One-Pot Creamy Tomato Pasta

One-pot creamy tomato pasta features small shells simmered in garlicky chicken broth with tomato paste, finished with cream and parmesan. Everything comes together in a single pot, making this recipe perfect for an easy, low-cleanup weeknight dinner.

Info and tips for one-pot creamy tomato pasta

When making one-pot pasta dishes, it’s important to stir frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking and to help the sauce thicken evenly. While you can use any pasta shape, small pasta works best for this recipe. Use your judgment and add extra chicken broth as needed until the pasta reaches al dente.

If you want to add any extra protein, cooked chicken, shrimp, or Italian sausage are all great options that can be stirred in toward the end!

Equipment

This is the Our Place Pan I used for this recipe. I’ve had it for a couple years and it has become one of my most used pans for day to day cooking!

Ingredients for one-pot creamy tomato pasta

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes 
• 1 ½ cups small shells
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ⅓ cup parmesan
• ¼ cup minced parsley
• salt & pepper to taste
• ½ tsp italian seasoning

Instructions

1. Begin by getting your prep out of the way: mince your garlic, shred the parmesan, and mince the parsley.
2. Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. Saute for a couple minutes until fragrant, then add in the pasta shells. Cook another 1-2 minutes to toast the pasta shells.
3. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the pasta is al dente, stirring every couple minutes to prevent sticking.
4. Once the pasta is tender stir in the tomato paste, heavy cream, parmesan, and parsley until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Season with salt & pepper and italian seasoning to taste.
5. Serve with more parmesan and parsley on top and enjoy!

See below for a video tutorial!

If you liked this one be sure to check out these:

• One-Pot Creamy Garlic Pasta
• Spicy Vodka Sauce Gnocchi
• Creamy Garlic Pesto Gnocchi

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One-Pot Creamy Tomato Pasta

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Pastas

By Kenna's Cooks – Serves: 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes – Cooking Time: 15 minutes – Total Time: 20 minutes

One-pot creamy tomato pasta features small shells simmered in garlicky chicken broth with tomato paste, finished with cream and parmesan.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes 
• 1 ½ cups small shells
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ⅓ cup parmesan
• ¼ cup minced parsley
• salt & pepper to taste
• ½ tsp italian seasoning

Instructions

1

Begin by getting your prep out of the way: mince your garlic, shred the parmesan, and mince the parsley.

2

Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. Saute for a couple minutes until fragrant, then add in the pasta shells. Cook another 1-2 minutes to toast the pasta shells.

3

Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the pasta is al dente, stirring every couple minutes to prevent sticking.

4

Once the pasta is tender stir in the tomato paste, heavy cream, parmesan, and parsley until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Season with salt & pepper and italian seasoning to taste.

5

Serve with more parmesan and parsley on top and enjoy!