This smooth, silky and Creamy Tomato Pasta is a one pot recipe that keeps the mess to a minimum. Toss pasta in a rich double tomato sauce with butter, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese and fresh mozzarella and basil. This one will be your GO-TO pasta dish!
Even though this recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make, it's longer than I want to wait to dig into a bowl of Creamy Tomato Pasta.
It's one of those COMFORT FOOD recipes that gives you a warm hug when you need it. Just like this Triple Cheese, Sausage and Spinach Lasagna and Super Cheesy and Easy Mac and Cheese. I am excited to share this one pot recipe with you!
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ingredients and substitutions
The ingredients for this easy pasta dish are in most well stocked kitchen pantries. Fresh mozzarella and basil are the two items you may need to pick up. Scroll to the complete recipe card for full quantities for the ingredients.
- penne ~ Any pasta shape will work in this dish.
- salted butter
- onion ~ Yellow or Vidalia onions are best for this recipe. After sauteing, purple onions tend to add an odd tint to the sauce. They're best eaten raw like in salads.
- garlic ~ Fresh garlic is my first choice. But about 1 ½ teaspoons of granulated garlic can be used as a substitute.
- tomato paste
- crushed tomatoes ~ I used canned tomatoes in this recipe.
- kosher salt
- red pepper flakes
- heavy cream ~ In a pinch, I use light cream or half and half.
- Parmesan cheese ~ Freshly grated is the tastiest. Most grocery stores now carry cheese that was grated right in the store.
- fresh mozzarella ~ Buy the cheese packed in water. But a block of mozzarella or preshredded cheese can be a substitute.
- fresh basil ~ The fresh herb adds the sweet, pungent and peppery bite that is perfect for this dish. If it's not available, use
how to make creamy tomato pasta
Making creamy tomato pasta is super easy.
- After cooking the pasta (save a cupful of the starchy pasta water), the silky smooth tomato sauce comes together 10 minutes.
2. Sauté plenty of chopped onions in a generous amount of butter. You want the onions just translucent and soft. Some chopped garlic is tossed in because every pasta dish needs garlic, right?!
3. Double the tomato goodness with tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Season with kosher salt and red pepper flakes - I love the heat from these crushed peppers.
4. Now's the fun part! Stir in rich and thick heavy cream, grated sharp and salty Parmesan cheese and lots and lots of fresh slivered basil. This sauce is decadent and DELICIOUS! Tuck a few and by a few I mean a lot of fresh mozzarella. More Parmesan and basil too!
Hint: My secret to making the creamy tomato pasta extra silky? Stir in some of the pasta cooking water that you saved.
expert tips
Just a few things to keep in mind so your time in the kitchen goes smoothly.
- Boil LOTS of water for the pasta ~ about 5 to 6 quarts. You want the pasta swimming in the water otherwise it will be mushy and sticky.
- Save about a cup of the pasta cooking water. This is like liquid gold when making pasta sauces. The starchy water makes sauces extra silky. It also can thin a too thick sauce without diluting the flavor.
- Do not rinse the pasta with water after draining it. This will not only cool the pasta, it will remove the starchiness. Rinsing the pasta will prevent the sauce from clinging to it.
- Heavy cream makes for the richest and creamiest sauce. You can substitute light cream or half and half in a pinch.
variations
- Cooked pieces of either sweet or spicy Italian sausage. Roasted chicken. And to make the dish even more decadent, add cooked lobster meat, scallops, crab or shrimp.
- To make it a little more healthy, stir in sautéed spinach, mushrooms, broccoli or zucchini. Drained canned artichoke hearts, olives, tuna and capers are good too.
storage tips
Creamy Tomato Pasta is best enjoyed right when it's made. Any leftovers can be reheated to enjoy anytime.
Put a serving of pasta in a microwave safe bowl. Add a little heavy cream, water or chicken stock. Cover loosely and reheat on 60% power at 30 second intervals. Stir to loosen the pasta and coat with the delicious sauce.
BTW ~ these are the same heating directions I leave for my personal chef clients when I make this dish for them.
more pasta recipes
- Grown Up Buttered Noodles with Parmesan
- Quick and Easy Bacon and Tomato Pasta with Peas
- Tortellini Pasta with Asparagus, Spinach and Ham
- Homemade Spinach and Sausage Lasagna
- Pasta with Goat Cheese, Prosciutto, Peas and Asparagus
just one more thing
If you make these creamy pasta recipe, I'd love hearing from you. Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ~ I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I'll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations.
Also check out my Facebook and Pinterest pages for lots of fabulous foodie stories and videos, cooking tips, and recipes.
Recipe
Creamy Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt plus more for salting pasta water
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 ½ cups chopped onion
- 4 large garlic cloves chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 14.5 ounces can crushed tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- ½ cup thinly sliced fresh basil plus more for serving
- 1 pound fresh mozzarella torn in bite sized pieces
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with kosher salt and add pasta. Cook according to the package directions. Drain (do not rinse with water) and set aside. Save 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.
- In the same pot, over medium heat, melt the butter.
