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)
- 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
- 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.
- 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)
- Cook ½ lb pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before straining.
- Add 3 tbsp of butter and a dash of olive oil to a pan on medium heat.
- Add 3 cloves of minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add 3 tbsp of tomato paste & mix. Cook until it turns a dark red then add 1 cup of tomato sauce.
- Once simmering, add ¾ cup of heavy cream. Mix and bring back to a simmer.
- Season with salt and whatever else you’d prefer.
- 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).
- Mix the sauce, then add your cooked pasta and a dash of pasta water.
- Let it all cook together, then top with more parmesan and fresh basil. Enjoy!
This article also appears in our June 2024 edition.