This creamy tomato pasta sauce is so easy and delicious and comes together really quickly. A luscious and glossy sauce flavoured with onion, garlic, white wine, tomato paste, cream and parmesan. This will hopefully become a new go to sauce for an easy weeknight dinner or to impress friends and family.
Hello! I am writing up this recipe is which miiiiight be one my my favourites ever. It is probably the sauce I make the most at home as it just hits the spot every time! People either love a tomato or a creamy sauce more right? I am in the creamy/butter camp and my husband Dave is tomato all the way so this brings our two worlds together!
Any pasta shape will work for this, I have used my homemade orecchiette but it also works perfectly with my hand rolled pici. Any shape will work so feel free to use anything, dried pasta included. If you want another type of tomato sauce check out my roast tomato pasta sauce.
How to make this sauce
- Like any good sauce this starts with onions and garlic in olive oil. You want to cook them low and slow for a good 7 - 8 minutes until soft. I also add chopped anchovies which are optional but they add such great flavour so please don't skip!
- White wine is added then reduced before adding the tomato paste.
- Next the cream goes in and whisked to combine all the tomato paste in evenly. The heat shouldn't be too hot, just a very gentle simmer.
- Add in the finely grated parmesan in a few lots, letting it melt into the cream in between each addition.
- When you add your pasta in make sure a splash of pasta water goes in too. It will seem like a lot of sauce, but pasta soaks up creamy sauces so quickly. You'll notice by the time you serve it at the table the sauce will have reduced.
- A big squeeze of lemon juice is my favourite way to finish any sauce, it brightens all the flavours and cuts through the richness.
Tips for success:
- Have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go. This sauce comes together pretty quick so I like to have all my ingredients neatly prepared and my bench cleared down.
- You'll get used to the timings when you have made it a few times. if using dried pasta add it to the boiling water when cooking the onions. If using fresh, which will only take a couple of minutes just add it when the sauce is almost done.
- Don't have your heat too hot when cooking the onions, you don't want any colour on them. Low and slow!
- Lower the heat before adding the cream, you want a nice gentle bubble, it shoudl not be boiling.
- I like to use a flat whisk to make sure the cream is getting incorporated really well.
- Add pasta water if you need to thin the sauce down at all.
- Heat your plates! This is such a simple trick but vital for pasta. Pasta can get cold really quickly so I always heat my plates. I usually stack up my bowls or plates in my oven on a low temp while I am cooking.
- Add your cooked pasta straight into the sauce, I like to let my pasta very gently bubble away in the sauce for a min or two. You can undercook your pasta slightly for this reason.
Why pasta water is your best friend!
You'll hear me harp on about the magic that is pasta water in 99% of my recipes. It really is a key ingredient in every sauce I make. The starch left behind in the water acts as a thickening agent and helps sauces cling to the pasta. I couldn't make a sauce without it. I never EVER drain my pasta in a colander, I always transfer it directly to the sauce using a spider strainer. That way the pasta pot full of water is left there for you to ladle in as you need.
If you have seen my reels on instagram you'll notice my sauces are SAUCY. Pasta soaks up liquid so quickly so I add enough pasta water to make it quite liquidy. By the time I serve into bowls and take to the table it hasn't dried up. You'll get to know what the right consistency is with some practice, you can't go wrong though I promise!
What pasta shape should I use?
I don't like rules OK? Use whatever you like!! This sauce will literally go with any shape fresh or dried. Feel like making some pasta? You're in the right place. Use my easy homemade pasta dough to make some homemade pappardelle. It is the easiest shape to make and SO good with a luscious sauce like this one.
If you know me at all, you know I love a hand rolled shape, orecchiette being my one true love. Check out my semolina pasta dough to make it or hand rolled gnocchi sardi, a really great beginner shape.
Topping ideas
I always like to add something to the top of my pastas and there are so many options! You could do some crispy sage like in the photo above or another idea for crunch is the panko topping in my nduja mac and cheese recipe. Some torn buratta, and fresh basil is a wonderful fresh option. I like to finish most plates with a little drizzle of olive oil.
Want to take this sauce up a notch?
I recently used this sauce as a base and added some broken up pork and fennel sausage into it. The resulting creamy tomato and sausage pasta is like a cheats ragu as it is so flavoursome but really quick. Sausage adds such a dreamy savoury kick to the sauce and you absolutely HAVE to try it!
Creamy tomato pasta sauce FAQs
This is all about personal preference. For big eaters (I include myself in that!) around 100g - 120g of dried pasta or 150g of fresh is about what I aim for per person.