- When the butter is melted and begins to foam, add the onion and a sprinkle of kosher salt. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent. You don't want them to brown.
- Stir in the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the tomato paste and sauté for 1 minute.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, 1 ½ teaspoons of kosher salt and the red pepper flakes. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan cheese and basil.
- Add the cooked penne and toss with the sauce. Add some of the reserved pasta water (I add about ¾ cup) to make the sauce extra silky.
- Stir in the fresh mozzarella.
- Serve in large bowls with more Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Notes
- Boil LOTS of water for the pasta ~ about 5 to 6 quarts. You want the pasta swimming in the water otherwise it will cook up to be mushy and sticky.
- Save about a cup of the pasta cooking water. This is like liquid gold when making pasta sauces. The starchy water makes sauces extra silky. It also can thin a too thick sauce without diluting the flavor.
- Do not rinse the pasta with water after draining it. This will not only cool the pasta, it will remove the starchiness. The creamy sauce will prevent the sauce from clinging to the pasta.
- Heavy cream makes for the richest and creamiest tomato sauce. You can substitute whipping cream or half and half in a pinch.
- Creamy Tomato Pasta is best enjoyed right when it's made. Any leftovers can be reheated though. Put a serving of pasta in a microwave safe bowl. Add a little heavy cream, water or chicken stock. Cover loosely and reheat on 60% power at 30 second intervals. Stir to loosen the pasta and coat with the delicious sauce.
Shannon says
Delicious! I accidentally used a can of diced tomatoes but it still turned out delicious!
Amy Casey says
I happy that you loved my recipe Shannon. And thanks for letting me know about the substitution. It's good to know that there are alternatives if you don't have crushed tomatoes on hand.
Lisa Govel says
My family loved this. It was easy and delicious!
Amy Casey says
I love to hear that Lisa!!
Alilley says
Perfect recipe. Simplicity that results in sublime sophistication.
Amy Casey says
That perfectly describes the recipe. Thanks for sharing your comment.
Melissa says
Excellent dish! I rarely post but this was impressive. Thank you!
Amy Casey says
Thanks so much Melissa! I appreciate your comment and I'm so glad you enjoyed my recipe. It's a keeper!
Sharla says
Family loved this sauce! So delish!
Amy Casey says
That's awesome Sharla! I'm so happy your family enjoyed my recipe.
Amy Casey says
So happy your family enjoyed my recipe Sharla.
Aimee says
I was reading thru the details and the initial description of the recipe call for sharp cheddar and then the rest of both the ingredient list and directions say just Parmesan
Amy Casey says
I'm not seeing where it says sharp cheddar. The recipe includes Parmesan and fresh mozzarella cheeses.
Stephanie says
I'd recommend doing a 28oz can of tomatoes, and halving the cream and mozzarella. I made it this way and almost thought that was too much cream! Very good jump-off recipe, though. Thanks!
Amy Casey says
Thanks for sharing! And you are so welcome.
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
My son will surely love this creamy tomato pasta! I will make this for him tomorrow. It looks so delicious.
Amy Casey says
Thanks! I hope your son enjoys my recipe.
Veronika Sykorova says
Nothing's better than some creamy tomato sauce! I always rinse my pasta but after trying your way, I'm converted! The sauce really sticks to it better. Thanks for the great tip!
Amy Casey says
You are welcome Veronika!
Kate says
We enjoyed eating this creamy tomato pasta! My kids in particular, loved it!! Saving this for our week dinners!
Amy Casey says
Kate ~ That is fabulous! I'm so happy that my recipe will be making more appearances in your weekly menus 🙂
Amanda Dixon says
This was so delicious! The sauce was so decadent and flavorful, and I just loved those little bites of mozzarella throughout each bite. Plus, it's super simple.
Amy Casey says
Amanda ~ I'm so glad you enjoyed my recipe. This one is loved by my personal chef clients!
Jacqueline Debono says
I just love creamy tomato sauce with pasta so, this recipe is so calling my name. The addition of mozzarella at the end sounds divine!
Amy Casey says
Jacqueline~ Don't you just love fresh mozzarella on just about anything?
Amy Liu Dong says
Such an easy and delicious pasta recipe to prepare for dinner, and I am pretty sure that my kids would love this.
Amy Casey says
Amy ~ It is a kids' favorite!
veenaazmanov says
With such an awesome dish my weekend could be the best. My family loves such amazing Dinner options. Cheesy, Tangy and delicious.
Amy Casey says
Veena ~ Thank you! You can't go wrong with cheese and pasta 🙂
Dana says
I agree with using heavy cream for a rich and delicious sauce. It makes such a creamy tomato sauce in this recipe.
Amy Casey says
Dana ~ there's no substitute! I used to use light cream or half and half instead of heavy cream. Once I tried heavy cream in sauces, there was no turning back!
Farrukh Aziz says
I love some Creamy Tomato Pasta! This recipe seems easy yet so delicious! I need to try this out!
Amy Casey says
Farrukh ~ you will love this one! It's my go to recipe when I'm craving pasta. And it's so easy to make.