One Pot Creamy Tomato Pasta

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 recipe at the bottom 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.

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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.

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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.

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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 – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my email list, too!

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.