4-Ingredient Creamy Tomato Pasta
Four ingredients, one pot, done in 20 minutes. Pantry dinner, zero regrets.
It's 6:30, you're exhausted, and the fridge is basically a sad wasteland. This is exactly the night this pasta was made for. You need canned tomatoes, heavy cream, garlic, and pasta — that's it. The sauce comes together while the pasta cooks, so you're not standing over two things at once. It's rich, a little tangy, and genuinely satisfying. Don't expect a restaurant masterpiece; expect a bowl of real food that took almost no effort and made you feel like a functional adult.
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta — rigatoni, penne, or whatever you have
- 1 unit can crushed tomatoes — 14–15 oz can
- 0.33 cup heavy cream
- 3 unit garlic cloves — minced or pressed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt — plus more for pasta water
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes — optional but recommended
Method
- 1 Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, scoop out about ½ cup of pasta water and set aside.
- 2 While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for about 60 seconds until fragrant — don't let it brown.
- 3 Pour in the crushed tomatoes. Season with 1 tsp salt. Simmer for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.
- 4 Reduce heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream and let it simmer gently for 2 minutes until the sauce turns a warm pink-orange color.
- 5 Drain the pasta and add it directly to the skillet. Toss to coat, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if the sauce feels too thick. Taste and adjust salt.
- 6 Serve immediately. Top with parmesan if you have it.
Variations
- Vegan swap — Replace heavy cream with full-fat coconut cream. The flavor is slightly different but still rich and satisfying.
- Faster version — Use pre-minced garlic from a jar and angel hair pasta, which cooks in 3 minutes, to shave the total time under 15 minutes.
- Bulk it up — Stir in a big handful of baby spinach or a drained can of white beans when you add the cream — both disappear into the sauce and add substance.
Notes
The pasta water is your secret weapon — the starch helps the sauce cling to every piece. If your sauce tastes flat, it just needs more salt. Half-and-half works in place of heavy cream but the sauce will be thinner. Leftovers reheat okay with a small splash of water or cream in the pan.
Equipment that helps
- Large skillet — A wide surface lets the tomato sauce reduce faster so you're not waiting around.
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