Try serving this creamy pasta with a leafy side like Spring Pea and Arugula 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 20 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 or pan-fried zucchini. The sauce is so good that you won’t want to waste any of it. A few pieces of crusty bread or garlic bread will be perfect for soaking up any sauce left on your plate!
Storage and leftovers
While the sauce will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge, pasta is best eaten fresh. But obviously you won’t want to throw any out, so keep for up to 3 days and reheat any leftovers in a microwave. I don’t recommend freezing pasta generally, and this sauce will not do well when frozen.
More pasta sauces
Pasta Cream Sauce Butternut Squash Ravioli Sauce 5 Minute Ravioli Sauce Easy Carbonara Sauce Homemade Alfredo Sauce
