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Tomato cream sauce in pan with wooden spoon.

Easy Tomato Cream Sauce

This creamy pasta sauce gets its deep flavor from the tomato paste and it's creaminess from heavy cream and parmesan cheese.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, very finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • pinch red pepper flakes, optional
  • ½ cup tomato paste or one 6 ounce can
  • ½ cup chicken broth, see note
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan
  • 12 ounce rigatoni pasta

Instructions

  1. Fill a large pot with water. Cover it and heat over high heat. While you wait for it to reach a boil, begin the sauce.

  2. Heat butter and oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Once butter begins to bubble and oil is hot, add the onions. Cook for about 4 minutes or until the onions start to soften. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.

  3. Add tomato paste. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, for about three minutes. The tomato paste will be thick.

  4. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the ½ cup chicken broth. Gently scrape any onions or tomato paste off the bottom of the pan. Cook until almost all the chicken broth evaporates.

  5. Add the heavy cream. Break up any lumps of tomato paste. Reduce the heat to low and allow the sauce to gently simmer while you cook the pasta. Remember to stir the sauce occasionally.

  6. When the water for pasta reaches a boil, generously salt the water and add the pasta. Stir the pasta. Cook until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.

  7. Carefully reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta.

  8. Add the parmesan cheese to the sauce. Stir to combine.

  9. Toss the pasta with the sauce. If the sauce is thick, add the pasta cooking water, ¼ cup at a time. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

  10. Serve and enjoy. Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Recipe Notes

Chicken Broth

Since the recipe only needs a ½ cup of chicken broth, I usually whisk some chicken bouillon into hot water and use that.