Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta

5 from 1 vote

Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta is our favorite way to use all those garden tomatoes! Fresh tomatoes and cream form this Italian "pink" sauce with garlic, basil, and other garden extras like onion and zucchini. Add a protein or keep it vegetarian, this simple creamy tomato basil sauce is full of summer garden flavor and ready in 25 minutes!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 767kcal

Author: Meryl Downing

Ingredients

1 pound fettuccine (or any pasta shape)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ onion chopped
1 zucchini chopped
4 cups fresh tomato, any kind chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
⅓ cup fresh basil chopped
½ teaspoon kosher salt
8 grinds fresh black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded, plus more for serving

Instructions

You can make your fresh tomato cream sauce in the time it takes to cook the pasta. Set water to boil (add a pinch of salt before adding pasta) and cook pasta according to package instructions (12 minutes). BEFORE draining, scoop out a cup of the starchy cooking water (a coffee cup or measuring cup works great for this!) and reserve for the sauce.
Meanwhile, chop all veggies. A full 4 cup pyrex glass measuring cup works well for measuring the roughly chopped tomatoes.
In a large skillet, large enough to toss the pasta with the sauce, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onion and zucchini with a pinch of salt and pepper, until starting to soften and brown. Stir often.
Add tomato and garlic, season with ½ teaspoon salt and 8 grinds pepper. Let the tomatoes saute with the zucchini and onion a few more minutes until the liquid in the tomato starts to release.
Add basil and cream and simmer on low, about 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir often until pasta is ready.
Add drained pasta and Parmesan to the sauce and toss with tongs until well combined. You can add some of the starching cooking water to thin the sauce as needed. Sometimes when I come back to the stove for a second helping, the sauce has sat awhile and needs a bit of liquid to loosen it up.
Serve with extra fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Adding Protein - This recipe is simple and vegetarian, but you could easily add grilled or baked skillet chicken breast, shrimp or sliced Italian sausage.
Switch up the Veggies for many variations of this recipe!
Time your Pasta - Always check the cooking time on the box of pasta and start with the shortest amount of time it recommends. Set a timer! You want your pasta al dente, with a bit of firmness and never mushy! Taste a noodle to check.

Nutrition