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One Pot Creamy Tomato Pasta: creamy tomato pasta in a shallow white bowl, short penne coated in rosy tomato cream sauce

One Pot Creamy Tomato Pasta

One Pot Creamy Tomato Pasta cooks everything in one wide pot, including the pasta, so the sauce turns silky from the starch. It tastes like a slow tomato cream sauce but is ready in about 30 minutes.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes 28 ounces
  • 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth
  • 12 ounces short pasta such as penne, rigatoni, or shells
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups baby spinach loosely packed
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
  • Extra Parmesan for serving

Method
 

  1. Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 20 minutes. Servings: 4. Set a 5-quart Dutch oven or deep wide skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onion. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until the onion looks soft and a little glossy.
  2. Add the garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir for 1 minute. The tomato paste should darken slightly and smell sweet, not burnt. If it sticks hard to the bottom, lower the heat.
  3. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and broth. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen the tomato paste. Bring the mixture to a steady simmer.
  4. Stir in the pasta. Keep the heat at medium to medium-low so the sauce bubbles gently, not wildly. Cook uncovered for 13 to 16 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes so the pasta doesn’t settle and stick.
  5. Check the pasta. It should be tender with a little bite in the center. If the sauce tightens before the pasta is done, add 1/4 cup warm water and keep cooking. Different pasta shapes drink up liquid at different speeds.
  6. Turn the heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan, spinach, and butter. Keep stirring for 1 to 2 minutes, until the spinach wilts and the sauce looks smooth and creamy.
  7. Taste before serving. Tomatoes vary a lot, so you may need another pinch of salt or a little more Parmesan. Let the pasta sit off the heat for 3 minutes. It will thicken as it rests.
  8. Finish with basil and extra Parmesan. Serve warm, while the sauce is still loose and glossy.

Notes

Use a wide pot and short pasta. Keep the simmer gentle, stir more near the end, and add warm water 1/4 cup at a time if the sauce tightens before the pasta is done. Grate the Parmesan yourself if possible, add cream after the pasta is cooked, and let the pasta rest off the heat for 3 minutes before serving.