This rich, creamy sauce is the perfect mix of cheesy and delicious, so sumptuous that even my severely underweight sibling took thirds. As someone who is not a proficient cook, this was an easy and rewarding dish to make that left my family in awe (my previous attempt at dinner resulted in a kitchen fire, so the bar was low, but still). This dish is a perfect twist on my favorite classic pink sauce pasta, and when paired with Trader Joe’s Fusilli Corti Bucati, the result is divine.

INGREDIENTS (TOMATO SAUCE)

5 pounds tomatoes

¾ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 garlic clove, halved

1 basil sprig

1 bay leaf

INSTRUCTIONS (TOMATO SAUCE)

1. Cut tomatoes in half horizontally and press the cut side of the tomato against a box grater and grate tomato flesh into a bowl until you have 4 cups of tomato juice
2. Put tomato pulp in a low wide saucepan over high heat. Add salt, olive oil, tomato paste, garlic, basil, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer.
3. Wait 10-15 minutes until the sauce is medium-thick.

INGREDIENTS (CHEESY PINK SAUCE)

½ pounds pasta

3 tablespoons butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup tomato sauce (recipe above)

¾ cup heavy cream

Salt to taste

½ cup cheddar

½ cup mozzarella

½ cup parmesan

Basil to taste

INSTRUCTIONS (CHEESY PINK SAUCE)

1. Cook ½ lb pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before straining.
2. Add 3 tbsp of butter and a dash of olive oil to a pan on medium heat.
3. Add 3 cloves of minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
4. Add 3 tbsp of tomato paste & mix. Cook until it turns a dark red then add 1 cup of tomato sauce.
5. Once simmering, add ¾ cup of heavy cream. Mix and bring back to a simmer.
6. Season with salt and whatever else you’d prefer.
7. Add ½ cup cheddar, ½ cup mozzarella, and ½ cup parmesan with a handful of fresh basil (I just used a whole bunch of cheddar).
8. Mix the sauce, then add your cooked pasta and a dash of pasta water.
9. Let it all cook together, then top with more parmesan and fresh basil. Enjoy!