Easy Creamy Tomato Pasta
This creamy tomato pasta is the perfect cozy weeknight dinner that comes together with simple pantry staples in about 30 minutes. The smooth, creamy tomato sauce coats every bite of pasta perfectly, making it a cozy, kid-friendly meal that comes together fast on busy nights.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¼ tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Save about 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining the pasta.
- While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and cook for about 4–5 minutes until softened and translucent
- Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes until it slightly deepens in color. Pour in the tomato sauce, and stir to combine.
- Lower the heat to medium-low. Stir in the heavy cream and Italian seasoning. Stir until smooth and combined, then let the sauce simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
- Stir in the grated parmesan cheese until melted and smooth.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss until fully coated. If needed, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.
Notes
- Use freshly grated Parmesan. It melts much more smoothly into the sauce than shelf-stable Parmesan.
- Make sure to cook down the tomato paste. This helps deepen the tomato flavor and removes any sharp tomato taste.
- Keep the heat low after adding the cream. High heat can cause the sauce to separate instead of staying smooth and creamy.
- Double the sauce if your family loves extra creamy pasta or if you want extra sauce to use as a dip for garlic bread.
Nutrition
Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 454mg | Potassium: 339mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1088IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 1mg
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