Cozy Creamy Tomato Garlic Pasta for Weeknights
Creamy, garlicky tomato pasta made in one pot and ready in under 30 minutes. Rich, flavorful, and perfect for cozy nights or fast weeknight meals.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
Scale
12 oz pasta (penne, rigatoni, or linguine)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Optional: red pepper flakes, fresh basil
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted water. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
- In the same pot, heat oil and butter. Sauté garlic 1–2 min.
- Stir in tomato paste. Cook 1 min.
- Add crushed tomatoes and seasoning. Simmer 5 min.
- Stir in cream. Simmer 2–3 min until slightly thickened.
- Return pasta to pot. Toss to coat. Add reserved pasta water as needed.
- Stir in Parmesan. Let sit 1 min before serving. Garnish as desired.
Notes
Use half-and-half for lighter version. Add spinach, chicken, or shrimp for variation. Reheats well with splash of water or cream.