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a bowl of tagliatelle with sauce and a basil plant in a white flower pot.
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Mascarpone Pasta (Tomato and Mascarpone Sauce)

Creamy mascarpone pasta with tomatoes, ready in about 20 minutes.
Course Pasta Recipes
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 559kcal
Author Adina

Ingredients

  • 1 lb pasta any shape
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 shallot or ½ small onion
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1.3 lb tomatoes fresh or canned
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 4 sprigs basil leaves divided (Note 1)
  • 4 tablespoons mascarpone Note 2
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt more to taste
  • teaspoon ground black pepper more to taste

Instructions

  • Pasta: Bring the pasta water to a boil. Add salt and pasta. Cook al dente (according to packet instructions). Drain when cooked.
  • In the meanwhile, make the sauce.
  • Chop the shallot and the garlic finely. If using fresh tomatoes, chop them (you can peel them first if desired – Note 3). Set aside separately.
  • Heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the chopped onions and garlic until they are softer about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, sugar, a little salt, and pepper. Stir well. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
  • Add mascarpone and balsamic vinegar, stir well and simmer for another 2 minutes. Adjust the taste with more balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Remove the basil leaves, add the remaining fresh chopped ones.
  • Mix the mascarpone sauce with the cooked pasta.

Notes

  1. Sub with about 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs or a mixture of dried oregano, thyme, and rosemary.
  2. Sub with the same amount of full-fat cream cheese.
  3. Blanch the tomatoes in the boiling pasta water before adding the salt and before cooking the pasta. After removing the blanched tomatoes with a slotted spoon, you can use the water for cooking the pasta. First, wash the tomatoes and slice a shallow X into their bottoms. Then, carefully place the tomatoes into the boiling water, about 3 or 4 at a time. Boil them for about 25 seconds, no longer, or they will begin to soften. Remove with a slotted spoon and rinse under cold water (or you can place them in a bowl of ice water). Next, remove the peel with a small knife starting at the X and pulling the skin back. You can now start cooking the pasta in the same water.

Nutrition

Calories: 559kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 351mg | Potassium: 671mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1525IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 2mg