Basil Garlic Creamy Tomato (Print Version)

Creamy tomato pasta with garlic and basil, cooked in one pot for simplicity and flavor.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or fusilli pasta

→ Sauce Base

02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
06 - 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
07 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
08 - 1 tsp sugar
09 - 1 tsp salt
10 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Cream & Cheese

11 - 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp heavy cream
12 - 2 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese

→ Herbs & Finish

13 - 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped, plus extra for garnish
14 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Water

15 - 2 1/2 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth

# How to Make It:

01 - Warm olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add finely chopped onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
02 - Incorporate minced garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking for 1 minute until aromatic.
03 - Mix in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Stir thoroughly to combine.
04 - Pour in pasta and water or vegetable broth, ensuring the pasta is fully submerged. Bring the mixture to a boil.
05 - Lower heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 12 to 14 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta reaches al dente texture and most liquid is absorbed.
06 - Stir in heavy cream and grated Parmesan. Cook uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes, allowing the sauce to become creamy.
07 - Remove from heat, fold in chopped basil, and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with additional basil and Parmesan as desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one pan, so cleanup takes about thirty seconds and a single sponge.
  • The pasta absorbs the tomato sauce as it cooks, making every bite richer than anything you'd get from boiling and draining.
  • It tastes like you simmered sauce for hours, but you were really just stirring a pot and checking your phone.
  • Fresh basil at the end makes the whole kitchen smell like a Italian grandmothers windowsill.
02 -
  • Stir the pasta every few minutes or it will stick to the bottom and scorch. I ruined a batch once by walking away to fold laundry.
  • If the sauce looks too thick before the pasta is done, add a splash more water. If it's too thin, let it simmer uncovered for an extra minute or two.
  • Add the cream after the pasta is cooked, not before, or it might curdle from the high heat and long simmer.
03 -
  • Grate the Parmesan right before you add it. Pre-grated cheese has coatings that prevent it from melting smoothly, and you'll end up with clumps instead of creaminess.
  • Let the pasta rest for two minutes off the heat before serving. The sauce will cling better and the flavors will settle into each other.
  • If you double the recipe, use a wider pan or the pasta won't cook evenly. I learned this the hard way when half the noodles turned to mush and the other half stayed crunchy.
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