Creamy Tomato Pasta
This comforting and elegant pasta dish combines the deep umami flavor of concentrated tomato paste with a velvety heavy cream sauce. Perfectly balanced and simple to prepare in under thirty minutes, this recipe relies on pantry staples and a professional emulsification technique to ensure a glossy, restaurant-quality result that clings beautifully to every strand of pasta.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta (penne or rigatoni)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
- Cook pasta until al dente, reserving 1/4 cup of starchy pasta water before draining.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté for one minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato paste, tomato sauce, heavy cream, and Italian seasoning until smooth.
- Simmer the sauce for five minutes until thickened.
- Add the cooked pasta and a splash of reserved pasta water to the skillet, tossing until the sauce coats the noodles evenly.
- Serve warm with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Reserve pasta water as it is the secret to getting a glossy sauce that clings to the pasta. Use half-and-half for a lighter version of the sauce. Fresh basil is an excellent alternative to dried Italian seasoning if available.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5gCalories: 480kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 12gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 520mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6g
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