Description
A rich and creamy tomato pasta sauce made with tomato paste, cream, butter, and parmesan, perfect for tossing with your favorite pasta for a comforting meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) butter
- ½ onion, finely chopped (about 70 grams)
- 3 garlic cloves, finely diced
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup (70 grams) tomato paste
- 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 Pasta: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil for cooking the pasta. Cook the pasta until just before al dente, timing it so you can add it straight into the sauce. Reserve about ¼ cup of pasta water before draining if you drain it early.
- Sauté Onions: Heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the finely chopped onions and cook until sizzling, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add Garlic and Pepper: Stir in the diced garlic and black pepper. Cook gently for 1 to 2 minutes without browning, reducing heat to low if necessary.
- Add Tomato Paste: Stir in the tomato paste and whisk to combine. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to deepen the flavor.
- Add Cream: Lower the heat to low-medium and gradually whisk in the cream. Keep the sauce at a very gentle simmer, adjusting the heat to low if needed to prevent curdling.
- Add Lemon Juice: Quickly whisk in the lemon juice. To avoid curdling, you can also add the lemon juice later with the cooked pasta if preferred.
- Incorporate Parmesan: Add the parmesan cheese in three portions, whisking well between each addition to allow it to melt smoothly into the sauce.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the cooked pasta directly into the sauce along with about ¼ cup of reserved pasta water. Allow the pasta to bubble gently in the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes, thickening it slightly. Add more pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
- Season and Serve: Taste the sauce and add salt as needed. Serve immediately, optionally topped with extra parmesan, black pepper, and fresh basil leaves for garnish.
Notes
- If using large onions as found in the USA, a half onion weighs about 70 grams; adjust accordingly.
- Practice timing your pasta cooking to add it immediately to the sauce for better flavor absorption.
- Always reserve some pasta water before draining; it's essential for adjusting sauce consistency.
- The sauce is intentionally made quite saucy as the pasta will absorb it while resting.
- This sauce pairs wonderfully with a simple iceberg wedge salad.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
