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Super Easy Creamy Tomato Pasta

Published: / Updated: / 211 Comments

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This creamy tomato pasta recipe comes together quickly and uses everyday ingredients. You'll love the silky tomato sauce! 

creamy tomato pasta in a white bowl

Making a creamy tomato pasta sauce from scratch with canned tomatoes is simple! The best part is that it can be ready by the time your pasta has cooked. Perfect for those on-the-go weeknights. 

This sauce uses a can of tomato sauce for liquid, and I also add in some tomato paste to punch up that tomato flavor. Garlic, Italian seasoning, butter, and cream complete it. And some freshly grated parmesan cheese takes it over the top!

creamy tomato pasta in a skillet (tossed with penne)

Like the sound of this recipe? Try my Tomato Spinach Chicken Pasta.

Recipe notes & tips:

  • Canned tomato brands can vary, and some tomatoes are more acidic than others. My favorite brands are Mutti and DeLallo. If you find the sauce is a little bit too tart, you can add a pinch of sugar to balance the flavors/enhance the sweetness of the tomatoes. 
  • I've been asked by a few UK readers on Instagram what to use instead of tomato sauce, and passata would be a good equivalent, I believe.
  • I don't recommend subbing the cream for half-and-half or something with less fat. The sauce is likely to curdle due to the acidity of the tomatoes. 
  • You can use whatever pasta you've got on hand (I love penne for this sauce because those little tubes are so nicely coated). 
  • This sauce will actually work for other things (like over chicken or shrimp, for example), so you could skip the pasta altogether if you want! Or, you could add a bit of cooked chicken/shrimp/your protein of choice to the sauce for a more filling meal.
  • You could stir in some spinach or other veggies towards the end of cooking if you want to dress it up a bit. 
  • I use Italian seasoning in here because it's a great all-purpose herb blend, but you could definitely change the herbs up a bit... some dried oregano or basil would work great. You could even add fresh herbs if you happen to have some.
  • Storage: You can keep this sauce in the fridge for a few days or freeze it if you've got some left over. I'd re-warm it on a low heat. 

tomato cream sauce in a skillet ready to be tossed with penne

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creamy tomato pasta close-up

Will you give this creamy tomato pasta a try? Questions? Let me know in the comments below! Tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram if you've made one of my recipes.

creamy tomato pasta in a white bowl

Creamy Tomato Pasta

This creamy tomato pasta recipe comes together quickly and uses everyday ingredients. You'll love the silky tomato sauce! 
4.94 from 65 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 447 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 8 ounces uncooked pasta
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2-3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 (14 fluid ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 3/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Boil a large, salted pot of water for your pasta and cook it al dente according to package instructions.
  • Meanwhile (once the pasta starts to cook), add the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once it melts, add the garlic and sauté for about a minute, stirring constantly.
  • Add in the tomato paste, tomato sauce, cream, and Italian seasoning. Stir until it's nice and smooth. Let the sauce cook for about 5 minutes or until it's thickened to your liking (it should be very gently bubbling, so you may need to turn down the heat).
  • Season the sauce with salt & pepper as needed (I'm pretty generous with both). If the sauce is a little too acidic/tangy for your liking, add in a pinch of sugar.
  • Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce (add a splash of hot pasta water if the sauce gets too thick). Serve immediately with plenty of parmesan cheese over top.

Notes

  • I don't recommend subbing the cream with something that has a lower fat content as it's likely to curdle due to the acid in the tomatoes.
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 447kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 10gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 654mgPotassium: 569mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1383IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 2mg
Keyword creamy tomato pasta, creamy tomato pasta sauce, tomato cream sauce
Author Natasha Bull
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  1. Allison Baxley says

    5 stars
    I love this recipe! It is so good and comes together quick. Very versatile. I've added ground beef and chicken and it is great with both. I make it a lot! Thank you

    Reply

  2. Sam says

    Hi, I don't have any tomato paste. Is there anything I can replace this with/will the recipe taste very different if it's omitted completely? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! So, it's quite thick and adds a very concentrated tomato flavor. I can't really think of a good substitute that won't change the sauce a lot.

      Reply

  3. Shane Horwat says

    5 stars
    Great recipe. I subbed in 18% cream and it held up good. However i did use a 100% organic tomato sauce so maybe the lack of extra preservatives in the sauce helped with that. iDK I’m no chemist lol. Great recipe though . My new fav , thank you

    Reply

  4. Marge Garcia says

    5 stars
    The Heavy Cream gave the tomatoe sauce a nice taste. You are correct about being liberal with the salt and pepper. We loved this. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

  5. Kate says

    5 stars
    I haven't loved a new recipe in a LONG time! I made this 2x last week & added chicken meatballs & a little bit more pasta to this. Sooooooooooo good! This is now in my monthly rotation. I just discovered your food blog last week so I'm excited to try your other recipes!

