Description
A rich and creamy tomato pasta sauce that combines the tang of tomato paste with smooth cream and Parmesan, perfect for quick and comforting pasta meals. This sauce is easy to make and pairs wonderfully with any dried or fresh pasta, ideal for a delicious home-cooked dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 30 grams butter (2 tablespoons)
- ½ onion, finely chopped (about 70 grams)
- 3 garlic cloves, finely diced
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 70 grams tomato paste (¼ cup)
- ¾ cup cream
- 40 grams parmesan, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt to taste
Pasta
- 200 grams dried pasta or 300 grams fresh pasta
Instructions
- Boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions, timing it so you can add it directly to the sauce at the end. Reserve about ¼ cup of pasta water before draining if you cannot add pasta to the sauce immediately.
- Sauté onions: Heat olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the finely chopped onions and once sizzling, reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add garlic and pepper: Stir in the diced garlic and black pepper, cooking gently for 1 to 2 minutes. Keep the heat low to avoid browning the garlic.
- Incorporate tomato paste: Add the tomato paste to the pan and whisk it into the onion and garlic mixture. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to develop flavor.
- Add cream carefully: Lower heat to a gentle simmer and whisk in the cream evenly. Maintain a very gentle simmer to prevent curdling.
- Add lemon juice: Quickly whisk in the lemon juice to brighten the sauce. If you worry about curdling, add lemon juice at the end with the pasta.
- Mix in Parmesan: Gradually add the grated Parmesan in three portions, whisking between additions until fully melted and the sauce is creamy.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Add the cooked pasta straight into the sauce with about ¼ cup of reserved pasta water. Let it gently bubble for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken the sauce, loosening it with more pasta water if needed.
- Season and serve: Taste the sauce and add salt as needed. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan, black pepper, and optional fresh basil leaves.
Notes
- Onion quantity: Half an onion equals about 70 grams; US onions are often larger.
- Timing pasta: Start the sauce about 3 to 4 minutes into cooking the pasta to synchronize finish times.
- Pasta water is critical: Always reserve some pasta water to thin the sauce and help it cling to pasta.
- Make it saucy: The pasta absorbs the sauce as it sits; having extra sauce is better than too little.
- Serve with a fresh iceberg wedge salad for a complete meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
