This Creamy Tomato Pasta is a fresh take on one of my favorite tomato pasta. I use blistered cherry tomatoes to create a rustic, fresh-tasting creamy sauce.
This easy 25-minute creamy tomato pasta recipe is a great option for busy weeknights. Love fresh tomato pasta dishes? Try my cherry tomato basil pasta!
I’m a huge fan of creamy pastas! My Creamy Lemon Pasta and Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta are always a big hit during dinner time! And today, I’m excited to share my favorite way to make a good creamy tomato pasta!
For this recipe, I use a creamy sauce made with blistered fresh cherry tomatoes instead of canned. It makes a huge difference in flavor, and makes everything so much lighter, aromatic, and delicious.
Need more creamy tomato dishes? This Tomato Tortellini Soup is always a favorite!
Jump to:
Why I Love This Recipe
- Easy to make! This creamy tomato pasta comes together in just 25 minutes with just a few ingredients.
- Fresh flavors. Using fresh cherry tomatoes instead of canned makes a huge difference in flavor. It’s a lighter take on tomato pasta!
- Pairs well anything. I love it with our Chicken Margherita or a simple Chicken Mozzarella!
Ingredient Notes
With just a handful of ingredients, you can make a super simple creamy tomato pasta for dinner in under 30 minutes! Below are a few ingredient notes from recipe testing.
- Tagliatelle pasta: I really love tagliatelle pasta for this recipe, but you can use any type of pasta you’d like.
- Cherry tomatoes: Find one that are bright red without blemish. They will provide the juiciest and sweetest flavor and texture.
- Fresh garlic: Fragrant minced cloves add amazing flavor.
- Heavy cream: Creates that rich and creamy sauce.
- Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated, rather than pre-grated, is preferred. It will melt into the sauce much better.
- Fresh basil: Freshly chopped for those fresh aromatic flavors.
- Granulated sugar. To balance out the acidity of the tomatoes, if needed.
- Salt and pepper, olive oil
As always, the ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Creamy Tomato Pasta
This creamy cherry tomato pasta is super simple to make. Let me show you how, along with some helpful tips!
Step 1: First things first, cook your pasta according to package directions. Reserve pasta water. Then, heat olive oil In a large skillet over medium heat and add whole cherry tomatoes.
Step 2: Cook down the tomatoes until they start to blister. Sauté the minced garlic until fragrant, then them press down to release the juices.
Step 3: Stir in the heavy cream and bring to a light simmer. Then, add about half a teaspoon of granulated sugar to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes.
Step 4: Add the cooked pasta, and toss to combine until everything is well coated with the sauce.
Step 5: Then, add the grated parmesan cheese and simmer for another minute or so until thickened and creamy. If too thick, just stir in some of the reserved pasta water as needed.
Step 6: Lastly, add fresh basil and serve with more basil parmesan cheese on top. And there you have it, the best and freshest creamy tomato pasta!
Tips for Success
- Cook the pasta until al dente since it will continue to cook in the sauce, and salt the water for best results.
- Reserve some pasta water. It may be needed to create the perfect consistency for the sauce.
- Cherry tomatoes: Pick tomatoes that look plump and free of blemishes.
- Use heavy cream for the sauce. Do not use milk or half-and-half as the sauce may turn out too thin.
- Use freshly grated parmesan cheese. Pre-packaged cheese often comes with extra starches that can make the sauce gritty.
Make Ahead and Reheating
This creamy tomato pasta tastes amazing when served immediately (the creamiest!), but you can make it in advance. To store or make ahead, refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
Reheat in a skillet with a splash of cream to loosen up the sauce and make it creamy once again. Stirring frequently until heated through for a few minutes.
Recipe FAQs
I like to use tagliatelle because the wider noodles cling so much better to the creamy tomato sauce, but you can use any kind. Some great alternatives are fettuccini, pappardelle, or spaghetti.
Preferably not. The sauce may be too thin. I’d recommend using heavy cream for this recipe.
Yes, feel free to use canned crushed tomatoes. This can be used if cherry tomatoes are not in season, or you don’t like tomato skin in your pasta.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
Chicken pairings: Easy chicken parmesan, Chicken Florentine, or a simple pan-seared chicken.
Seafood pairings: Grilled Marinated Shrimp or Salmon Florentine.
Favorite salad pairings: Our family’s house salad or my Italian Chopped Salad for something fancier.
Bread pairings: Try my Cheese Garlic Bread!
More Tomato Main Dishes
I’d love to hear from you! If you loved my recipe, please consider leaving a 5-star rating and a comment down below. Sign up for my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest
Creamy Tomato Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ pound tagliatelle pasta - or your favorite pasta
- Olive oil for pan
- 20 ounces fresh cherry tomatoes - about 4 to 5 heaping cups
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- ¾ to 1 cup heavy cream - or to taste
- ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese - plus more for garnish
- ½ teaspoon Granulated sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup fresh sliced basil - plus garnish
Instructions
- In a pot with generously salted water, cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water for later.
- Heat a few generous drizzles of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook them for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to blister.
- Then, add the minced garlic and cook for another 1 minute until fragrant. Press down the tomatoes (I use a potato masher) to release their juices and make a rustic-style sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir in the heavy cream. If needed, add some granulated sugar (about a half teaspoon) to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes. Then, add the cooked pasta into the sauce.
- Add freshly grated parmesan cheese and sliced basil. If needed, season with more salt and pepper, along with some of the reserved pasta water until you get your desired consistency.
- Garnish with more parmesan cheese and fresh basil on top. Enjoy!
Notes
- Prefer to use canned tomatoes? Use your favorite marinara sauce or canned crushed tomatoes instead.
- To press down the tomatoes, you can use a potato masher.
- Storage: Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat in a skillet, adding a splash of heavy cream to loosen the sauce. This will make the pasta creamy again.
- Tagliatelle pasta: Use any pasta of choice such as fettuccini, spaghetti, pappardelle. Short pastas, like penne or rigatoni work too. For a lighter dish, use zucchini noodles or whole grain pasta.
- Cherry tomatoes: Canned crushed tomatoes or marinara.
- Add a protein such as chicken, shrimp or salmon.
- Veggie add-ins: Spinach, zucchini, mushrooms.
Patty says
Loved that the sauce tasted fresh with the fresh tomatoes rather than canned tomato sauce. It was very good. Added spinach and mushrooms.