Description
A quick and comforting creamy tomato pasta made with pantry staples, featuring a rich tomato-cream sauce that’s ready in under 30 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights or a cosy dinner.
Ingredients
12 oz uncooked pasta (penne or rotini recommended)
2 tbsp butter (or olive oil)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce (or crushed tomatoes/passata)
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp Italian seasoning (or dried basil/oregano blend)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1–2 tsp sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions.
- While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 30–60 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in tomato paste, then add tomato sauce, heavy cream, and Italian seasoning. Whisk until smooth.
- Simmer the sauce gently for 5–7 minutes until slightly thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar if needed.
- Drain pasta and add directly to the sauce. Toss to coat, adding a splash of pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
- Serve immediately, topped with freshly grated Parmesan.
Notes
- For extra nutrition, stir in fresh spinach or sautéed mushrooms near the end.
- Add cooked chicken or shrimp for added protein.
- For a lighter version, substitute cream with cream cheese or Parmesan plus pasta water.
- To make it one-pot, cook pasta directly in the sauce with broth or water.
- Balance acidity with a pinch of sugar, extra cream, or butter if needed.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 14g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
