Description
A rich and creamy tomato pasta recipe featuring a smooth tomato cream sauce enhanced with garlic, Italian seasoning, and freshly grated parmesan cheese. This comforting dish is quick to prepare and perfect for a satisfying weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt & pepper to taste
Toppings
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving, to taste
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it until al dente, following the package instructions. Drain pasta and set aside once cooked.
- Sauté Garlic: While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about one minute, stirring constantly to avoid burning and to release the garlic’s flavor.
- Make Sauce: Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, heavy cream, and Italian seasoning to the skillet with the garlic. Stir until the sauce is smooth and well combined. Reduce heat to medium-low and let the sauce gently simmer for about 5 minutes, or until it thickens to your preferred consistency, making sure it is just bubbling gently.
- Season Sauce: Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper generously as desired. If the sauce tastes too acidic or tangy, add a small pinch of sugar to balance the flavors.
- Combine and Serve: Toss the drained pasta with the prepared tomato cream sauce, adding a splash of hot pasta water if the sauce is too thick to reach the desired consistency. Serve immediately topped with plenty of freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Using heavy cream is important as it prevents the sauce from curdling due to the acidity in the tomatoes. Avoid substituting with lower fat alternatives.
- This recipe is featured in the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials hardcover cookbook.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 460 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
