Weeknight pasta fails in predictable ways: the sauce splits when cream hits acid, the noodles clump while you hunt for a colander, or the tomato base tastes flat because nobody toasted the paste. This one-pot method uses short pasta (rigatoni or penne) cooked directly in a thin tomato broth, then finished off heat so the dairy stays silky.
You need a 4-quart Dutch oven or saucepan with a heavy bottom. Thin stockpots scorch tomato on the corners. A 6-quart pot works but the sauce spreads too thin — reduce the water by ½ cup if you upsize.
Ingredients
- 12 oz rigatoni or penne
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 2½ cups water or low-sodium chicken/vegetable broth
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- Large handful fresh basil, torn
- Black pepper
Steps
- Build the base. Heat olive oil in the pot over medium. Add garlic and cook until edges are golden, 45–60 seconds — not brown, or the sauce tastes bitter. Stir in tomato paste and cook, mashing it against the pot, until it darkens one shade, 2–3 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and liquid. Pour in crushed tomatoes, water or broth, salt, and pepper flakes if using. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Cook pasta in the sauce. Stir in dry pasta. Keep at a lively simmer, stirring every 2–3 minutes so noodles do not stick. Partially cover if it splatters. Cook until pasta is just shy of al dente and most liquid is absorbed, 14–16 minutes. If the pot looks dry before pasta is tender, add water ¼ cup at a time.
- Finish off heat. Remove pot from burner. Wait 30 seconds for the boil to settle. Stir in cream, butter, and Parmesan until glossy. The residual heat finishes the pasta without curdling dairy. Fold in basil and pepper.
- Adjust and serve. Sauce should coat a spoon. If thin, simmer uncovered 2 minutes on low; if thick, splash in water. Taste for salt — canned tomatoes vary. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan.
The cream-breaking problem
Acid + boiling cream = grainy sauce. Two fixes built into this recipe: finish off heat, and use heavy cream (36% fat), not half-and-half. Half-and-half will separate every time here. Milk is out of the question.
If you need a dairy-free route, skip cream and butter; finish with 2 tbsp olive oil and ¼ cup pasta cooking water. It will not be creamy, but it stays emulsified.
Tomato paste is not optional
Skipping the paste toast step gives you thin, cafeteria-style red sauce. You are not browning it to death — just until it smells sweet and looks brick-red instead of fire-engine red.
Add-ins that work on the same timeline
- Spinach: Stir in 4 cups packed leaves after you pull the pot off heat; residual heat wilts it in 1 minute.
- Italian sausage: Brown 8 oz crumbled sausage in the pot before the garlic step; drain excess fat if more than 1 tbsp pools.
- Frozen peas: Add 1 cup during the last 2 minutes of pasta cooking.
What not to do
Do not rinse the pasta — you need surface starch. Do not substitute long spaghetti; it tangles and breaks when stirred this aggressively. Do not cover the pot tightly during the simmer; steam traps water and you lose control of thickness.
Leftovers and reheating
Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low with a splash of water, stirring constantly. Microwave works for lunch but the sauce breaks slightly; add a knob of butter after heating and stir hard.
This pairs well with a simple side salad on nights you batch freezer chili for later and want something vegetarian in between.
Pantry tie-in
Tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, short pasta, and Parmesan are core items on our pantry staples for 30-minute meals list — this dish is why crushed tomatoes beat diced here (diced stays chunky and watery in one-pot timing).
Wine and stock variations
Swapping water for low-sodium chicken broth adds depth without salt overload — taste before adding extra salt at the end. Vegetable broth keeps it vegetarian; mushroom broth is our favorite upgrade.
A splash of white wine (½ cup) after toasting paste works if you reduce it 2 minutes before adding tomatoes. Skip if you are cooking while tired; uncooked wine tastes sharp.
Starch and serving size math
12 oz dry pasta feeds 4 modest portions or 3 hungry ones. For two people, halve ingredients and use the same pot — timing drops only 1–2 minutes.
Burn prevention on electric stoves
Electric coils hold heat after you lower the knob. If the bottom spatters red dots during simmer, pull pot half off the burner for 30 seconds, then adjust to true medium-low. Glass tops need longer cooldown — plan one stir every 90 seconds instead of every 3 minutes.
Nutrition reality check
This is a cream-and-Parmesan finish — rich by design. A simple green salad with lemon vinaigrette balances the plate without another pot. Leftovers pack well for desk lunch; reheat gently and pack storage-safe containers shallow so they cool fast if you eat dinner late.