Description
A rich and creamy tomato pasta sauce made with tomato paste, cream, parmesan, and a hint of lemon juice, perfect for coating your favorite pasta for a quick and delicious meal.
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 Pasta: Get a pot of heavily salted water boiling and cook the pasta, timing it so it finishes when the sauce is ready. If you drain the pasta early, reserve about ¼ cup of pasta water before draining.
- Sauté Onions: Heat olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, then add finely chopped onions. When sizzling, lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until soft.
- Add Garlic and Pepper: Add diced garlic and black pepper to the pan and cook gently for 1 to 2 minutes, making sure nothing browns. Adjust heat to low if needed.
- Add Tomato Paste: Stir in the tomato paste and whisk to combine, cooking for 1 to 2 minutes to develop flavor.
- Add Cream: Lower heat to low-medium and whisk in the cream gently. Keep the sauce at a very gentle simmer to avoid curdling.
- Add Lemon Juice: Quickly whisk in the lemon juice. If concerned about curdling, add lemon juice later with the pasta.
- Add Parmesan: Gradually add grated parmesan in three portions, whisking between additions to fully melt and integrate it into the sauce.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the cooked pasta straight into the sauce along with a splash of reserved pasta water (about ¼ cup). Let it simmer gently for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken and coat the pasta. Add more pasta water if sauce is too thick.
- Season and Serve: Taste and add salt as needed. Serve with extra parmesan, black pepper, and fresh basil leaves if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Onion size varies by region; the half onion here is about 70 grams.
- Timing the pasta perfectly with the sauce takes practice; start the sauce about 3 to 4 minutes into pasta cooking if dried pasta takes around 12 minutes.
- Always save some pasta water before draining—it's essential for loosening and finishing the sauce.
- Make the sauce slightly saucier than expected as pasta absorbs sauce quickly after serving.
- Serve with an easy iceberg wedge salad for a complete meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
