Tomato Cream Sauce Pasta

Creamy tomato pasta is a classic comfort food made with crushed tomatoes, heavy cream, garlic, and onion. This homemade tomato cream sauce is smooth, flavorful, and incredibly easy to make.

Everyone needs a killer tomato cream sauce in their dinner rotation. A tomato cream sauce that is so simple that it can be made in less than 30 minutes but still pleases the masses (aka the hungry people in your home).

An essential side to every pasta dish is bread, and there’s no better recipe than my French bread recipe.

Why you will love this recipe:

• Restaurant-quality at home – Tastes like a pasta dish you’d order out, but made in your own kitchen.
• Comfort food made easy – Comes together quickly with simple ingredients for a cozy, satisfying dinner.
• Rich, creamy, and perfectly balanced – The combination of tomato and cream creates a smooth sauce with just the right amount of acidity.

Ingredients:

• Olive Oil – Adds richness and flavor
• Butter – I prefer to use salted butter in this recipe.
• Garlic – Provides savory depth.
• Crushed Tomatoes – Forms the tomato base.
• Tomato Paste – Adds rich tomato flavor.
• Heavy Cream – Creates creamy texture.
• Red Pepper Flakes – Optional heat.
• Parmesan Cheese – Adds salty, nutty flavor
• Chicken Broth – Creates and thins the sauce.
• Fresh Basil– Fresh finish.
• Pasta – Use your favorite shape. I like to use spaghetti, penne or bowtie.
• Salt & Pepper – Enhances overall taste.

How to make the Best Tomato Cream Pasta:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil or butter. Sauté diced onion for 3 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add fresh garlic and sauté for 8 minutes. Stir occasionally.
2. Pour in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth and stir to combine. Let it simmer for 5–10 minutes to deepen the flavor. You can blend sauce with immersion blender or vitamix blender until smooth. Stir in red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
3. Let the sauce simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
5. Lower the heat and stir in heavy cream, mixing until the sauce becomes smooth and creamy. Let it gently simmer until slightly thickened.
6. Add the cooked pasta directly into the sauce and toss to coat. Top with parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Lover’s Pasta is made by sauteing onion and garlic in butter and extra virgin olive oil until softened. Diced tomatoes and tomato paste are added, plus chicken broth for a depth of flavor.  Red pepper flakes add that perfect amount of subtle spice. The sauce is simmered until the flavors start to meld together.  Heavy Cream is added at the end which adds a rich creaminess to the sauce. The tomato cream sauce is tossed with cooked pasta and topped with parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

This tomato cream sauce can be tossed with your favorite kind of pasta — angel hair, penne, spaghetti or farfalle. If I am serving this pasta sauce to picky kiddos, I will usually blend it so it’s nice and creamy.  Little kids are sometimes afraid of chunks so we just smooth it all out and it’s all good. Kids love this Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s):

1. Can I make this without cream?
   Yes, substitute with half-and-half.
2. Can I add protein?
   Yes—chicken, shrimp, or sausage work well.
3. Can I make it spicy?
   Add extra red pepper flakes.

Pasta Recipes:

Mi Amor Spicy Pasta

“Date Me” Creamy Sausage Rigatoni Pasta

Marry Me Chicken Pasta

Creamy Lemon Pasta

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4.89 from 17 votes

Tomato Cream Sauce Pasta

By: Melissa Stadler, Modern Honey

A tomato cream sauce that is packed with flavor — onion and garlic sauteed in butter and oil then simmered with tomatoes, broth, and cream. Topped with spices, basil and parmesan cheese.

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Equipment

• 12 inch cast iron skillet
• measuring cups and spoons
• spatula set

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil or any oil
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Butter
• ▢ 1 Onion diced
• ▢ 4 Garlic Cloves finely diced
• ▢ (1) 28-ounce can Diced Tomatoes can use whole plum canned totatoes
• ▢ 1/4 cup Tomato Paste
• ▢ 1 cup Chicken Broth
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon Red Chili Flakes
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Pepper
• ▢ 1 cup Heavy Cream
• ▢ 1/4 cup Fresh Basil torn or cut into ribbons
• ▢ 1 cup Parmesan Cheese
• ▢ 1 lb. Pasta of choice thin spaghetti, angel hair, penne, bowtie, etc

Instructions 

• In large skillet, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook until softened, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken broth. If using whole plum tomatoes, break up with back of spoon or in blender. Stir in red chili flakes, salt and pepper.
• Let simmer for 15 minutes (or longer if time allows).
• Meanwhile, boil water for pasta. Once boiling, cook according to package instructions.
• Stir in heavy cream.
• Toss with with cooked pasta. Top with parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 6

Keyword: tomato cream pasta

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Now it’s back to schedules, homework, and carpools. Even though it was a fabulous trip, I was homesick for my family so it’s always good to be home. Hope you LOVE this Lover’s Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce. Have a great night, my friends! xo

Happy Cooking!