Creamy Tomato and Basil Pasta

This simple 4 step pasta dinner can go from fridge to fork in as little as 20 minutes! Creamy Tomato and Basil Pasta makes a hearty and comforting meal that is a true crowd pleaser. Delicious enough for company but fast enough for even the busiest night, this easy pasta recipe is a regular on our dinner table.

this Recipe

Creamy Tomato Pasta – The EASY Way!

The BEST thing about this recipe is just how EASY this tomato and basil pasta is!

You may think making sauce from scratch sounds intimidating. Especially when it is so quick and easy to just open a jar, but trust me my friend, this sauce is so easy and so delicious, you will never look back!

What I love about this recipe:

• Fast… I mean really fast! This is one of our fastest recipes! You can make it in less than 20 min if you are really on the ball!
• Basic Ingredients- The ingredient list is very basic, with most of them being every day pantry staples!
• I made that!! Making this sauce from scratch and having it taste SO GOOD, gives you that “wow! I did something really awesome” kinda feeling!
• Restaurant Taste– You can go head to head with your favorite Italian restaurant with this Creamy Tomato and Basil Pasta!
• Vegetarian… or not! The recipe is naturally vegetarian, and perfect for a meatless Monday. If you prefer, you can easily add grilled chicken, breaded chicken or Italian sausage.
• Crowd Pleaser- This recipe has widely loved flavors and is as appealing to kids as it is adults.
• Feeds a crowd– The recipe serves 8! You can easily cut it in half, or reheat the leftovers for easy lunches through out the week.

Recipe Notes

This Tomato Basil Pasta recipe is as simple as promised! Just a few minutes and some pantry staples for a family friendly meal.

In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.

Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.

Ingredients + Substitutions

• Butter– I generally use salted because it is what I keep on hand. You can use unsalted and thow an extra 1/4 tsp of salt in if needed.
• Garlic cloves– I really love using fresh garlic in this recipe. I think it elevates the flavor of the whole sauce and makes it taste fresh and made from scratch, even though we use canned tomatoes.
• Crushed tomatoes– Using crushed tomatoes will give you a fairly thick, smooth sauce without having to blend it. I love the texture of crushed tomatoes but if you want a completely smooth sauce, you can blend the sauce before adding the basil.
• Heavy cream– Heavy cream will blend more fully than half and half which is why it is my choice for the sauce. It also adds a fullness and richness to the sauce.
• Romano cheese– You will want to use grated romano, not shredded, to get the sauce to combine in the smoothest way.
• Spice rack– A blend of Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic powder are used to season the sauce. You can buy Italian seasoning blend at most any super market, or it can easily be made at home!
• Fresh basil– This is the icing on the cake for the sauce and infuses a fresh herby taste into the tomato basil sauce. I like about half a cup (which is on the heavy side) but you can use less, or more, to your taste preference.
• Penne pasta– The tomato and basil sauce will taste amazing on any variety of pasta, but I tend to use varieties like penne because they are really kid-friendly (ie more easy and less messy to eat!)

Recipe Step by Step

I am going to highlight a few key steps in the recipe here, but make sure to jump down to the recipe card for comprehensive instructions on how to make Tomato Basil Pasta.

Recipe Tips

1. Prep ahead– This Tomato Basil Pasta recipe moves very quickly. I highly recommend prepping and measuring everything in advance so it is ready to go. This will help make the recipe super quick to make, as well as, eliminate anything cooking too long or getting held up along the way.
   
2. Watch the garlic– Flash cooking the garlic adds a lot of flavor to the dish, but it should be done in a flash! The garlic is delicate so it can burn easily if left in the pan too long.
   
3. Slowly add the cream– You will want to very slowly pour in the cream stirring it in immediately while you add it. This allows it fo fully incorporate into the sauce. If you pour cold cream in all at once it can seize or curdle and you risk not being able to blend it into the sauce.
   
4. More or less saucy– The tomato and basil sauce can combine with up to 16 oz (dried) cooked pasta. If you use all 16 oz, it will have a nice coating like shown in the photos, but it won’t be super saucy. To have a more saucy pasta, use less cooked pasta combined with the sauce.

Recipe Variations

If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!

• Creamy Tomato and Basil Pasta with Chicken– Make pasta as directed. Use these baked chicken cutlets, or this easy Chicken Parmesan to top the pasta.
• Pasta with Spinach and Tomato Cream Sauce– Make the sauce as directed, once you stir in the cream add about 4 oz of baby spinach and allow it to wilt. Then continue with pasta recipe as directed.
• Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Ricotta– Make Pasta with Tomato and Basil sauce as directed. At the end, dollop with ricotta cheese.

Freezer Meal Instructions

This Tomato and Basil Sauce can be made as a freezer meal. Just follow the freezer instructions below and keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.

1. Over medium high heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning. Flash cook the garlic, about 1 minute, and then add crushed tomatoes. Add heavy cream and bring to a simmer.
2. Add shredded Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then immediately reduce to low heat and stir continuously, until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth. Then stir in the basil giving it 2-3 minutes to wilt.
3. Allow sauce to come to room temperature. Then divide into meal sized portions and package in freezer bags or freezer friendly containers.
4. Freeze.
5. Once ready to eat, heat sauce on the stove top or microwave, then mix with prepared pasta, garnish and serve.

What to Serve with Creamy Tomato and Basil Pasta

Since this dish has the classic Italian flavors of garlic, tomatoes, and basil, it will pair well with many of your favorite traditional side dishes. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.

Side Dish Ideas

• Garlic Parmesan Broccoli– This is the most delicious way to eat broccoli
• Side salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette– Take the extra 5 min to make the dressing. It is SOOOO GOOD!!
• Antipasto Salad– A great way to add some protein to this easy dinner!
• Garlic Roasted Vegetable Medley– My go to veggie side dish. So easy and so tasty!
• Pesto Cheese Bread– Can’t go wrong with cheesy bread!
• Tomato Basil Mozzarella Salad– Classic, simple, delicious.

You can choose one or add a few sides to make a wholesome, well rounded dinner. 

Pasta with Tomato Basil Sauce Leftovers

If you have leftovers after making this easy pasta recipe, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.

To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:

• in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
• in the freezer up to a month

More Easy Dinner Recipes

If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!

You can check out all of my Easy Dinner recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.

• Chicken Parmesan Casserole
• Creamy Garlic Chicken
• Cheeseburger Pasta
• Lemon Basil Chicken Pasta