Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta (Print Version)
A comforting pasta with creamy tomato sauce, fresh basil, and a generous Parmesan finish.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine
→ Sauce
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
06 - 1 tsp sugar
07 - 1 tsp salt
08 - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
09 - ½ cup heavy cream
10 - ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
11 - ½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped
→ To Serve
12 - Additional grated Parmesan
13 - Fresh basil leaves
# Directions:
01 - Boil pasta in salted water until al dente following package instructions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add finely chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, approximately 30 seconds.
04 - Incorporate crushed tomatoes, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Simmer gently for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens slightly.
05 - Reduce heat and stir in heavy cream. Let sauce simmer gently for 2 minutes to blend flavors.
06 - Add grated Parmesan and stir until fully melted, producing a smooth sauce.
07 - Toss cooked pasta with sauce, gradually adding reserved pasta water to achieve desired consistency and coverage.
08 - Remove from heat, fold in fresh basil leaves, and mix thoroughly.
09 - Plate immediately, garnishing with extra Parmesan and basil as preferred.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, but honestly takes about twenty minutes from sauce start to finish.
- The cream mellows the tomato into something silky and sophisticated without losing that bright, tangy edge.
- Fresh basil stirred in at the last moment feels like a small act of generosity to yourself.
02 -
- Don't skip reserving the pasta water—that starchy liquid is what transforms the sauce from separated and broken to silky and clung to every strand.
- The cream must go in after the tomatoes have simmered; if you add it too early, it can curdle, but if you add it to already-thickened sauce, it melds beautifully.
- Fresh basil added while the pasta is still hot wilts into the sauce perfectly, but if you add it too early or too vigorously, it bruises and blackens.
03 -
- Use freshly grated Parmesan from a block rather than pre-grated—it melts into the sauce like silk and tastes infinitely better.
- Taste the sauce at every stage and trust your palate over the recipe; salt amounts vary based on the tomato brand, your preference, and even the humidity where you live.