Description
A comforting pasta dish with a silky cream sauce, fresh garlic, and bright tomato flavors, perfect for weeknight dinners or cozy date nights.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz (225 g) spaghetti or fettuccine
- 1 cup (about 180 g) ripe tomatoes, diced
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup (about 10 g) fresh basil, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional: 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (adds ~55 kcal per serving)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain and set pasta aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté until aromatic and just turning golden, about 30–60 seconds; don’t let it burn.
- Add the diced tomatoes to the skillet, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and simmer gently for about 5 minutes until they soften and release juices.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the heavy cream until the sauce becomes smooth and slightly thickened, about 2–3 minutes. If the sauce is very thick, add a tablespoon or two of reserved pasta water to loosen.
- Toss the cooked pasta into the sauce, using tongs to ensure each strand is coated. If needed, add more pasta water a little at a time to reach a silky consistency.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately topped with chopped fresh basil and, if you like, grated Parmesan.
Notes
This dish is rich and calorie-dense largely because of the heavy cream and olive oil. Adjust portions or ingredients to fit specific nutrition goals.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 975
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 60g
- Saturated Fat: 30g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 94g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 19g
- Cholesterol: 100mg