Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Cream Cheese, a delicious first course, easy and quick, perfect for when you have little time to cook and want something tasty to eat.
This is the pasta that my son Luca loves so much, creamy, enveloping, and flavorful, but as with all pasta in general, he always eats two big plates of it.
Often, just to change the taste, I also add some drained canned tuna. The result is a hearty but delicious pasta.
Let’s see together how to prepare Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Cream Cheese. Get the ingredients ready, and let’s begin.
And if you try it, don’t forget to let me know in the comments on my Facebook page HERE. I look forward to hearing from you.
Gabriella
Other tasty first courses to try:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 11 oz pasta
- 7 oz tomato sauce
- 5 oz cream cheese (like Philadelphia)
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 onion
- to taste chili pepper
- to taste grated cheese (like Parmesan, Grana Padano, or Pecorino)
Tools
- 1 Pan
- 1 Chopper
- 1 Skimmer
Steps
First, in a large pan, heat 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, add the onion finely chopped with a manual chopper (quick and easy) and let it turn golden for a few minutes.
Then, add the tomato sauce, the chili pepper, adjust with salt, cover with a lid, and cook for about 15 – 20 minutes: you should get a thick sauce, not too liquid.
Meanwhile, put a pot with plenty of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. When the water boils, add the pasta (I used penne rigate) and cook it for at least 11 minutes (depending on the instructions on the box); drain it al dente.
Meanwhile, while the pasta cooks, a few minutes before draining it, add the cream cheese (or another soft spreadable cheese) to the hot sauce and mix well.
Then, also add a handful of chopped fresh parsley.
Drain the pasta with a skimmer directly into the pan, add plenty of grated cheese (Parmesan, Grana Padano, or Pecorino), mix well and let it melt on the stove for a few minutes, until everything is well combined.
Here is the Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Cream Cheese ready. Enjoy your meal!
See you in the next recipe.
Storage
If there are leftovers (but there won’t be, I assure you), store the Pasta with Sauce and Cream Cheese in the refrigerator and before eating it, add 2 – 3 tablespoons of water and heat it.
Tips and Suggestions
– Do not add the Philadelphia cold to the plate! Melt it directly in the pan with the tomato puree and a splash of cooking water. The pasta starch will create a perfect bond between the cheese and the sauce, preventing the Philadelphia from remaining in “lumps.”
– Drain the pasta one minute earlier (very al dente) and finish cooking it directly in the sauce. This allows the pasta to absorb the flavor and release more starch for incredible creaminess.
– Remove the Philadelphia from the fridge about ten minutes before using it: it will melt much more quickly and without excessive thermal shocks.
– Instead of tomato puree, you can also use peeled tomatoes or fresh cherry tomatoes for a more summery recipe.
Variants
– Tuna and Olives: add a can of well-drained tuna in oil and a few Taggiasca olives for a fully Mediterranean flavor.
– If you want a stronger taste, you can replace half of the Philadelphia with sweet Gorgonzola or add a tablespoon of Basil Pesto to the final cream for a very fragrant sauce.
Did you know that …
This is how pasta doesn’t stick. If you want the pasta not to stick and be cooked perfectly, don’t pour it into the boiling water all at once, but a little at a time, so that the water keeps boiling and the cooking is even. However, remember to stir regularly for the entire duration.
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