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Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce Recipe

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4 from 9 reviews

This creamy pasta with tomato cream sauce is a quick and comforting dish perfect for a weeknight meal. The combination of tomato passata, cream, and Parmesan cheese creates a rich and velvety sauce that clings beautifully to al dente spaghetti. Enhanced with garlic, onion, and herbs, this recipe delivers a satisfying and flavorful experience in just 20 minutes.

Ingredients

Pasta

  • 300g/10 oz spaghetti

Sauce

  • 2 tbsp / 30g unsalted butter
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ onion, finely chopped
  • 1 cup / 250 ml tomato passata (or tomato puree)
  • 3/4 cup / 185 ml heavy / thickened cream
  • 1/2 cup / 125 ml low fat milk
  • 3/4 cup / 30g Parmesan, finely freshly grated
  • 1 tsp dried basil (or other herb of choice)
  • 1 tsp chicken or vegetable stock powder (or 1 bouillon cube, crumbled)
  • Finely ground pepper and salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook spaghetti according to package instructions minus 2 minutes for al dente texture. Before draining, reserve a mugful of the pasta cooking water for later use.
  2. Cook Aromatics: In a large skillet, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and finely chopped onion, cooking until they become translucent and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  3. Prepare Sauce: Pour in the tomato passata, heavy cream, and low-fat milk. Add the grated Parmesan cheese, dried basil, and stock powder or bouillon. Stir continuously until the Parmesan melts and the sauce is smoothly combined. Increase the heat slightly and let it simmer gently for 2 minutes. Adjust salt to taste.
  4. Toss Pasta and Sauce: Add the cooked spaghetti directly to the skillet. Toss the pasta in the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken and cling to the pasta. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta water to reach desired consistency.
  5. Serve: Serve the pasta immediately, optionally garnished with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley for extra flavor and presentation.

Notes

  • For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or use all milk, but the sauce will be less rich.
  • You can use vegetable stock powder to keep the dish vegetarian.
  • Reserve pasta water is starchy and helps to loosen the sauce without diluting flavor.
  • Fresh herbs such as basil or parsley enhance the freshness of the dish when sprinkled before serving.

Find it online: https://bitezly.com/pasta-with-tomato-cream-sauce-recipe/