Basil Garlic Creamy Tomato (Printable)

Creamy tomato sauce melded with garlic and basil, simmered with pasta for a flavorful meal.

# What you need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or fusilli pasta

→ Sauce Base

02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
06 - 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
07 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
08 - 1 tsp sugar
09 - 1 tsp salt
10 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Cream & Cheese

11 - 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp heavy cream
12 - 2 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese

→ Herbs & Finish

13 - 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped, plus extra for garnish
14 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Water

15 - 2 1/2 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth

# How to make it:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
02 - Incorporate minced garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking until fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
03 - Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt, and black pepper until evenly mixed.
04 - Submerge pasta in the skillet, then pour in water or vegetable broth. Bring mixture to a boil.
05 - Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 12 to 14 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta reaches al dente and liquid is mostly absorbed.
06 - Stir in heavy cream and grated Parmesan cheese. Continue cooking uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes to achieve a creamy consistency.
07 - Remove from heat and fold in chopped basil. Adjust seasoning as needed with additional salt and black pepper.
08 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra basil leaves and Parmesan cheese if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Only one pot to wash, which means you can actually relax after dinner instead of scrubbing a sink full of dishes.
  • The pasta absorbs the sauce as it cooks, making every bite deeply flavorful in a way that boiling separately just can't match.
  • It tastes like you spent an hour in the kitchen, but you're done in thirty minutes from start to finish.
  • Fresh basil stirred in at the end makes the whole dish smell like summer, no matter the season.
02 -
  • Stir the pasta a few times while it simmers or the pieces on the bottom will stick and scorch, which I learned the hard way my second attempt.
  • Don't add the cream until the pasta is fully cooked, or it can curdle from the high heat and turn grainy instead of smooth.
  • If the sauce looks too thick after the pasta absorbs the liquid, splash in a little extra water or broth before adding the cream.
03 -
  • Use a deep skillet or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid so the pasta cooks evenly and doesn't dry out.
  • Tear the basil by hand instead of chopping it with a knife to avoid bruising, which keeps the flavor fresh and bright.
  • Save a little pasta cooking liquid before you drain (if you somehow end up with extra) to loosen the sauce if it thickens too much.
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