Creamy Tomato Pasta

Name: Creamy Tomato Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Paccheri pasta ridged 11.3 oz; Datterino tomatoes Approximately 1 1/8 pounds of Datterino tomatoes, suitable for fresh salads or cooking. 1.1 lbs; Fresh scallion small 1; Basil to taste; Lemon peel untreated to taste; Tomato peels smoked to taste; Butter 2 tbsp; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste

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Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Serving: 4
Cost: Low

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Cesare Battisti

When it comes to creamy tomato pasta, Lombardy's love for quality really shines through. Seriously good. Milanese cooks focus on simple, high-quality ingredients that make this dish super special. Instead of using heavy cream, a bit of butter is swirled into the tomato cream sauce pasta at the end. Just silky enough to coat every piece of paccheri without being heavy. And here's the thing—the burst of lemon zest stirred in gives a zesty aroma and a hint of brightness that really, really lifts the sauce. So fresh and creamy.

Chef Cesare Battisti from Ratanà in Milan is known for this style, using a touch of smoky tomato peel powder to balance out the sweet tomatoes with a bit of depth. It's these small touches, you know, that make a classic easy tomato pasta recipe really special.

Picture this: a weeknight dinner that’s quick and satisfying. And a bowl of creamy tomato pasta. The sauce clings to every ridge of the paccheri, giving you a tender bite with loads of flavor in each mouthful. Which is great. Compared to southern Italian versions, this Milanese twist feels a bit more refined but still super, super approachable—something anyone can make at home.

The homemade tomato pasta tastes like it’s straight from a cozy trattoria—crafted with just a few good ingredients and some creative tweaks. Lemon zest, a knob of butter, and a sprinkle of smoky powder make all the difference. Pretty simple. It's about highlighting the regional habit of enhancing simple pasta with a few elegant touches.

It’s the kind of quick pasta dinner perfect for any night of the week, and you know what, it's easy to see why people keep coming back to this. No need for fancy tricks or rare ingredients—just straightforward, heartfelt cooking the Lombardy way. This dish is not just a meal; it’s a celebration of regional flavors and the joy of cooking with heart.

How to prepare Creamy Tomato Pasta

To prepare the creamy tomato pasta, start by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente 1. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: halve the cherry tomatoes 2 and slice the onion thinly 3.

Place the onion in a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil 4 and sauté gently for about ten minutes. Once softened, grate the lemon zest 5 and add the tomatoes 6.

Salt 7 and add a ladle of the pasta cooking water 8. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, then season with basil leaves 9 and turn off the heat.

Transfer the sauce to a jug 10 and blend with an immersion blender 11 to obtain a smooth sauce 12. If desired, you can strain the sauce through a sieve to make it even smoother and more velvety.

Pour the sauce back into the same skillet 13, then season with a pinch of smoked tomato peel 14 and more grated lemon zest 15. Turn the heat to low to slightly thicken it.

At this point, the pasta will be cooked, so drain it directly into the skillet with the sauce 16 and gently stir 17. Finally, add some more basil leaves 18.

Off the heat, mix with a drizzle of olive oil and a piece of butter 19 and combine everything well 20, adding a little cooking water if necessary. Plate and serve your creamy tomato pasta garnishing with more basil as desired 21!

Storage

It is recommended to consume the creamy tomato pasta immediately.
The sauce can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge for 2 days.

Tip

We used ridged macaroni, which requires a rather long cooking time: adjust the preparation order according to the chosen pasta shape.
Remember to add the basil only at the end of cooking to preserve its aroma.
The smoked tomato peel powder can be replaced with a pinch of sweet paprika. To make it at home, proceed as follows: blanch the cherry tomatoes for 5-10 seconds, then cool and peel them. Use the pulp for the sauce and dry the peels in the microwave at medium power for about 3-4 minutes. Blend the dried peels with a spice grinder and season with a smoker (if you don't have one, you can add a hint of smoked paprika).

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.

Creamy Tomato Pasta

PRESENTATION

How to prepare Creamy Tomato Pasta

Storage

Tip

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