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.
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!
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.
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:
- Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente, as it will finish cooking in the sauce. While the pasta cooks, make the sauce.
- Make the sauce.
- 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!
- Add tomatoes and garlic. Cook for a couple minutes until the tomatoes are soft.
- Add the tomato sauce and heavy cream. Let simmer until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
- Mix in parmesan cheese.
- 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.
- Mix in fresh basil. Lastly, mix in the fresh basil right before serving!
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.
More Cozy Pasta Recipes You Will Love!
Penne Alla Vodka with Parmesan Herb Breadcrumbs
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! 😊
Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta
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 parmesan cheese plus extra (plus extra for serving)
- ½ cup fresh basil roughly chopped (plus extra 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.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated by a third party software and is only an estimate, not a guarantee. This information is provided as a courtesy, and you are solely responsible for all decisions related to your health.
Karina says
This recipe was seriously so good! The sauce turned out super creamy and flavorful, and the fresh basil made it taste really fresh and homemade. It was easy to make and tasted like restaurant quality. I’ll definitely be making this again!
Cat says
I love this recipe! It’s so simple and flavorful- simmering the sauce really makes a difference. Thank you!
Kelly says
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!
Modern Farmhouse Eats says
Kelly, I'm so glad you all were able to enjoy the recipe!
Karen says
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!!!
Modern Farmhouse Eats says
Karen, that makes me so happy to hear that! ☺️ Thanks so much for leaving a review!