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    Home » Recipes

    September 20, 2021

    Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta

    976 shares
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    Quick and easy pasta that packs so much delicious flavor and is ready in under 30 minutes! Made with fresh tomatoes and basil, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese, creating an insanely creamy and flavorful sauce that you'll absolutely love.

    bowl of creamy tomato basil pasta

    Time to use up the tomatoes and fresh basil growing in the garden before the fall weather is here to stay! This Tomato Basil Pasta is the perfect, most dreamy way to do it! Imagine tender pasta swimming in warm, creamy, rich tomato sauce - you won't be able to get enough!

    And I don't know about you, but I still have so much fresh basil in my garden, and this is one of my favorite ways to use it! Because, like most of you, I love pasta! This recipe calls for ½ cup of chopped fresh basil, and don't be shy about packing it into the cup or adding a little extra! 😉

    If you're looking to add some protein to your dinner, serve the pasta with pan seared chicken breasts for the ultimate meal! And some crusty bread is a great way to soak up all that pasta sauce because you're not going to want to leave any behind!

    creamy tomato basil pasta

    Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

    This Tomato Basil sauce is incredible, and I can't wait for you to make it! It's so rich, creamy and flavorful, and the best past is that it's super easy to make and all you need is one pot!

    Start by cooking a diced onion in butter, of course, and then add garlic, tomato sauce, fresh tomato, parmesan cheese, and fresh basil. All those flavors simmer together to create this perfect pink sauce for tender pasta.

    If you want to spice the sauce up, add ¼ - ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes while the onion is cooking. That small amount adds quite a bit of heat! I love it this way.

    tomato basil pasta in a bowl

    How to Make Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta

    This pasta couldn't be easier to make! It's all made in one pot, aside from cooking the pasta, of course, and ready in 25 minutes! Here's how it's done:

    1. Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente, as it will finish cooking in the sauce. While the pasta cooks, make the sauce.
    2. Make the sauce.
      1. Cook the onion in butter. Start by cooking the onion and butter in a large skillet until the onion is translucent and soft. Add in some red pepper flakes for a little heat, if that's your thing!
      2. Add tomatoes and garlic. Cook for a couple minutes until the tomatoes are soft.
      3. Add the tomato sauce and heavy cream. Let simmer until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
      4. Mix in parmesan cheese.
      5. Add the cooked pasta. Let the pasta simmer in the sauce for a couple minutes. You may need to add a little pasta water to thin out the sauce.
      6. Mix in fresh basil. Lastly, mix in the fresh basil right before serving!
    cooked pasta on top of sauce
    cooked pasta mixed with sauce

    Tips & Substitutions

    Use your favorite short or long cut pasta. I used Cellentani short cut pasta, but you can use any short or long cut pasta - really any pasta will work great!

    Add chicken! This pasta is super good by itself, but if you would like to add protein, I suggest serving the pasta with pan seared chicken breasts.

    Substitute for fresh basil. I love this recipe with fresh basil, so I haven't tried to make it with dried basil. If you don't have fresh basil, you can just skip the basil or try adding ½-1 teaspoon of dried basil - add more to taste.

    basil pasta in a bowl

    More Cozy Pasta Recipes You Will Love!

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    Cheese Tortellini with Chicken and Creamy Pesto Sauce


    If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below! I'd love to hear from you! If you’re on Instagram, share a picture of the food you created and tag me at Modern Farmhouse Eats! I enjoy seeing all the pictures! 😊

    bowl of creamy tomato basil pasta

    Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta

    Rachel Riesgraf
    Quick and easy pasta that packs so much delicious flavor and is ready in under 30 minutes! Made with fresh tomatoes and basil, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese, creating an insanely creamy and flavorful sauce that you'll absolutely love.
    5 stars
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Dinner
    Servings 4 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 ounces pasta (I used Cavatappi)
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • ½ yellow onion, diced
    • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional - it'll be a little spicy)
    • 2 roma tomatoes, diced
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 15 ounces tomato sauce
    • ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
    • ½ cup fresh bail, roughly chopped, plus more for serving

    Instructions
     

    • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining. While the pasta cooks, make the sauce.
    • Add the butter, onion and red pepper flakes (if using) to a large skillet over medium-hight heat and cook for about 5-7 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft.
    • Reduce heat to medium, and pour in the tomato sauce and heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and then simmer for about 5 minutes.
    • Mix in the parmesan cheese until melted, then add the cooked pasta. Mix until the sauce coats the pasta. Let the pasta simmer in the sauce for a couple minutes. As it simmers, you may need to add pasta water to thin out the sauce. Start with ¼ cup of pasta water and add more as needed. Stir in the fresh basil and serve immediately.
    • Garnish the pasta with freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
    Did you make this recipe?I'd love to hear from you! Rate the recipe and leave a comment below or share a picture on Instagram and tag @ModernFarmhouseEats

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    1. Karen says

      July 28, 2022 at 4:31 am

      5 stars
      Ummm, where has this recipe been all my life?!? This seriously was SO good! I loved it and it will now become a staple at my house. Thank you so much for sharing!!!

      Reply
      • Modern Farmhouse Eats says

        July 28, 2022 at 8:50 am

        Karen, that makes me so happy to hear that! ☺️ Thanks so much for leaving a review!

        Reply
    2. Kelly says

      July 31, 2022 at 1:38 pm

      5 stars
      This was SO great! I had a new basil plant that needed pruned but I didn’t want to waste it. I had family over and one person can’t eat gluten, so instead of mixing the pasta in, I kept it separate and made her gluten free pasta for hers. It worked perfectly. Even had this as leftovers today and it was still delicious!

      Reply
      • Modern Farmhouse Eats says

        August 15, 2022 at 2:21 pm

        Kelly, I'm so glad you all were able to enjoy the recipe!

        Reply

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    Rachel Riesgraf

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    I’m Rachel Riesgraf, a recipe developer and food photographer. Welcome to my modern farmhouse! Growing up on a farm, I learned how to create the best homestyle recipes using fresh, seasonal ingredients. I carry that same style of cooking and baking with me as I develop easy, from scratch, comfort food recipes for the busy, modern cook.

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