Creamy Tomato Pasta
- parttimehomecook
- Oct 9
- 2 min read
When I first started making creamy tomato sauces, I could never figure out why the cream didn’t blend in properly. Then I learned what really happens: when cold cream meets the acidity of tomatoes, it reacts and separates. The trick is simple. Let the cream come to room temperature before adding it, and balance the sauce with a small pinch of sugar. Ever since I started doing that, the sauce turns out silky and smooth every time.
This version has become my weeknight staple. Just a quick simmer of peeled tomatoes, a swirl of cream, and dinner is ready in twenty minutes.
Ingredients
500 g pasta of choice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
400 g peeled tomatoes, crushed
250 ml cooking cream or heavy cream, room temperature
Salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar, optional, to balance acidity
½ teaspoon chili flakes, optional
A small handful of fresh basil or parsley
Grated Parmesan, to serve
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Start cooking the pasta until just al dente. Reserve about 120 ml pasta water before draining.
Warm the olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent.
Stir in the garlic and cook briefly until fragrant.
Add the crushed tomatoes, a good pinch of salt and black pepper, and the sugar. Let the tomatoes simmer gently until slightly thickened and the raw taste has softened.
Reduce the heat to low. Make sure the cream is at room temperature. Pour it in slowly while stirring continuously so it blends in smoothly.
Keep the heat low and do not let the sauce boil.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add chili flakes if you like a little heat.
Toss in the drained pasta. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce to a silky coating.
Finish with chopped basil or parsley and serve with grated Parmesan.
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