Description
Creamy tomato pasta brings Italian comfort right to your kitchen with its silky sauce and rich flavors. Hearty ingredients blend seamlessly, creating a delightful meal you’ll savor down to the last twirling forkful.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 8 ounces (226 grams) pasta (uncooked)
- 1 (14 ounces) 414 milliliters can tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup (180 milliliters) heavy cream (or whipping cream)
Flavor Enhancers:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Seasonings:
- Salt (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
- Freshly grated vegetarian Parmesan-style cheese (or a plant-based Parmesan alternative) (adjust to preference)
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water, add salt, and bring to a vigorous boil over high heat. Submerge pasta and cook until tender yet firm, approximately 8-10 minutes, monitoring package instructions for precise timing.
- While pasta cooks, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic, stirring continuously for 60-90 seconds until fragrant and lightly golden, avoiding browning.
- Incorporate tomato paste, tomato sauce, heavy cream, and Italian seasoning into the skillet. Whisk ingredients until uniformly blended, creating a smooth, vibrant sauce. Reduce heat and simmer for 4-5 minutes, allowing sauce to slightly thicken and develop rich flavors.
- Enhance sauce with salt and pepper, tasting and adjusting seasoning. If sauce seems acidic, add a minimal amount of sugar to balance flavor profile.
- Drain pasta, reserving one cup of starchy cooking liquid. Transfer pasta directly into skillet with sauce, gently tossing to ensure complete coating. If sauce appears dense, introduce reserved pasta water to achieve desired consistency.
- Plate immediately, garnishing with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve hot, allowing diners to appreciate the creamy, aromatic tomato sauce clinging to perfectly cooked pasta.
Notes
- Always save a cup of starchy pasta water to adjust sauce consistency and add silky texture to your creamy tomato pasta.
- Watch garlic carefully while sautéing to prevent burning, which can create a bitter taste that ruins the sauce’s delicate flavor.
- A tiny pinch of sugar can neutralize tomato sauce’s natural tanginess, creating a more rounded and harmonious flavor profile.
- For a lighter version, swap heavy cream with Greek yogurt or half-and-half, and use gluten-free pasta to make the dish more diet-friendly.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg