Everyone needs a go-to pasta sauce for mid-week dinners. This simple tomato and mascarpone sauce is a quick way to make a delicious meal!
Try serving this creamy pasta with a leafy side like Fig and Halloumi Winter Salad!
Quick and easy pasta recipes are absolute life savers for those mid-week meals when time is at a premium. Experience has taught me that I need to have a few simple meal options in order to keep up with the pace of things around my house.
This tomato and mascarpone sauce meets that challenge perfectly. The sauce takes only 15 minutes to make and, most importantly, leaves everyone happy afterwards.
The tomato passata brings a lovely sweetness and fresh taste to the pasta, helped by fresh basil leaves. This is perfectly balanced out by the sumptuously creamy mascarpone. The result is pure comfort!
Tomato and mascarpone sauce
I learned from Italian friends that not every pasta sauce should be packed full of ingredients. Some of the most common Italian recipes use a minimum of ingredients yet result in truly fantastic meals.
The secret is high quality ingredients in careful balance to allow the individual flavours to shine through. This tomato and mascarpone sauce is no different. With such a short list of ingredients, it is important to choose quality to get the best results.
Look for a tomato passata that is made from ripe, sweet tomatoes. I found that passata sourced from Italy has the most reliable quality.
Fresh basil leaves are also important, so avoid dried basil if at all possible. And choose the freshest mascarpone you can find!
Serving suggestions
This recipe uses the Italian method of serving pasta, where the sauce is mixed into the cooked pasta before serving. This will ensure that the tomato and mascarpone sauce is evenly mixed into the pasta.
Serve creamy pasta such as this one with a light and fresh side dish. A green salad feels just right. Or try a simple cooked vegetable like roasted tenderstem broccoli.
The sauce is so good that you won’t want to waste any of it. A few pieces of crusty bread will be perfect for soaking up any sauce left on your plate!
More pasta recipes
- Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta with Burrata
- Lemon Garlic Pasta with Broccoli and Asparagus
- Vegan Alfredo Sauce
- Basil Pesto Pasta
15 Minute Tomato and Mascarpone Pasta Sauce
A simple tomato and mascarpone pasta sauce that comes together in just 15 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 80ml / 1/4 cup dry white wine or Vermouth
- 500g / 18oz tomato passata
- 125g / 1/2 cup mascarpone
- 25g / 1/4 cup vegetarian hard cheese
- Salt to taste
- 500g / 16oz tagliatelle (standard package size)
Instructions
- Put the tagliatelle in a large pot of salted boiling water and cook according to package instructions.
- While the pasta is cooking heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, then add finely diced onion and cook for 5 minutes over low heat, then add minced garlic and stir briefly, deglaze the pan with the white wine and let it simmer for 5 minutes until the wine is reduced.
- Add the tomato passata, dried basil and salt, stir to combine and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the mascarpone and stir let it simmer over low heat until the pasta is ready. Then stir in the hard cheese.
- Drain the pasta and add to the sauce, toss gently until the pasta is coated with the sauce.
- Serve with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 506Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 454mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 12g
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