Creamy Marinara Pasta, crafted with the richness of canned tomatoes, luxuriously blended with cream, and finished with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese for an indulgent twist on a classic dish in only 30 minutes.
This is one of those great recipes that gives you a lighter, meatless meal with a bonus of it taking only 30 minutes. It’s perfect for any night of the week, when you have limited time.
Ingredients
The ingredients are primarily items that you will already have in your pantry.
- Dried Pasta
- Canned tomatoes and canned sauce
- Onion and garlic
- Olive oil
- Parmesan cheese
- Heavy cream
- Italian seasoning, salt and pepper
What Kind of Pasta Is Best?
Any pasta is the perfect pasta as far as I’m concerned but some will work better at picking up the sauce. When you’re working with a nice sauce like this, what I like to see is a pasta shape that will allow the sauce to get into the grooves and crevices.
My favorite pasta shapes are Rigatoni, Penne, Farfalle, Conchiglie (a small shell pasta) and even Tortellini. The pasta I’ve used here is Mezzi Rigatoni which is like regular rigatoni except it’s a larger size tube. This is my first time seeing this pasta. I believe we may have received it in a gift basket this last Christmas.
Using Parmesan Cheese
Because I like to eat a lot of pasta, I love to have Parmesan cheese on hand. This BelGioioso Parmesan is almost always in the refrigerator. I know it looks like a small triangle, but it lasts quite awhile. You will be surprised. You can get a LOT of grated Parmesan from this one little triangle.
I no longer recommend buying the pre-shredded Parmesan cheese for my recipes whenever possible. It has been treated to keep it separated. This causes it to not melt the way cheese should melt. And, where’s the fun in that?
I like to grate some extra Parmesan cheese so I can sprinkle some on top.
Variations And Add-Ins
This is a meatless meal, as is. But, you can still add things to make it more hearty. It’s also a great opportunity to use up some leftovers.
- Vegetables. Add sauteed mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant or spinach.
- Meat. Add some ground beef, leftover meatballs or Italian sausage.
- Beans. If you want to increase the protein without adding meat, try cannellini beans or chickpeas.
- Garnish. Add salt or crushed red pepper to taste when serving at the table.
- Side salad. Since there are no vegetables in the main meal, you may want to add a small green salad on the side. This will also extend the pasta dinner if you need to feed more hungry people.
How To Store
This Creamy Marinara Pasta is easy to store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days.
Your pasta will continue to absorb the liquids while it’s sitting in the refrigerator so you may want to stir in a little water or chicken stock when reheating in a microwave or other method.
Recipe
Creamy Marinara Pasta
Equipment
- Pasta Pot, Stock Pot or Dutch Oven
- Large skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound Dried Pasta your choice (see below), cooked according to pkg instructions
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- ½ large Onion chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 15 ounces Canned Tomatoes diced, stewed or petite diced
- 8 ounces Tomato Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Braggs Seasoning or other Italian Seasoning blend
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese shredded or grated
- ½ teaspoon Finishing Salt optional, for garnish
- Crushed Red Pepper optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Begin the water to prepare the pasta and continue with the package instructions.
- In a large skillet, on medium high heat, add olive oil and onions. Saute until fragrant. Add minced garlic, stir and continue to saute for 1 minute more.
- Add canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, pepper and Braggs. Stir and heat thoroughly.
- Once the tomatoes are bubbly, lower heat to low.
- Stir in heavy cream and sprinkle cheese a little bit at a time, stirring the entire time, until cheese is melted and combined.
- Toss in drained cooked pasta. Serve immediately.
Notes
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. All amounts are estimates and 24Bite® takes no responsibility for actual figures since calculations vary by packaging and supplier. Please calculate the amounts yourself based on package labeling if you have specific dietary requirements. 24Bite®, Kim Guzman or Christian Guzman shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result. 2019-2026 Kim Guzman and Christian Guzman. All rights reserved. 24Bite®
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Pasta is my go-to meal when I’m in a hurry and want something comforting. I think adding the heavy cream is a great idea to balance the acidity in the sauce. I need to get the Bragg seasoning to try it out.
Such an easy and quick pasta recipe to make. I made this dish and it was so delicious. Everyone loves it!
Wow! Such a great-looking pasta dish! It looks amazingly delicious! Plus the creamy texture makes it so enticing! We only need 30 minutes to have this on our table! Loved it!
Yummy pasta I love creamy marinara will try this at home thanks for sharing.
This creamy marinara pasta recipe is an absolute game-changer! I’ve always loved classic marinara sauce, but adding a creamy twist takes it to a whole new level of deliciousness.