I love creamy, cheesy pasta sauces. But I don’t always love the ones out of a jar. Or even the fresh ones out of a tub from the chiller section.
They just taste too….synthetic.
I’m a big pasta head. I could eat pasta at least three times a week every week and never complain. I particularly love the fresh stuffed pasta shells, but I wanted a great, healthy version of the jarred sauce to use with them.
That’s where this tomato mascarpone pasta sauce comes in.
It’s very simple and easy to make, but it has a much greater depth of flavour than the stuff from the supermarket (a bit like my pesto recipe).
You’ll need to start by sauteing the onions, tomatoes and basil and then letting them simmer for a while, until they thicken.
Then you need to add the cheeses, at which point the sauce will lighten in colour.
The great thing about this sauce is that you can either blend it in the food processor, for a smoother sauce, or keep it chunky (great for spaghetti and plain pasta).
Tomato Mascarpone Pasta Sauce
Course: recipe, sides and saucesCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy2
servings5
minutes35
minutesA delicious and versatile pasta sauce that can be served smooth or chunky. Can easily be doubled.
Ingredients
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1 x 400g (14oz) can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
4 to 6 fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup parmesan, grated
Directions
- Pour a good glug of olive oil into a large saucepan on a medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and cook for just one more minute.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, basil and oregano to the pan and simmer on a lower heat for around 30 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened nicely.
- Add both cheeses and stir well until melted. Season to taste.
- If a smooth sauce is required, now pour the sauce into a food processor or blender and pulse until the desired consistency is achieved.
Notes
- Can be frozen in plastic freezer bags for up to one month. Allow to cool completely before freezing.
This dish was unbelievably delicious and impressed the dinner party friends 😉 They all even asked for your recipe! Thanks for sharing, I truly appreciate the simplicity yet richness of the dish. Merci!
ps. LOVE the name of your website, I was very much hungry and confused when I found your website and this pasta dish saved me!
Haha thanks Rehana! I’m glad you liked it (the name *and* the recipe)
I have been using your recipe for months now. My kids absolutely love it and I love that its a quick homemade tea when I’m working an evening shift. I also don’t like jar sauces as they taste disgusting. Super recipe and have just saved the tiramisu truffle recipe to try 🙂
Thanks so much Danielle, that’s really nice to know 🙂 Hope you enjoy the truffles!
I made this and it was an absolute delight. My girls loved it!!!! I’ve always tried making sauces myself but have never been successful, but this was a winner. Thank you
That is so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
How many calories are in one portion?
Hi Rachael – I plugged it into a recipe calorie counter using the brands of ingredients I used and it came to 199 calories per portion. Obviously it may vary slightly depending on the brands of cheese or tomatoes, etc. that you use. Hope that helps!
What volume is the can of chopped tomatoes? Are they diced?
Hi Lauren, yes they are diced (in the UK we call diced tomatoes ‘chopped tomatoes’). It is a regular 400g / 14oz can, I will update the recipe to clarify that. Thanks!
This site and recipe was a find, for sure. My daughter Eve made the sauce,and it was lovely.
That makes me so happy, thank you!
First time ever commenting on a recipe page but omgggg the most amazing tomato and mascarpone sauce in the world. Just made a triple batch tonight to freeze. Especially beautiful with spinach and Ricotta tortellini
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for trying the recipe.
Thanks for creating it! I lived supermarket versions of this sauce in my teens, which are all now very watery. You must be filled with joy knowing your recipe is still making its way into people’s favourites 11 years after creation! X