Tomato Butter Pasta
Tomato Butter Pasta is a delicious and easy-to-make dish perfect for weeknight dinners. The tender pasta is simmered in a flavorful tomato sauce and topped with crispy breadcrumbs for the ultimate meal.
Pasta is a staple meal in our household. It’s easy to make and is always a crowd favorite, so we know that guests will love it. If you love making pasta too, then you may want to try this Italian Drunken Noodles recipe, or this Rigatoni with Italian Seasoning.
Table of contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s incredibly easy to make with just a handful of simple ingredients.
- It’s a crowd-pleaser that works for both busy weeknights and special occasions.
- You can easily customize it with your favorite add-ins like grilled chicken, shrimp, or extra veggies.
🛒Ingredients
We’ve made this list to help you save time on your next trip to the grocery store. You can find the full amounts needed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- dry pasta
- butter
- fresh garlic cloves
- red pepper flakes
- carrot
- canned whole Italian tomatoes
- salt
- black pepper
- panko breadcrumbs
- olive oil
- garlic powder
- dried oregano
- grated parmesan cheese
- fresh basil
🔪 How to Make Tomato Butter Pasta
This is a quick overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. You can find the full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- In a large saucepan, melt the 4 tbsp of butter with the garlic, red pepper flakes and carrot. Saute over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
- Add in the canned tomatoes, salt and pepper. Use a spoon or spatula to break the tomatoes into small pieces. Let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes.
- In a small saute pan, place the olive oil, bread crumbs, garlic powder and dried oregano and stir over low/medium heat until the bread crumbs turn golden brown. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese.
- Toss the drained pasta directly into the sauce, adding a bit of reserved pasta water if needed. Stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes until the pasta absorbs the flavors. Garnish with bread crumbs and fresh basil if desired.
🥄 Equipment
This is the list of kitchen tools that you will need to make this recipe:
- Large saucepan
- wooden spoon or spatula
- large pot
- Colander
- small saute pan
🥫 Storage
Storage – Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating – To reheat, simply place in a pan with a bit of water and cover until heated through.
Serve With
This buttery pasta is great on its own. However, we like to pair it with a salad, such as this Copycat Chick-fil-a Kale Salad, and these Homemade Garlic Breadsticks. And, you can’t forget a sweet treat like these Brownie Cookies.
💭 Tips
- For a creamier sauce, you can add a splash of heavy cream or even a bit of cream cheese to your pasta. It takes the dish to a whole new level of indulgence!
- Don’t forget to season your pasta water generously with salt. This simple step enhances the flavor of the dish right from the start.
- If you’re short on time, you can use pre-minced garlic or even garlic powder in a pinch. However, fresh garlic really makes the flavors pop!
⁉️ FAQ
Do you have questions about this tomato butter pasta recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Absolutely! This dish can be prepared ahead of time and reheated when you’re ready to enjoy it. Just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When reheating, add a splash of water or milk to help bring back the creamy consistency.
We like to use spaghetti noodles. However, you can use any shape of pasta that you prefer. Just keep in mind that different shapes may affect the cooking time and sauce absorption.
🍽 More Pasta Recipes
Do you enjoy pasta? If so, try these delicious recipes:
🧾Recipe Card
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Tomato Butter Pasta
Equipment
- Large saucepan
- wooden spoon or spatula
- large pot
- Colander
- small saute pan
Ingredients
- 16 ounces dry pasta
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 medium carrot peeled and grated
- 1 pound canned whole peeled italian tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, melt the 4 tbsp of butter with the garlic, red pepper flakes and carrot.
- Saute over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
- Add in the canned tomatoes, salt and pepper.
- Use a spoon or spatula to break the tomatoes into small pieces.
- Let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain when al dente and set aside.
- In a small saute pan, place the olive oil, bread crumbs, garlic powder and dried oregano and stir over low/medium heat until the bread crumbs turn golden brown.
- Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.
- Toss the drained pasta directly into the sauce, adding a bit of reserved pasta water if needed.
- Stir well and cook for 1-2 minutes until the pasta absorbs the flavors.
- Serve topped with bread crumbs and extra cheese if desired.
- Garnish with fresh basil and serve hot!
Notes
Disclaimer
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.
