20-Minute One-Pan Creamy Tomato Pasta (with Fresh Tomato Cream Sauce)
This one-pan creamy tomato pasta turns fresh tomatoes into a silky, cheesy sauce with just one skillet and a handful of easy ingredients!
It's ready in 20 minutes and requires no blender or extra tools (tomatoes soften right in the pan and get crushed into a rustic sauce). If you're on a tomato-pasta kick, my 20-minute cherry tomato burrata pasta is just as fast.
Quick Look: One-Pan Creamy Tomato Pasta
- 🍝 Serves: 2 people (about 1 to 1½ cups pasta with sauce, each)
- ⭐ Features: Vegetarian, One-Pan, 20-Minute
- ⌛️ Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 💥 Cook Time: 15 minutes
- 🕑 Total Time: 20 minutes
- 👩🍳 Skill Level: Beginner
- 🏆 Why make THIS version? The fresh tomatoes get crushed right in the pan (instead of using a blender), so you get a rustic, restaurant-style sauce in 20 minutes. AND, there are almost no dishes to clean up! 😉
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Key Ingredients
- Fresh tomatoes - Placed cut-side down in a hot pan so the cut surface caramelizes directly against the heat. This technique produces a concentrated, sweet flavor, and, since the tomato skins loosen under the lid, they peel off cleanly after 8 or 9 minutes. This trick is such a hack - I use it in my creamy one-pan ground beef pasta too!
- Tomato paste - Two teaspoons does the work of 20 extra minutes of simmering; it's already concentrated tomato, so stirring it in early makes the sauce taste like it's been going for an hour.
- Mozzarella and parmesan - I love using both: the mozzarella melts smooth and gives the sauce body, while parmesan brings salt and sharpness. They're the perfect pairing here.
Substitutions & Additions
- Add protein without complicating the sauce: You can customize your world here! Consider stirring in cooked sausage or shredded rotisserie chicken at the end, or add a can of white beans with the tomatoes for a vegetarian, protein-forward version.
- Cherry tomatoes work too if standard tomatoes are hard to grow or find where you are; just skip the peeling step since the skins on cherry tomatoes are thin enough to eat.
- Brown rice pasta makes this gluten-free, and the starch the brown rice pasta releases actually thickens the sauce nicely (so the pasta water step still works exactly the same way!).
- Want the noodles cooked directly in the sauce instead of separately? My 30-minute one-pan lasagna hack uses that technique, and it's definitely worth checking out.
- Want the protein built right into the sauce? My creamy ground beef pasta uses a similar tomato base with ground beef simmered right in (and it only requires one pan too).
If this is the kind of fast dinner you're after on a weeknight, I've got more for you: my 7 quick and easy dinner recipes list is the place to go!
How To Make My One-Pan Creamy Tomato Pasta
This is an overview of the recipe steps. All ingredient measurements and detailed process steps are provided in the recipe box below.
- Add the tomatoes cut-side down to the hot olive oil.
- Add the onion, garlic, and tomato paste around the tomatoes, cover, and cook until softened, about 8 to 9 minutes.
- Remove the tomato skins once they've softened and pull away easily.
- Crush the tomatoes into a rustic sauce, then season with salt, pepper, and parsley.
- Stir in the mozzarella and parmesan until melted, then add the cream and simmer until silky.
- Toss in the pasta and reserved pasta water until glossy and coated.
Creamy Tomato Pasta FAQs
Yes, but the flavor will be slightly different; fresh tomatoes give this sauce a brighter, sweeter taste. If using canned, choose whole peeled tomatoes and crush them directly in the pan the same way.
I like to use anything with ridges and texture (like rigatoni, penne, or fusilli) since the creamy sauce clings to the curves. The pasta in the photos is Mafaldine, a ruffled flat noodle built for chunky sauces. The only real thing to avoid is something as thin as angel hair, since it tends to get lost in a sauce this substantial.
Sure! The sauce will be a little lighter. I'd add an extra splash of pasta water and a bit more cheese to keep it silky without the cream.
No, with the lid on they stew and simmer rather than fry, so they work well together with the tomatoes the whole time.
Yes, and I recommend it! It keeps in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Freezing works too, though cream sauces can separate slightly when thawed, so reheat gently over low heat, or add a splash of milk and pasta water to bring it back together.
Chef Josh's Expert Tips
- On the tomatoes: Ripe is everything here! Use vine-ripened in summer or Roma tomatoes out of season since they have more flesh and less water than standard round tomatoes.
- On the pasta water: Save a full cup, not just a splash; you probably won't use it all, but add it a tablespoon at a time at the end until the sauce turns glossy. Once it's glossy, stop (over-adding thins it out).
- On the noodle in the photos: It's Mafaldine, a ruffled flat noodle that holds a chunky sauce beautifully. Fettuccine Ricci is a close swap, but honestly, use whatever pasta you already love.
More one-pan, tomato-forward pasta nights, if this one hit the spot...
