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–+ servings
Creamy Tomato Pasta (No Cream)

Creamy Tomato Pasta Without Cream

This creamy tomato pasta uses umami-rich parmesan cheese and starchy pasta water to make a creamy and luscious sauce without using any cream or milk.
5 from 3 votes
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Servings 2
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 1-2 anchovy fillets optional
  • ½ large yellow onion finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 2 tsp tomato paste
  • 1 (400g/14oz) can (1 (400g/14oz) can) whole peeled tomatoes crushed with hands
  • 250 g (½ lb) pasta (see note 1)
  • 50 g (½ cup) parmesan cheese finely grated (see note 2)
  • Fresh basil finely chopped (for topping)

Instructions
 

  • Add 1.5 litres (6 cups) of water to a large pot along with 2 teaspoons of coarse sea salt. Cover and bring to a rolling boil.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to a large skillet along with the anchovy fillets, if using. Set the pan over medium heat. Gently heat the oil until shimmering and the anchovies begin to disintegrate - about 1-2 minutes.
    Adding the anchovies to a pan
  • Add the onion along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, translucent and beginning to brown around the edges, about 5 minutes.
    Adding the onions
  • Add the tomato paste and the garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, for another minute.
    Adding tomato paste to the onions
  • Add in the tomatoes and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and reduce the heat to medium-low. To the boiling water, add the pasta and cook for 2 minutes less than the package suggests. Allow the tomato sauce to simmer while the pasta is cooking.
    Adding the crushed tomatoes
  • About a minute before the pasta finishes cooking, reserve about 250ml (1 cup) of pasta cooking water. Pour in 120ml (½ cup) of the reserved water into your tomato sauce. Gently sprinkle half of the parmesan cheese over the sauce and stir to combine. Repeat with the remaining cheese.
    Adding pasta water and cheese to the pan
  • Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and, tossing constantly, ensure that the sauce is thickened and clinging to the noodles, about 1-2 minutes. Add more pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
    Adding in the pasta
  • Taste to adjust for seasoning, adding salt and pepper where needed. Serve, topping with chopped basil and more parmesan cheese, if desired.
    Stirring in the pasta

Video

Notes

  1. I like using rigatoni or a similarly shaped pasta for this dish, but it will work with most types of pasta.
  2. Use the weight measurement if at all possible over the volumetric. Depending on how coarsely or finely you grate your cheese, this can wildly change the weight of 1 cup of cheese. If grating the cheese with a rasp-style grater like a microplane (as I suggest), do not pack it into a 1-cup measure.

Nutrition

Calories: 626kcal | Carbohydrates: 108g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 825mg | Potassium: 824mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 529IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 410mg | Iron: 4mg

Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.

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