15-Minute Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce

Name: 15-Minute Creamy Tomato Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 lb Pasta ( Rigatoni or Penne); ½ Yellow Onion; 2 Garlic Cloves; 6 oz Canned Tomato Paste; ½ Cup Heavy Cream; ½ Cup Reserved Pasta Water; 1 Tbsp Dehydrated Basil ( or 3 Tbsp Fresh); 2 Tbsp Olive Oil; Salt and Pepper To Taste; ½ Cup Grated Parmesan for topping (Optional)

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Set your sights on dinner in 15 minutes or less and it doesn’t involve getting a delivery. This 15-Minute Creamy Tomato Pasta has sweet sautéed onions, garlic, rich tomato paste, and a touch of cream combined for a flavor packed sauce that rivals any restaurant dish. This quick dinner winner that will make the whole family and your budget happy.

A fork full of penne pasta up close with larger pot of pasta faded into the background.

This pasta with tomato cream sauce dish is in my weekly meal plan at least twice a month. It is a great meal to whip up at the end of the week when groceries are starting to run a little low. All of the ingredients are staples in my house, and it would be rare to find me without them.

Try Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onions or Tomato Basil Bisque to get dinner on the table in 30 minutes.

Make the recipe tonight! Because...

The creamy tomato sauce has big flavor without the all day prep that traditional red sauce requires.

It is a large recipe, but very budget friendly. It can easily be doubled or tripled to feed a big group.

You probably have all the ingredients on hand.

Pasta in cream sauce is the perfect food!

Ingredients

-Tomato Paste: Unlike tomato sauce or canned crushed tomatoes, tomato paste is thick and rich tasting. It doesn’t have any of the tart, acidic flavor of uncooked tomatoes. Tomato paste has been cooked down and concentrated to its essence, and a little goes a long way.

Because the tomato paste is already cooked, it adds great depth of flavor to this creamy tomato sauce in just a few minutes.

Instructions

Step 1

Bring a pot of water to boil on the stove and add a generous sprinkling of salt. Boil rigatoni or penne using the instructions on the package.
Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining the pot.
Saute diced onions and minced garlic in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent.

Step 2

Add the tomato paste to the pan and stir it into the onions and warm it through. Thin the paste with the reserved pasta water, then add the cream, and basil to the tomato sauce.

tomato paste with cream and dry seasoning

Step 3

Combine the ingredients and bring to a low simmer. Add the cooked pasta to the finished tomato cream sauce and serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

FAQs

Can you substitute the heavy cream in this sauce?

Yes! If you do not have the heavy cream, use the half and half you have on hand for coffee. You can also use regular milk and add 2 Tablespoons of butter for richness. Cream cheese is also a good substitute, but you will need about a ¼ of a cup more pasta water to thin the sauce.

What is tomato paste?

Unlike tomato sauce or canned crushed tomatoes, tomato paste is thick and rich tasting. It doesn’t have any of the tart, acidic flavor of uncooked tomatoes. It has been cooked down and concentrated to its essence, and a little goes a long way.

Expert Tips

Start the pasta water on the stove before anything else. This way you can cook the pasta while your sauce is coming together.

Don’t Forget to save the pasta water.

This sauce comes together very quickly so make sure to pull all of your ingredients out before you get started.

After the onions soften, add garlic. It is really important not to add the garlic at the same time as the onion. Garlic has lots of sugars and when it is left to cook too long it burns and becomes bitter. I always wait to add garlic until my onions are almost completely cooked. Pressed or minced garlic cooks really fast and just needs to warm through to start adding that amazing flavor.