Creamy Tomato Pasta

Side view of the finished Creamy Tomato Sauce in a white bowl with a blue and white linen in the background.

Easy to make and comforting, this Creamy Tomato Pasta is a simple dish for any family dinner. Serve it as a meatless meal, or pair it with your favorite simple protein. We often add chicken or shrimp and a veggie to complete this meal. This recipe has an extra depth of flavor thanks to tomato paste and a touch of garlic.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Author : Kari Peters

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 454kcal

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
1 small onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup dry white wine optional, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
14 ounces fire roasted canned diced tomatoes
6 ounces tomato paste 1 can
1 cup heavy whipped cream see notes for dairy-free
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan plus more for serving
1/2 tsp sea salt more or less to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper more for serving
12 ounces pasta see notes, penne, tagliatelle, fettuccini, etc.

Serve with:

1 large handful of chopped fresh basil or 1-2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 pound cooked diced chicken or cooked shrimp optional
more freshly grated parmesan

Instructions

Start by dicing the onion and mincing the garlic.
Preheat a large skillet (10") over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot but not smoking, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the onion and garlic and lower the heat to medium. Cook until softened and lightly golden but not browned, 3-5 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
When the onions are softened, add the white wine to the pan to deglaze and simmer briefly for 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste to the pan and use a wooden spoon to lightly break up the tomato paste.
Add the heavy cream to the pan and continue to break up the tomato paste to completely mix the sauce ingredients together while you bring the sauce to a boil.
Once the sauce boils, lower the heat to maintain a low simmer. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the flavors have combined and the onion has softened.
While the creamy tomato sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions. I like to drain my pasta about 1-2 minutes early and finish it in the sauce.
When the pasta is done, drain, but do not rinse, and add the pasta back to the pot. Pour the finished tomato sauce over the top and simmer while you toss the pasta with the sauce.
Add the optional chicken or shrimp at this point, and make sure they're cooked and heated through with the pasta. Add the parmesan next and toss to combine.
Serve immediately with fresh herbs, if desired, and more freshly grated parmesan.

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Notes

The nutrition facts were calculated for the tomato cream sauce + 12 ounces brown rice pasta but without the extra cheese or optional protein.

For dairy-free, add 1 cup of unsweetened coconut cream instead of the heavy cream. Or simmer the sauce, adding a touch of water or chicken broth as necessary, then whisk in some dairy-free cream cheese when the sauce has finished cooking. You can also use 1 cup of my Vegan Alfredo Sauce instead of the heavy cream.

Gluten-free pasta comes in 12-ounce packages, which works well with this amount of sauce and 1 pound of cooked chicken or shrimp tossed together.

This is the perfect amount of sauce if you're using regular pasta, which comes in 1-pound packages. However, you may need to add a touch more cream to 'make more sauce' if you add 1 pound of protein to the pasta.

Nutrition