I usually opt for a simple and fresh salad. It's a rich meal so something crisp and fresh cuts through it perfectly. For something really easy just serve some wedges of iceberg lettuce on a platter, drizzle with a nice olive oil and sprinkle with finely grated parmesan.
Creams are all called slightly different things in different countries. Here in New Zealand, for cooking I use single cream. In America that is light cream. 18% - 30% fat. Anything heavier will be too thick. You can obviously thin down the consistency with pasta water though.
The most common reason for this is your temperature being too high. You just want a really gentle simmer. Lower heat is best for control. When you add the cream in, give it a really good whisk to emulsify. Add the parm in a few lots, letting it gently melt in between each addition.
Made this pasta sauce and loved it?
I would love it so much if you could leave me a review below! Also, if you take a photo make sure you tag me on instagram so I can see it!
PrintRecipe
Creamy Tomato Pasta Sauce
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 - 3 people
Description
This creamy tomato pasta sauce is so easy and delicious and comes together really quickly. A luscious and glossy sauce flavoured with onion, garlic, white wine, tomato paste, cream and parmesan.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 20g butter
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 3 - 4 anchovies, finely chopped (optional)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup white wine, I used a sauvignon blanc
- 70g tomato paste
- 1 cup cream
- 40g parmesan, finely grated with a microplane (plus more for serving)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Get a pot of heavily salted water boiling for your pasta and cook pasta, timing it to add straight into the sauce at the end. (see note below)
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a big frying pan over medium - high heat and add onions and anchovies.
- When sizzling, lower the heat to low and cook for 7 - 8 minutes until soft.
- Add the garlic about half way through cooking the onions. If the onion starts to brown then lower the heat even more, you want to cook it slowly.
- Add the white wine and reduce for 3 - 4 minutes (until reduced by half)
- Add the tomato paste and whisk to combine.
- With the heat still low - medium add the cream and whisk to combine evenly.
- Add the finely grated parmesan in 3 lots, whisking in between to make sure it has melted.
- Add a few cracks of freshly ground pepper (more is good!) to taste and check to see if it needs salt too.
- Add your pasta straight into the sauce with a splash of pasta water. Let the pasta bubble away in the sauce gently for a minute or so.
- Add a big squeeze of lemon juice and do a final taste test to make sure you are happy.
- Top with whatever toppings you like and extra parmesan and black pepper.
Notes
- Timing of cooking the pasta is something you will get used to the more you do it. Because I generally only use fresh pasta I know that I only need to add my pasta to the boiling water a couple of minutes before the sauce is done. If you are using dried pasta you will add it when the onions are still cooking.
- Pasta water is a pasta sauces best friend, this one only needs a splash but make sure you always reserve some before draining. That is why I add my pasta straight from the pot into the sauce, no draining, so there is a full pot of pasta water sitting there.
- I try to make my pasta sauces quite 'saucy' so you might think you have far too much sauce but as it sits the pasta will soak it up quickly. By the time you spoon it into bowls and get it to the table you'll see a lot has been reduced. I would always rather have too much than too little!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
Keywords: pasta, tomato, sauce, creamy
Jordan says
What does the lemon do?
Emilie Pullar says
I always add a squeeze of lemon to most dishes it just adds a nice freshness and zing 🙂
Becca says
A pasta Sunday staple sauce! I love the way the lemon adds so much brightness to the pasta. Made this recipe three times and it’s always a hit!
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Becca! So glad you loved it! I think I'm incapable of making a sauce without lemon haha 🙂
Kate says
What DOESN'T the lemon do is the question! So many gorgeous elements in this dish
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
hahaha I am so lemon obsessed! It really brightens up any pasta dish 🙂
Kandace says
I followed your orecchiette recipe which turned out so well and with this sauce, it was a perfect meal! The lemon was a great addition, I think I will do this for a lot of pasta dishes now. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
*for instruction 2, do you add the garlic with the onions and anchovies? I think I added them a bit late and they were undercooked. Still tasted great though 🙂
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Kandace, I am so sorry I hadn't put when to add the garlic! Have updated it, thank you so much for letting me know! So glad it still worked out well 🙂
Ness says
This was so so good! The ratios were perfect - even with dried pasta it was delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Ness, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it!
Michy says
I made this with udon and used white miso instead of anchovies. I used Miyoko's butter and a vegan parm, it was supremely delicious. Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Hi, this sounds so delicious! Love how you've put your own spin on it! 🙂
Laura says
This is such a great sauce, thank you! I was looking for a sauce that was easy, fast, and included pantry items I had, this was perfect. I did leave out the anchovies, simply because I don’t eat fish.
