Creamy Tomato Pasta – Cooking Classy

Creamy Tomato Pasta is the dish you’ll want any day of the year! Made with penne pasta, readily available canned tomatoes, a generous cup of cream, herbaceous basil, sharp parmesan and just a few other simple staples.

You may know this as “pink sauce pasta”. No matter, this pink hued creamy tomato pasta is a classic, timeless recipe for good reason.

It’s a hearty, meatless, Italian inspired entree that ensures a lunch or dinner people of all ages can agree on. It’s so easy to prepare and comes together quickly.

You’ll also find it’s adaptable to include other various fillers like vegetables (most notably spinach), or a protein such as cooked Italian sausage or ground beef.

We’ve loved it as is though, humbly simple yet bursting with warm inviting flavors, and of course that creamy richness we can’t get enough of! Cream and tomatoes were a match meant to be.

Creamy Tomato Pasta Recipe Ingredients

Penne pasta: You can use mini or regular varieties. See notes below for other types of pasta that work well.

Salt and pepper: Season the pasta with salt when boiling, and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Canned crushed tomatoes: Use only canned Roma tomatoes or San Marzano varieties for the best sauce. Other types of tomatoes likely wont have as much flavor and natural sweetness.

Butter: This is used for sautéing and adds richness to the sauce. Extra virgin olive oil may be used in it’s place.

Yellow onion: Essential to help build up the base flavor of the sauce.

Garlic: Add authentic Italian flavor.

Tomato paste: This increases concentrated tomato flavor and thickens the sauce.

Red pepper flakes: An ingredient that adds a spicy kick. Adjust amount added to taste.

Heavy cream: Use heavy cream vs. whipping cream, light cream or half and half for the most rich and creamy sauce.

Parmesan: For best results I recommend Parmigiano Reggiano. Avoid the shelf stable powdered parmesan here it doesn’t taste anything like real parmesan and it has additives so it doesn’t melt well.

Fresh basil: Another ingredient used for authentic Italian flavor.

How to Make Creamy Tomato Pasta

Boil pasta: Cook pasta in salted boiling water to al dente according to directions on package. Reserve 3/4 cup pasta water before draining then drain pasta.

Make the pink sauce: Meanwhile melt butter in a 12-inch saute pan or a pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute until tender, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds, then add tomato paste and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute.

Simmer with tomatoes: Stir in crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes.

Add cream and flavor enhancements: Stir heavy cream into sauce. Add drained pasta, parmesan and basil then toss mixture.

Adjust thickness of sauce: Thin with pasta water as needed (each variety of canned tomatoes varies in thickness, plus the sauce will thicken as it rests). Serve with more parmesan as desired.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of pasta are best to use with a creamy tomato sauce?

Short pastas work well here including penne, ziti, rigatoni, fusilli, rotini, or shells. They hold up well to a rich and heavy sauce.

How can it be made gluten free?

To make this pasta dish gluten free simply replace the regular pasta with a gluten free pasta. Other ingredients are naturally gluten free but check package labels (on the packaged ingredients) to ensure they are produced in a gluten free facility.

Can I add meat to the creamy tomato pasta?

Cooked Italian sausage (chicken or pork), ground beef, or chicken are all good protein options to include here.

Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned?

Fresh Roma or San Marzano tomatoes will work here instead of canned, they are just quite a bit more work. You’ll need to blanch and peel them and crush them. You’ll want an equal weight to that of canned, and you’ll likely need a bit more tomato paste to thicken the sauce as fresh tomatoes are juicier than the canned variety.

What vegetables could be added?

I recommend including spinach with a creamy tomato sauce, adding it closer to the end of cooking. Sautéed mushrooms or asparagus are other tasty options.

Helpful Tips for Creamy Tomato Pasta

Use high quality tomatoes: The sauce will only taste as good as the tomatoes you put into it. It’s the main ingredient.

Al dente cooked pasta: As with most pastas dishes you’ll want to boil the pasta to al dente (with just a light bite in its center). Once it’s added to the heated sauce it will continue to cook the pasta just slightly.

Reserve pasta water: Starchy pasta water is your best option for thinning out most pasta dishes as it has those starches in the remaining water act as binders helping achieve a cohesive sauce vs. what you’d get using plain water.

Don’t boil the cream: Be careful not to overheat the cream or it can curdle a little bit and leave the sauce with a separated rather than uniform emulsified appearance.

Taste for acidity: Taste the prepared sauce, if seems a bit acidic stir in 1 tsp of sugar or honey, or a few pinches of baking soda to help neutralize the acidity.

Storing and Reheating

• Leftover creamy tomato pasta should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
• Enjoy within 4 days.
• Reheat in the microwave on 50% power on a microwave safe dish, tossing occasionally, until warmed through. Or reheat in a 350 degree oven in a baking dish, covered with foil, until warmed through.
• Freezing is not ideal as the cream may separate upon thawing.

More Delicious Tomato Pasta Recipes Try

Creamy Tomato Pasta

An easy yet incredible dish that you’ll want any day of the year! Made with tender pasta, readily available canned tomatoes, a fair splash of cream, herbaceous basil, sharp parmesan and just a few other simple staples.

Servings: 8

Prep15 minutes minutes

Cook15 minutes minutes

Ready in: 30 minutes minutes

• Cook pasta in salted boiling water to al dente according to directions on package. Reserve and set aside 3/4 cup pasta water before draining then drain pasta.

• Meanwhile melt butter in a 12-inch saute pan or a pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute until tender, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds, then add tomato paste and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute.

• Stir in crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes.

• Stir heavy cream into sauce. Add drained pasta, parmesan and basil then toss mixture.

• Thin with reserved pasta water as needed (each variety of canned tomatoes varies in thickness, plus the sauce will thicken as it rests). Serve with more parmesan as desired.

• *Whole canned San Marzano tomatoes work great as well, just blitz them in a food processor until crushed about 10 short pulses.
• **Extra virgin olive oil may be substituted for the butter.
• Makes about 10 cups using mini penne.

Nutrition Facts

Creamy Tomato Pasta

Amount Per Serving

Calories 406
Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Fat 16g25%

Saturated Fat 10g63%

Trans Fat 0.1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 4g

Cholesterol 45mg15%

Sodium 286mg12%

Potassium 555mg16%

Carbohydrates 54g18%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 13g26%

Vitamin A 1268IU25%

Vitamin C 14mg17%

Calcium 153mg15%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.