    Reply

  6. Gayle says

    This recipe was fantastic! I followed the recipe to the letter, and it turned out great. I added chicken cutlet to boost the protein. The sauce was quick, easy, and full of flavor. Definitely adding this to my weekly rotation!

    Reply

  7. MAS says

    Pardon me for being dense, does 8oz mean half a box of uncooked pasta (typically 16 oz)? How many cups of uncooked pasta does this come out to be?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      8 oz yes.. half a 16 oz package of pasta. 🙂 Not a dumb question! For cups it'll vary depending on the size of the pasta (e.g. the same weight of shells will take up more space than ditalini, for example).

      Reply

  8. Adele Bagarella says

    5 stars
    Yum! No vodka needed and actually better because I am afraid of the flare up to burn it off, so I never get it quite right.., I doubled the recipe for the 2 of us and it was so delicious. Had plenty for left overs as we have just moved too. I paired this with your easy baked chicken breasts and what a great combo. No extra seasoning needed for my taste, just a few chopped fresh basil leaves. Just perfect! Thank you !!!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      So glad you liked it!! 😀 Thanks for your review. My vodka sauce doesn't involve setting it alight at all, so you could definitely give that a try too without worrying haha.

      Reply

  10. Jackie says

    I have a bunch of Campbell's tomato soup on hand. How do you think this recipe would work with using tomato soup instead of tomato sauce?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hmmm... canned tomato soup is pretty concentrated and thick, so I am not sure how well it'll work. I suppose you could give it a go and see?

      Reply

  13. Soph says

    Ok, so this was probably the BEST recipe i’ve tried in a long time. I used pappardelle pasta and it was just incredible with the sauce. Glass of red wine made this meal complete. Highly recommend, coming from a very picky eater.

    Reply

  14. Marianne says

    I would like to take this to a family that needs help. I would be taking over before dinner time, I can take it hot but may not be served immediately. Any suggestions would make it still taste good.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      That's so nice of you! Is it possible to boil the pasta fresh and reheat the sauce separately? That would be my tip... like reheat the sauce gently on a low heat and cook the pasta just before serving. If you can't do that, I'd just tell them to reheat it over a low heat... probably not the microwave as the sauce could separate quite easily and the pasta may come out weird too.

      Reply

  15. Cassy S. says

    5 stars
    An absolute cracker of a recipe! Quick and easy to make, simple ingredients that most people would have in their pantry too. Full of flavour.
    Instead of Italian seasoning, I added a generous amount of fresh parsley, basil and a shake or two of dried oregano. Delicious! Can't wait to make this again.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! Some fresh crusty bread would go great if you're looking for a side. I'll usually just pick up a baguette or something from the store. A salad would work well too.. I love making one with my Caesar dressing: https://bit.ly/3Xm49Qx

      Reply

    • Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says

      Hi! Leftovers will be good for a few days in the fridge, but the pasta will soak up the sauce. If you can, make fresh pasta when reheating. Enjoy!

      Reply

  19. Kate says

    5 stars
    I never write reviews because I forget to lol. I had to with this one because I was wanting a sauce like this in the mood for it. Anyway, I had a bunch of Mutti jarred sauce my family brought back from Italy once. I live in Maryland. I finally found what to use it in. And omg they do help make these kinds of sauces ten times better!! These brands are the key!! I’ve used anything else in the past locally bought, everything you could thing of and using Mutti is definitely my go to now. I just didn’t know how to use it lol. I’m so glad now because the flavor and thickness really do go together. Thank you!!

    Reply

  20. MimsJeks says

    5 stars
    I just made this and it’s absolutely delicious! Subbed heavy cream with creme fraiche + evaporated milk. And added some bacon lardons! We just finished the whole pot of pasta.

    Reply

  21. Ella says

    5 stars
    Me and my friend made this tonight and it was amazing!! We had so much fun making it and her family thought it was delicious! Great recipe!

    Reply

  22. Jessie says

    I literally never write reviews (usually because I’m either too lazy or forget), but there is no way I could forget this one. It was absolutely delicious! I’m a broke college student, so it was nice to find a recipe that requires literally $10 or less in ingredients and to finally have a different home-cooked meal. I added a pinch of basil leaves just because I like to experiment, and it was great! Even my roommate was obsessed and I’d catch her eating it almost every day 😉

    Reply

    • Veronica Dominguez says

      Hello! I made this recipe and totally forgot the heavy cream so I substituted it with cream cheese. I don’t know much about cooking and it came out super sour. What should I have done differently? If I make it next time with the heavy cream that is called for will it taste less sour?

