Tomato And Mascarpone Pasta Sauce
You know what I absolutely love whipping up for a quick, no-fuss dinner? Tomato and mascarpone pasta sauce! It's one of my go-tos because it’s super simple, and you only need a few ingredients.
The sauce is rich, flavourful, and so creamy – perfect for tossing through some freshly cooked pasta. I usually top it off with Parmesan shavings and a bit of torn basil.
Oh, and garlic bread is a must on the side – the kids insist on it, and honestly, who can say no to buttery, garlic bread?!
WHAT IS MASCARPONE CHEESE?
Well, it's a super delicious, creamy Italian soft cheese. You can use it in all sorts of Italian recipes from pasta dishes, to risotto and desserts. This pasta sauce is one of our favourite mascarpone recipes.
You can find out how to make mascarpone cheese here.
INGREDIENTS FOR TOMATO AND MASCARPONE PASTA SAUCE
For the Italian tomato and mascarpone pasta sauce recipe
- Olive oil
- Garlic cloves- finely chopped
- Bunch basil - stalks and leaves separated - stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped (keep them separate)
- Baby plum tomatoes - roughly chopped
- Can of chopped tomatoes - tinned tomato pasta sauce always tastes better if you use a good quality tin of tomatoes.
- Mascarpone cheese
- Pinch salt and cracked black pepper
To serve
- Freshly cooked pasta - just choose your favourite (this sauce works well with tortellini or gnocchi too)
- Parmesan shavings - optional
- Small bunch basil - roughly torn or some finely chopped fresh oregano or flat leaf parsley - optional
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
- Chopping board
- Sharp vegetable knife
- Skillet pan - or large saucepan
- Wooden spoon - or other cooking spoon or spatula
HOW TO MAKE TOMATO AND MASCARPONE PASTA SAUCE
Step One - sauté the garlic and basil stalks
- Put the pan onto the hob over a low/medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Tip in the chopped garlic and basil stalks and gently sizzle in the olive oil for around 5 minutes - don't let them colour or burn.
Step Two - add the tomatoes
- Firstly tip in the chopped baby plum tomatoes and stir them in the garlicky oil - allow them to cook for around 5 minutes until they start to soften.
- Then tip in the chopped tinned tomatoes and season well with salt and black pepper. Stir everything together and bring to the boil. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes with the lid off. Be sure to stir regularly.
Step Three - add the mascarpone
- Tip in the mascarpone cheese and stir gently into the tomato sauce. Let the mascarpone heat through in the sauce for around 5 minutes.
- Check the seasoning - if it needs a little more salt and black pepper, add them now.
- Stir through the chopped fresh basil leaves.
Step Four - serve the tomato mascarpone sauce
- Serve the sauce tossed through freshly cooked pasta - scatter with basil and Parmesan cheese shavings.
Get loads more delicious easy pasta dishes here
WHAT TO SERVE WITH TOMATO AND MASCARPONE PASTA
Our pasta with tomato and mascarpone sauce is super yummy with any of these sides – a fresh garden salad, garlic bread (obviously!), cucumber salad, steamed broccoli, green beans, or even an aubergine salad. So many good options to choose from!
Get loads more easy dinner recipes here
INGREDIENT VARIATIONS AND ADD-INS
You can take this creamy tomato pasta sauce recipe in any direction you like - try any of the following, they're delicious!
- Tomato and mascarpone sauce with meatballs - add some meat to the dish, our creamy sauce is just delicious with meatballs. When I make this with meatballs I tend to add mushrooms too, they work really well.
- Tomato and mascarpone pasta bake - use the sauce to throw together a tasty pasta bake. Toss half the sauce through the cooked pasta, pour the rest on top, then scatter with plenty of mozzarella and cheddar cheese and then brown under the grill.
- Creamy tomato pasta with chillies - add some heat! Sprinkle some freshly chopped chillies or a good pinch of chilli flakes through the creamy sauce.
- Add some veggies - try adding in some fresh spinach, mushrooms or asparagus to the sauce. And serving with your favourite pasta, scattered with chopped fresh herbs.
MORE EASY VEGGIE PASTA RECIPES
Love to eat Italian food? Try out more of our easy Italian recipes here
NEED SOME FAMILY MEAL IDEAS?
Check out our meal planning here – it’s filled with recipes, meal planning tips and pre-filled printable meal plans weekly or seasonally. We’ve got hundreds of the BEST family recipes your whole family will LOVE!
Tomato And Mascarpone Sauce
Recipe for a tomato and mascarpone sauce that is incredibly simple, fast, and flavourful.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic - finely chopped
- Bunch basil - stalks and leaves chopped separately
- 200g baby plum tomatoes - roughly chopped
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 200g mascarpone cheese
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Put the pan onto the hob over a low/medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Tip in the chopped garlic and basil stalks and gently sizzle in the olive oil for around 5 minutes – don’t let them colour or burn.
- Firstly tip in the chopped baby plum tomatoes and stir them in the garlicky oil – allow them to cook for around 5 minutes until they start to soften.
- Then tip in the chopped tinned tomatoes and season well with salt and black pepper. Stir everything together and bring to the boil. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes with the lid off. Be sure to stir regularly.
- Tip in the mascarpone cheese and stir gently into the tomato sauce. Let the mascarpone heat through in the sauce for around 5 minutes.
- Check the seasoning – if it needs a little more salt and black pepper, add them now.
- Stir through the chopped basil leaves.
- We serve the sauce tossed through freshly cooked pasta – scatter with basil and Parmesan shavings.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 309Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 259mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 4g
Nutritional content will vary depending on the exact ingredients you use and how careful you are with measuring - this nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate - you should always calculate your own nutritional information especially if you have specific dietary requirements.
Get more delicious meal ideas and easy recipes here
Wendy is the creator of Daisies & Pie, a UK food blog sharing easy meals and home lifestyle tips since 2012
