make at home. We are very happy we did!!

Love this! Worked well with deli ham in a pinch, but ethereal with some leftover guanciale we had in the fridge. Hardest part was cleaning up my 4 year old after she devoured 2 bowls!

Italian tomato puree now commonly found in the US - sold in bottles

The best passata available in the USA is by Pomi. It is widely available. I use it exclusively here in Italy

Wow, so easy & yes…lip smacking good.I used a ham steak and cubed it. I’m sure other types of hams or guanciale or pancetta will work as well. For the person confused with step 2…use a 1/4 c of the boiling salted water (to be used later to cook the pasta) and add it to the can or glass jar that the tomato purée came out of so you get every last drop of that puree.Careful adding additional salt as the puree, ham, cheese already contain plenty…as does the salted water and cooked pasta.

This was truly delicious! Not satisfied with just deli ham, I also sautéed a few porcini mushrooms for the sauce. I will definitely be making this again.

Perfect to cook in the camper, fast, easy, delicious. Best with a glass of powerful red wine.

Passata means “passed,” in other words passed through a food mill or strainer to become smooth. The most common brand in Italy is Mutti, sold in jars (not cans) and I believe also common in US supermarkets. This recipe is authentic although Italians would use less sauce and garlic.

Tomato passata?

Looks amazing! The only change I'm contemplating is to substitute pancetta for the ham. Cubed pancetta is widely available at markets here in NC, so it would be an easy swap.

I buy glass tall jars of passata (Mutti) brand, they're 24.5 oz. BUT you can close them& keep in fridge

I spied a small container (1/2 can) of diced Muir Glen tomatoes in the fridge as I was getting out the wine for dinner. I threw them into the pasta at the last minute, just warming them through. Those occasional plump tomato bites were very nice.

It’s the Italian version of tomato purée. Feel free to substitute if you can’t find Passata in your local grocery

Wow, was this a winner! I had some reservations about it because of the lack of much seasoning. Very creamy, delicious. I used Boar's Head Bourbon Ridge ham, because after reading comments, wanted a ham that would definitely impart some smokiness and it was perfect. This is definitely a meal I could do on a weeknight - went together so quickly. Cut the recipe in half for two, with a lunch portion left over. My arm hurts a little bit from patting myself on the back with this one.

Second time used 1/2 prosciutto slices and 1/2 diced pancetta. Also good.

It's so good when made with prosciutto cotto.

Added a parm-reg rind as the sauce cooked. Used leftover spiral ham diced. Plenty of sauce for a whole box of ziti. Very rich dish. Agree with others to serve with a side salad or a crunchy veggie. I think mushrooms would taste really good in this.

I keep the ingredients on hand. Simple to make on a week night. Regular rotation. Adding capers and olives to leftovers gives it a puttanesca feel.

I made this first with a just-fine supermarket ham and was disappointed; find a good ultra-flavorful ham or upgrade to a pancetta or guanciale. I've used guanciale ever since, skimming some fat before adding the passata, and it's great. Also, strongly recommend using an anellini (ring) pasta for a little grown-up Spaghetti-O's vibe. (We call it Big Boy-ardee in our house.)

Stuck in a small Italian village for days. No cream, no cheese. Used whole milk instead and no cheese. Grated heirloom tomatoes on box grater: voila, Passata! It was good even w/o the cheese.

I followed the recipe as is, but I did buy already cubed country ham at my grocery store instead of the deli ham. We felt the sauce was a little thin the first night, but the leftovers were much better. The sauce had thickened overnight and it was delicious the next day. When I make it again I'll start it at lunch and refrigerate until supper time.

Ok. Quick, easy, YUMMY. What more can you want for a weeknight family meal?

I do not understand all the praise for this recipe. Made as directed and it tasted like souped up ketchup. Not unlike Spaghettios. Regretted making the full recipe because the other half went in the trash.

If you have an Italian deli, buy prosciutto cotto. It makes a difference. It’s much more flavorful than American deli ham or a ham steak.

So, I ran out of garlic and couldn’t find Passata. So I used granulated garlic and blended up some canned whole tomatoes. I did also use a ham steak instead of deli ham, riffing off of some of the comments. Even with these modifications, it was one of the best things I’ve eaten in a while! Much richer and more complex than the ingredient list suggests. Licking my whiskers indeed!Bonus points for the kiddos liking it too.

So easy, so tasty

I liked the recipe, it was a good sauce to pasta ratio and perfect for a weeknight. The next time though, I think I’m going to try pancetta or guanciale as suggested by another reviewer because I felt that the ham was muted by the sauce. It was still very good though.

This was very bland, I used niman ranch ham steak. May try again with pancetta or an organic sausage.

Tried for first time tonight. Used leftover Costco 4 lb. ham I had baked a few nights ago. I think I chopped up about a half pound, but we both decided it needed more. Only mod I made was adding a pound of chopped asparagus about halfway thru the simmer. Fantastic! Used half & half instead of cream. Wife and I look forward to doing it again in the future.