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
So glad you enjoyed it!! I often leave them out if I don't have them, it doesn't make a huge difference! 🙂
Elizabeth says
This was delicious!
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
So happy to hear! Thank you for making it 🙂
EC in DE says
I made this for my mom’s very Italian, very picky family and they LOVED it. As did my less adventurous partner and his friends. It’s so versatile, delicious, tastes indulgent but comes together so seamlessly. ‘Picky’ tried to autocorrect to lucky and it’s very true. Any guest would be lucky if you made this for them.
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
I love this! Thank you so much for making it! 🙂
Jenessa says
Delicious! Easy to make and loved the depth of flavor!!!!!
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Yay so glad you liked it!! 🙂
Jessica says
The most glorious creamy tomato sauce I've ever made. Thank you Emilie for sharing your recipe.
Emilie Pullar says
Yay so glad you enjoyed it Jessica! 🙂
Amanzi says
The most delicious decadent pasta sauce. So easy and the white wine adds the perfect flavour to the tomato and cream. Topped it with burrata and crispy prosciutto; perfection! Another stellar Emilie sauce!!
★★★★★
Sarah says
I am not exaggerating when I say this recipe has changed my life. I make this at least once a week and when I'm not making it I'm dreaming of it. Topping it (or any pasta) with your crispy herby breadcrumbs is also a game changer
★★★★★
Abby says
I made this to go with the Gnocchi Sardi pasta and it was absolute perfection. Creamy, saucy deliciousness that the pasta clung to. My toddler was a huge fan also, eating the anchovies off the chopping board before i even had a chance to add them.
★★★★★
Shermaine Tan says
Made this for Christmas dinner and it was perfect. It's tangy and flavourful, threw in some mushrooms and broccoli. The lemon juice is definitely a nice finishing touch.
★★★★★
Dani says
I've followed you on Insta for a while now; this was the first recipe I actually made - unintimidatingly simple 😉
I'm so glad I did, because I would never have come up with this specific combo on my own (the wine, the cheese, etc.) Although I reduced the wine thoroughly, I believe the acidity did curdle the cream a bit..... or was that an issue with the whisking?
In any case, it didn't matter because it was absolutely delicious. Thanks for inspiring me and showing what's possible!
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Dani, thank you for such a lovely comment and so sorry for my slow reply! I try and whisk quite quickly and not have it too hot and it never splits. Glad it was still delicious! 🙂
Lucy says
Made this (with your orecchiete) for a heartbroken friend. Can confirm it is both uplifting and delicious! Perfect with an acidic green salad on the side.
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Ohhh I am so glad this might have cheered your friend up. Pasta is so powerful in that way! 🙂
Caitlin says
I was pretty fast and loose with quantities, due to having a small child yelling for his dinner. Still turned out great! Nice and simple, easy to follow. The lemon does add a nice freshness to the flavour.
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Caitlin, thanks so much for making and leaving a review! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Clair Gembler says
Hi there, just became alert to your blog through web search, and found that it is truly informative. I am gonna watch out for updates. I'll be grateful if you continue this in future. Many people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!
Isabell says
Absolutely LOVE this recipe! I always have the ingredients at home and cook it whenever I don’t feel like cooking for hours but still want a delicious meal! 10/10 would recommend! 🙂
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Yay, so glad you love it!! It's such a delicious and easy dish 🙂
Jess says
This is my favourite go-to pasta sauce! It’s quick and so simple to make yet so full of rich, creamy tomatoey flavours. So delicious!
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
It really is such an easy go to, so glad you love it! 🙂
El says
Yet another recipe of Emilie's that I loved. Beware, this is dangerously delicious and may cause fights in a household over who gets to take the leftovers for lunch.
I loved the lemon brightness on the end for acidity, and the only change I made was to add a small spoonful of Calabrian chilies for a kick. I was even ok with using a little less pasta than recommended because sweeping up the sauce with crusty bread is DIVINE.
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Love this, thank you so much for making. Love the chilli addition, I'll try that! 🙂
Magdalena says
I tried it and it was really good!! Thank you for this amazing recipe ??
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Yay thank you! 🙂
Lauren says
If you wanted to double the recipe would you also still double the cream? Is it a straight x2 for everything?
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Lauren, I probably would double everything. You could probably do 1 and 3/4 cup cream if you didn't want to double that 🙂
Che says
I have lost count with how many times I have made this recipe, simple and beyond delicious
Emilie Pullar says
It's definitely a go to in my house! 🙂
Sarah says
I have always preferred a white sauce over red, but I can't keep away from this recipe. Easily 5 stars (and so easy to make, too!)
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Sarah, I'm the same! I feel like this is a white sauce at heart though haha 🙂