This One Pot Creamy Tomato Pasta is so quick to make – and you only need a single pot! Even the pasta cooks right in the sauce for easy cleanup. Cooking the pasta in the tomato sauce makes the sauce creamy without the need for lots of extra fat, and the pasta soaks up so much flavor!
Besides my One Pot Ham and Pea Pasta, this Creamy Tomato Pasta is my absolute go-to on busy weeknights.
My kids will eat this right up and I can throw it together in no time, which makes it a real win for me. Making a one pot pasta is so, so easy – you simply throw everything into a single pot and let it do its thing. Then the sauce AND pasta are ready at the same time, and you don’t even have to drain a heavy pot of pasta.
One Pot Tomato Pasta Recipe
This dish:
- comes together in a single pot for easy clean up after dinner
- gets so creamy and delicious without the need for much extra fat (and there’s not a single drop of heavy cream!)
- is flavorful enough for grown ups, but mild enough for small kids, so everybody gets to eat together!
We’ll often eat this one pot pasta as a vegetarian main, but if I’m feeling ambitious I’ll make some Lemon Garlic Chicken or some marinated steak on the side.
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!
How to make One Pot Creamy Tomato Pasta
1. Sauté the aromatics by heating olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic (and the sun-dried tomatoes, if using). After a minute or two, stir in the tomato paste and Italian seasoning and cook for one more minute.
sauté aromatics stir in tomato paste and seasoning
2. Add liquids and pasta: Pour 3 cups chicken broth into the pan and stir well to get any browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
Add the can of diced tomatoes and the pasta, season to taste and simmer until the pasta is done.
pour in chicken broth then add pasta and diced tomatoes
This will usually take 10-15 minutes, depending on your pasta. You may need to add a little extra liquid as it’s cooking (again, depends on your pasta), but remember we’re trying to make a sauce, so don’t thin it out.
3. One the pasta is done, stir in grated parmesan and cream cheese (or ricotta, or mascarpone, or even sour cream… whatever you have!). You can also stir in chopped parsley, my dad used to make a dish like this with parsley and it’s a total childhood memory for me. Basil would also be nice.
add remaining ingredients stir well
5. Let the pasta sit for a few minutes to thicken further, then serve immediately (else it will get dry and mushy).
Recipe tips
- do not pre-cook the pasta – it goes in dry! (and yes, this absolutely works)
- if the pasta is done but the sauce seems too soupy, wait for 3-4 minutes after stirring in the cheeses to see if it thickens enough while cooling. If it doesn’t, you can try adding a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with a tablespoon of cold water. Bring to a boil once while stirring and it should thicken right up.
- to add chicken to the pasta dish, brown two diced chicken breasts before adding the onion and garlic. Proceed with the recipe as written.
Want to know if you can make this recipe ahead of time? I don’t recommend purposefully making ahead a one pot pasta, simply because the pasta tends to soak up all the sauce as it sits after cooking. I also wouldn’t recommend you freeze it for the same reasons.
One pot pasta is so quick and easy to make as-is, I prefer freezing things like more time-consuming casseroles!
Leftover tips
If you end up with substantial leftovers, you can turn them into a pasta bake:
Place them in a casserole dish, cover and chill in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat, stir in an extra can of diced tomatoes and sprinkle the top with cheese.
Bake at 400°F for 20-30 minutes, or until piping hot and bubbly.
Serving ideas
If you want some veggies on the side, try one of these:
- My easy sautéed green beans are a great choice, air fryer green beans work great if you have less time.
- Air fryer broccoli or garlic roasted broccoli are delicious, too.
- A simple green salad with Italian dressing, white balsamic vinaigrette or balsamic vinaigrette is also a great pairing.
If you want to round out the meal with a protein, try one of these:
- Balsamic marinated chicken, baked chicken thighs or air fryer chicken thighs are great chicken dishes to pair with this pasta
- Air fryer steak, homemade meatballs or air fryer pork chops are wonderful heartier additions.
