Basil Garlic Creamy Tomato Pasta (Printable)

One-pot creamy tomato pasta with basil and garlic delivers rich flavor and easy cleanup.

# What You’ll 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

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add finely chopped onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and optional red pepper flakes; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt, and ground black pepper. Stir to combine thoroughly.
04 - Pour in the pasta along with water or vegetable broth, ensuring pasta is fully submerged. 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 texture and most liquid is absorbed.
06 - Stir in heavy cream and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Cook uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes until sauce is creamy and heated through.
07 - Remove from heat and fold in chopped basil leaves. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if desired.
08 - Transfer to serving dishes and garnish with extra basil and Parmesan. Serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything happens in one pot, which means less time scrubbing and more time eating.
  • The sauce comes together so naturally that you'd swear it's been simmering for hours.
  • Fresh basil stirred in at the end tastes like someone opened a kitchen window to summer.
02 -
  • Stirring occasionally while the pasta cooks prevents it from clumping together in sad nests at the bottom of the pot.
  • Don't rush the cream—if your sauce is still boiling hard when you add it, the cream can separate and turn grainy rather than silky.
  • Fresh basil added after cooking tastes bright and alive; cooked basil tastes like regret.
03 -
  • Freshly grated Parmesan melts into the sauce like it belongs there, while pre-grated cheese stays grainy and separated.
  • If your sauce seems too thin after the pasta finishes cooking, uncover the pot and simmer for another minute to evaporate more liquid before adding the cream.
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