Here’s a new one for your quick and delicious pasta collection. Expect the sweetness of cherry tomatoes combined with the creaminess of mascarpone cheese in every bite of this 15-Minute Tomato and Mascarpone Pasta. You’ll undoubtedly be asking for seconds!
Mascarpone cheese is not just for desserts; it’s also excellent for savory dishes. If you have not tried it yet, this is a great recipe to start with.
Add it to some fresh, juicy cherry tomatoes, and you have a mascarpone pasta sauce that’s great for all kinds of pasta — and you don’t need an hour of preparation for it!
IF YOU WANT MORE QUICK-TO-PREPARE PASTA DISHES, THEN YOU WILL LIKE THESE POSTS!
Ingredients
- Cherry tomatoes – you can use different kinds of cherry tomatoes.
- Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil, if possible.
- Parmigiano Reggiano – grated cheese for serving.
- Garlic – minced
- Mascarpone cheese – you can use your favorite brand, but drain them first before adding to the sauce if you see some water on the sides.
- Dried tomatoes – chopped them slightly thin, so they disappear with the rest of the skin from the fresh tomatoes.
- Pasta – I generally use spaghetti for this tomato mascarpone sauce, but feel free to use any type of pasta you prefer.
- Salt, pepper & chili flakes – use whatever brand you have on hand.
Preparation
Start by cooking the pasta as per package instruction.
Simultaneously, heat the olive oil in a medium or large pan over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is ready, add garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant (photo 1).
Add chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, and chili flakes (photo 2).
Mix, then cover with a lid.
When the tomatoes start to break down, adjust the heat to medium and add the dried tomatoes.
Mix and place the lid back on — continue cooking until the fresh tomatoes have almost completely disintegrated.
Add the mascarpone cheese (photo 3).
Mix to evenly combine, cover, adjust the heat back to medium-high and bring the mascarpone pasta sauce to a quick boil.
Turn the heat back to medium, taste and adjust the seasoning, then add the cooked pasta (photo 4).
Mix to ensure that it’s properly coated with the sauce, then take the pan off the heat.
Transfer your mascarpone pasta to a plate, then sprinkle some grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Serve, with chopped fresh parsley leaves, if desired.
Helpful tips
- Depending on the cooking time of your pasta, you can start with the sauce at the same time as you place a pot of water for boiling.
For reference, the pasta that I used in this recipe takes 9 minutes to cook, so it does not take more than 15 minutes to cook everything.
- The chili flakes do not make the mascarpone pasta sauce spicy. It’s just added for balancing its creaminess.
Recipe variation
- Herbs. Feel free to add dried or fresh herbs in the sauce — a mix of basil, parsley, and oregano is a good addition.
- Pasta shape. You can use whatever type of pasta you want, but the tomato mascarpone sauce goes excellently with long pasta shapes.
Are you finally convinced to give it a try? Let me know how it goes in the comment section below! 🙂
Happy cooking!
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR MORE TOMATO RECIPES, THEN YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT THESE POSTS!
15-Minute Tomato and Mascarpone Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 & 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 20 pcs cherry tomatoes, chopped (about 2 & 1/2 cups)
- 2 to 3 tbsp dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
- 5 oz pasta
- pinch chili flakes
- salt & pepper, to season
- Parmigiano Reggiano, for serving
- fresh parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the pasta as per package instruction.
- At the same time, heat the olive oil in a medium or large pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is ready, add minced garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant.
- Add chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, and chili flakes.
- Mix, then cover with a lid.
- When the tomatoes start to break down, adjust the heat to medium and add the chopped dried tomatoes.
- Mix and place the lid back on; continue cooking until the fresh tomatoes have almost completely disintegrated.
- Add the mascarpone cheese.
- Combine evenly, adjust the heat back to medium-high and bring the mascarpone pasta sauce to a quick boil.
- Turn the heat back to medium, taste and adjust the seasoning, then add the cooked pasta.
- Mix to ensure that it's properly coated with the sauce, then take the pan off the heat.
- Transfer pasta to a plate, then sprinkle some grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Serve, with chopped fresh parsley leaves, if preferred.
Notes
- Cook’s Tip #1: Depending on the cooking time of your pasta, you can start with the sauce at the same time as you place a pot of water for boiling. For reference, the pasta that I used in this recipe takes 9 minutes to cook, so it does not take more than 15 minutes to cook everything.
- Cook’s Tip #2: The chili flakes do not make the mascarpone pasta sauce spicy. It’s just added for balancing its creaminess.
- Variation #1: Herbs. Feel free to use dried or fresh herbs in the sauce — a mix of basil, parsley, and oregano is a good addition.
- Variation #2: Pasta shape. You can use whatever type of pasta you want, but the tomato mascarpone sauce goes excellently with long pasta shapes.
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