      Reply

      • Natasha says

        Hi! Yes, cream cheese is quite tangy. Heavy cream is not. Cream cheese works great in recipes where you want it to be a bit tangy.. sort of like a sour cream flavor. I use it in my taco soup, for example. This recipe is very tomato heavy (and they're quite sour to begin with), so I am not surprised it turned out too sour. I would definitely try with the cream next time. That's what cooking is all about, though... experimenting. 🙂

        Reply

  27. J.Rosay says

    5 stars
    This recipe is AWESOME! I completely forgot the tomato sauce at the store, so I took the remaining tomato paste and diluted it with water (about 1 to 1 1/2 cups, added Italian seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder.) I added some mild Italian sausage as well as a bit of extra butter in the sauce before adding the sausage. Tastes amazing! I added some chili’s flakes at the end for an extra kick. I also added a bit of sugar (to taste) to get rid of the acidity. Loved this recipe!

    Reply

  28. Erika says

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious. My dad is Italian so I try to stay away from recipes he didn’t teach me but this recipe is so easy and delicious. I added a lot of sugar (around 2 tbsp) before adding the cream and salt and once I felt it wasn’t acidic I added oregano, salt and touch of cinnamon and the cream. In loveeee with this. I will make it over and over again. Thank you for sharing it!!!

    Reply

  29. Vanessa says

    I was out of heavy cream and only had half n half. I kept your note in mind about the sauce potentially curdling so before I added the half n half I let the sauce come to a simmer, added a pinch of baking soda to help cut the acidity. Let that bubble for a minute. Then I slowly poured the half n half in the sauce ... no curdling!

    Reply

  31. Steph says

    This sauce was delicious! I even sautéed some mushrooms, celery and onion with the garlic to add some vegetables. How long can this sauce be kept on the forage? Or can this be stored in the freezer?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Glad you enjoyed it! Fridge for a few days or yes you can freeze it. Depends what you're comfortable with... I probably freeze stuff for a lot longer than recommended, but 3-6 months is generally what's recommended for peak freshness.

      Reply

  32. BG says

    5 stars
    Love this recipe for a easy Friday night dig in kind of meal... with a garlic bread side! I use less cream than the recipe and it still turns out great (just a few tablespoons) I always love adding in some stir fried red and yellow peppers, some chopped zucchini for a bit of colour and getting in the veg! Definitely one of the nicer pasta recipes.. and Mutti canned tomatoes is my go to..!

    Reply

  35. Lily says

    5 stars
    As a sophomore in college I decided to make this since it sounded delicious but also claimed to be 'easy' and 'simple'. It was everything and more! I really enjoyed cooking it, it didn't take long AT ALL and actually it didn't take very long to clean up afterwords! My roommates and I are big fans and will definitely be cooking this exact recipe again! Super creamy, rich, and tasty! Also the tomato wasn't overpowering which was super surprising! Love!

    Reply

  37. Jamie says

    5 stars
    This was amazing, so easy and cheap to make!!
    Seriously was not expecting it to be this good with so few ingredients.

    Reply

  38. aimee says

    hi just wondering what your measurement would convert to into grams as i’m from aus so the, 1 (14 fluid ounce) can tomato sauce, does anyone know how to convert that into grams ?

    Reply

  39. Gabriella says

    Hey

    Could you bake it in the oven for 20 to crisp it for a pasta bake or would this ruin it? Thanks x

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I think that if you topped it with some mozzarella (or other easy melting cheese) then that should be ok, but by itself you'll likely just dry out the cream sauce.

      Reply

  41. Staci says

    5 stars
    This is an absolute fav. A true staple in our house. We sub the pasta sauce for canned diced tomatoes and then blend. It's a bit cheaper and has less additives. We cook this weekly and even make batches for our adult lunches. Super easy and DELICIOUS!

    Reply

  44. Jayme says

    5 stars
    Wow! I never take the time to review recipes- but this one was so good! Restaurant quality dish. I doubled it and added cut up chicken breast that I sautéed first in the pan with olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. I set that to the side after just barely cooked through and continued with the recipe. Added it back in at the end with the pasta… delicious! My whole family loved it so it’s a keeper!

    Reply

  45. F Strevens says

    5 stars
    Delicious and so helpful for a mid week meal! My family loved it with tarragon as it was the only herb I had.

    Reply

  46. Danielle Cowan says

    5 stars
    I tried this recipe and added some fresh spinach and Italian Meatballs to it and it was very good! Compliments from the whole house! I will be doing this again!

    Reply

  47. Nthandiwe says

    I was out of chopped tomatoes, so I used more tomato puree, and it turned out well. I also used linguine as I was out of penne (it was a bad day in the pantry). This is going on my list of favourite pasta sauces from now.

    Reply

  49. Marcella says

    5 stars
    It’s absurd how delicious and easy this was to make. My family was shocked that it was homemade and not from a top Italian restaurant. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us!!!!!!!

    Reply

  50. Jay says

    hi, I would really like to know all the ingredients and recipe in UK measurements as I'm from England and would like to make it for myself. also, is the ingredients list and recipe for the suggested 4 people or is it for 1 person, if it is for the suggested 4 people could I have the ingredients and recipe sent back for just 1 person.
    I'm enquiring about the creamy tomato pasta just to let you know.
    thank you

    Reply