This easy tomato cream sauce recipe is the perfect low-maintenance dinner for a busy night. It’s creamy, cheesy, and flavorful and done in under 30 minutes!

A bowl of pasta with creamy tomato sauce and fresh herbs

Can’t Decide Between Tomato Sauce or Cream Sauce? This Creamy Tomato Sauce Is Kind of The Best Between Both Worlds!

When part of you wants marinara sauce and part of you is craving something creamy and cheesy, this simple sauce is the perfect middle ground.

It’s FAST + EASY. This pasta sauce recipe is relies on simple ingredients + simple techniques. If you can mince, measure & whisk, you can make this easy pasta sauce! It’s done in 30 minutes or less (and most of that is waiting for the water boil!), so it’s perfect for busy weeknights.
It’s DELICIOUS. Plenty of garlic, herbs, and Parmesan pair perfectly with tangy tomato flavor and a little richness from the cream.
It’s BUDGET-FRIENDLY. Simple pantry staples keep this creamy pasta dinner inexpensive and easy on your budget!

Happy cooking! xo, Emily

Gather Your Ingredients

One thing that makes this creamy tomato pasta recipe so great is the simple ingredients list. Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

Butter. We’re starting with butter, though olive oil also works here. It’s a great way to cook the garlic and add delicious flavor while we’re at it. I use salted butter, but unsalted butter is great, too.
A Little Garlic + Some Simple Seasonings. Fresh garlic cloves paired with kosher salt, black pepper, and Italian Seasoning add depth and flavor to this creamy tomato sauce. (Don’t keep Italian Seasoning on hand? Make our Homemade Italian Seasoning with the herbs & spices in your pantry!)
Tomato Paste & Tomato Sauce. This duo adds rich notes of tomato and helps thicken the sauce so you get a velvety texture even before adding in the cream.
Heavy Cream & Parmesan Cheese. Then, at the end of cooking, we’ll stir in the heavy whipping cream and freshly grated parmesan cheese for richness and umami. These flavors are unbeatable!
Gluten-Free Pasta. This tomato cream sauce recipe is naturally gluten-free, so all we need to keep this dish celiac-safe is some gluten-free pasta to serve it with. My favorite pasta for this dish is Jovial brown rice spirals (rotini) or another small pasta shape, like farfalle (bowties).

How To Make Tomato Cream Sauce, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.

START THE PASTA. Add 2 quarts water to a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
START THE SAUCE. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and cook 2-3 minutes or until fragrant and slightly softened.
SIMMER & FINISH THE SAUCE. Stir in tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer 3-4 minutes to thicken, then remove from heat. Stir in cream and parmesan cheese. Stir in the cooked pasta and stir to coat.
SERVE & STORE. Enjoy warm with extra parmesan or herbs, to taste. Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days.

FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Creamy Tomato Sauce

START PASTA FIRST. Start by bringing the water to a boil for the pasta, since this will take the longest. You can prep the tomato cream sauce while you wait for the pasta water to boil!

ROUND OUT THE MEAL WITH SOME PROTEIN! Feel free to add some chicken sausage to this, if you like. An easy way (and my favorite way!) to add protein is to serve it with a side of chicken. We rub 1 pound of chicken tenders with 1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp. paprika, and 1/2 tsp. salt, then air fry at 375 for 15ish minutes or until the tenders are done. (You get another 22 grams of protein!)

ADD SOMETHING GREEN. To round out the meal even more, try serving a side salad or a green veggie like zucchini, seasoned green beans, or parmesan broccoli!

THIN OUT THE SAUCE. This creamy tomato sauce is meant to be thick, but if you want a thinner sauce, you can add a ladleful of the pasta water before draining the pasta! (Or, use 12 oz of pasta instead of 8 oz.)

EXTRAS TO TRY. Feel free to dress this up with some fresh herbs (like fresh basil!), a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for warmth, or a garnish of black pepper or a little bit of extra parmesan cheese.

More Gluten-Free Pasta Recipes To Try

Gluten-Free Spaghettios

a spatula stirring a pan of Cajun Chicken Orzo

Gluten-Free Cajun Chicken Orzo

Gluten-Free Hamburger Helper

Cheesy Gluten-Free Baked Ziti

Did You Make This Recipe?

Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Gluten-Free Tomato Cream Sauce recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!

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Gluten-Free Pasta With Tomato Cream Sauce

Made with budget-friendly pantry staples that MAJORLY deliver on flavor, our creamy tomato sauce recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight. It's done in under 30 minutes, kid-friendly & naturally gluten-free!

Print Pin Rate

Servings: Servings

Calories: 378kcal

Ingredients

8 oz Gluten-Free Rotini or Spiral Pasta (I like Jovial brand)
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
½ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Pepper
½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 15 oz can Tomato Sauce
½ cup Heavy Cream
½ cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Optional: dried or fresh Parsley for garnish

Instructions

START THE PASTA. Add 2 quarts water to a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
START THE SAUCE. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and cook 2-3 minutes or until fragrant and slightly softened.
SIMMER & FINISH THE SAUCE. Stir in tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer 3-4 minutes to thicken, then remove from heat. Stir in cream and parmesan cheese. Stir in the cooked pasta and stir to coat.
SERVE & STORE. Enjoy warm with extra parmesan or herbs, to taste. Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days.