More one pot pasta recipes
Or browse all of my one pot dinners!
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Printable recipe
One Pot Creamy Tomato Pasta
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ⅓ cup sundried tomatoes chopped (optional – I love it but my kids refuse to eat it)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 3 cups chicken stock or water
- 1 (15-oz) oz can diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 (12-oz) box short pasta shapes spirals or bow ties work great
- salt & pepper to taste
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- ¼ cup cream cheese OR ricotta, mascarpone… whatever you have on hand! Use more for extra creaminess.
- chopped flat leaf parsley optional
Instructions
- Sauté:Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes until starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and Italian seasoning and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add liquids and pasta:Pour the chicken stock into the pan, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the can of diced tomatoes and pasta and season to taste.
- Cook the pasta:Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until pasta is done, about 10-15 minutes. If the pasta starts looking dry and there doesn't seem to be enough liquid, add a little extra broth during the cooking process.
- Add cheeses:Take the pasta off the heat and stir in the Parmesan and cream cheese. Add parsley if you like. Let the pasta sit and thicken for 3-4 minutes before serving immediately.
Nutrition
More recipe information
This recipe was first published on 07/24/2019. Updated with new photos and better text on 11/01/2021. The recipe has stayed exactly the same.
Jen says
Good stuff. Used rotel bc it was what I had, and upped the cream cheese to 1/3-1/2 c. Delicious!
Lynnell Fender says
I have celiac so I made this with gf pasta. Didn’t have the sun dried, but know they would make it even better. I also only had on hand chive and onion cream cheese, but I don’t think it hurt this recipe. It was delish!
Lynne says
This is an amazing recipe! I made it the other night and my husband and I couldn’t believe how good it was. We had plenty for leftovers and instead a adding a can of diced tomatoes I added a can of Rotel. Oh my goodness, was it ever good! I will make this often.
Lynne says
I just found this recipe and decided I needed to make it. We are eating it right now and – oh my goodness! It is really, really good. Thank you for this fabulous recipe!!
Michelle says
My daughter had me make this a few weeks ago and tonight she is asking for it again. She loves this with the addition of basil and sauteed chicken. Add some garlic bread and she’s a happy camper!
Felicia says
I know I’m late to the party, but just found and made this. First time I didn’t have paste so I used sauce, it came out great! second time followed it to the letter…. great again! going to try and add ground beef next time.
Nora says
Felicia, you’re never late to the party when it comes to recipes! Glad the pasta worked out well for you, hope adding ground beef was a hit, too.
Paula Friedman says
Made this recipe yesterday- it was delicious and so easy! The whole family just loved it!!!!
Megan says
So delicious! I didn’t have sundries tomatoes so I left those out, I added in fresh broccoli and chicken sausage as well. It was a big hit! Thanks so much for this great recipe.
Elizabeth says
Used my le creuset skillet to accommodate linguine pasta. Checked similar recipes and cooked the dish without the lid. Used a little less stock and added about 150 ml cream I had in the fridge. Added 10ml sugar to balance acidity of the tomatoes and handful of chopped fresh basil. Delicious and will make it again.
Wendy says
Made this recipe twice now. The first time I melted some Brie into it that was going spare in the fridge.
It was so creamy and tastey that I made it with it again the second time.
So easy to make and very satisfying.
Nora says
That sounds absolutely incredible, Wendy!
Ashya says
We’re vegan so I made a few adjustments … but my boys loved this!! (Veggie broth and vegan cream cheese — no parm). I had everything on hand in my kitchen made for a quick delicious lunch!!
Nora Rusev says
Love your vegan adjustments, Aysha! Thank you so much for sharing your feedback. Sometimes I make this without the cheese, too, but stir in a little bit of cashew butter instead. Sounds strange, but totally works!
Tegan says
Just cooked this and it was one of the best homemade pastas I have ever eaten!
Nora Rusev says
I’m so glad, Tegan!