Description
A rich and cozy pasta dish made with a silky garlic tomato cream sauce that clings beautifully to pasta, delivering comforting flavor with simple pantry ingredients.
Ingredients
- 12 oz pasta of choice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 0.75 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 0.5 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tbsp fresh basil or parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, without browning.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Add crushed tomatoes and simmer for 5–7 minutes to deepen the flavor.
- Pour in the heavy cream and season with Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using.
- Simmer gently until the sauce thickens and becomes creamy.
- Add the cooked pasta and a splash of reserved pasta water, tossing until fully coated.
- Finish with grated parmesan cheese and fresh herbs if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
- Use moderate heat to prevent garlic from burning.
- Add more cream or pasta water to adjust sauce consistency.
- Penne, rigatoni, or fettuccine work especially well.
- Spinach or mushrooms make great additions.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 540
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 16g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