If you make this one, I really want to hear about it! Please leave a comment and ★★★★★ star rating below (that helps everyone else know what the favorites are). Feel free to tag me on Instagram too, so I can see your creations 😎.
Recipe
One-Pan Creamy Tomato Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Slice the tops off the 5 tomatoes and place them cut side down in the pan.
- Add the 1 diced onion, 1 grated garlic clove, and 2 teaspoons tomato paste around the tomatoes.
- Cover with a lid and cook for 8 to 9 minutes, until the tomatoes soften and release their juices.
- Remove the lid and gently pull off the tomato skins using tongs or a fork, then discard.
- Crush the softened tomatoes directly in the pan, using a fork or potato masher, until they form a rustic sauce.
- Add salt, pepper, and the 2 tablespoons chopped parsley.
- Stir in the ¼ cup mozzarella and ¼ cup parmesan until melted.
- Pour in the ¼ cup cream and cook 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce turns silky.
- Toss in the 2-3 cups cooked pasta along with the 2 to 3 tablespoons reserved pasta water, until glossy and coated.
Notes
- The key to this sauce is letting the tomatoes fully soften before crushing them. If they still feel firm, give them another minute under the lid.
- A mix of mozzarella and parmesan works well here because mozzarella melts smoothly while parmesan adds salt and depth.
- If the sauce ever looks too thick, a splash of pasta water brings it right back to life.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Let me know how it was!Note: Some links on this page may be affiliate links. If you buy something through them, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only ever link to stuff I actually use and love.
When you say add cream: what kind of cream? Sour cream?
I mean full-fat cream, but you can also use milk or sour cream. 🙂
Hello mates, good article and pleasant urging commented at this place, I am truly enjoying by these.
Can i put remaining sauce in fridge or freezer 🤔
Hi Eve! Great question and I'll add to the Q/A. Yes, the sauce keeps well in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Freezing works too, though cream sauces can separate slightly when thawed so reheat gently over low heat, stirring frequently (or add a splash of milk/cream and pasta water) to bring it back together. For best texture, freeze the sauce on its own if possible, separate from the pasta. Enjoy!!
Very energetic post, I liked that a lot. Will there be a part 2?
This was amazing. I did add some sweet Italian sausage for extra substance. Beautiful recipe and you can really taste the Tomato when making a sauce like this.
Hi Kristen, yum - I love the sausage addition. So glad to hear you loved this. Thanks for sharing!
Would the “pasta water” still be used if I’m allergic to wheat and have to use brown rice pasta?
Hi Michele, yes! The starch from the brown rice pasta will actually thicken the tomato sauce REALLY nicely and help make it extra creamy. Great question. Enjoy!!
Looks good and I'm planning on making tonight for gnocchi. Why wouldn't the entire tomato be used? Both the top half and bottom half?
thank you
I use the whole tomato, when I say "slice off the top" what I mean is, slice off the top little bit with the green stem. Once that's gone, the tomato goes top-down into the pan. Enjoy!!
Just made it! It turned out amazing!! Definitely a favorite recipe.
Love to hear it, Emma! Thank you!
Could you do this with cherry tomatoes? Larger tomatoes are more difficult to grow in my humid climate and I don't think I'd bother making this with supermarket tomatoes.
You totally could! If you use cherry tomatoes, you wouldn't take the skins off, but they will otherwise cook the same and still be delicious!
This dish was so good! It’s definitely going to be a part of my regular rotation.
Looks great! You call for 250-300 grams of cooked pasta. Should the pasta be weighed after cooking or before?
Hi BW, hopefully you find this as good news: this recipe is super flexible and is built for two portions of pasta. You don't have to get too hung up on the specific grams or weighing -- two portions of pasta (cooked and uncooked) work perfectly here!
Do the onions and garlic not get too done when sitting in the pan for 8-9 minutes while the tomatoes cook? I have a gas stove and even on very low it cooks pretty fast.
No, with the lid on, they tend to stew & simmer vs. frying... so the onions & garlic work really well together while the tomatoes cook.
What type of pasta did you use in this recipe? It looks like skinny lasagne pasta. Thank you!
This pasta is called Mafaldine, and I love it because it holds chunky sauces well. Fettuccine Ricci is another similar one. Any noodle works in this recipe though -- go with what you love!
I haven’t made this yet, but I plan to. One question: in the email you described the pasta as cooking in the sauce and in the recipe you note to add in cooked pasta - can I do either?
Thank you in advance
Carole
Thanks for flagging, Carole! I realized that mistake in the email after I sent it. Too much time on the computer in one day. For this recipe, make the pasta as described above. If you want to cook the noodles in the sauce, that technique is featured in my 30-Minute One Pan Lasagna Hack...which I also highly recommend! 🙂
Really enjoyed cooking this and eating ! So simple and tastes like you spent all day on it. Thank you!
I was thinking of adding sausage to boost the protein. Cook the sausage first, remove it from the pan, use the rendered fat instead of oil to cook the tomatoes. What do you think, Chef?