This tomato butter pasta is such a simple recipe, but it always hits the spot!
This is one of those no-fuss pasta recipes that are just too good not to try. It’s no fuss or frills, but there’s something about it that’s so delicious. Follow me…
Grated Tomato Pasta Sauce
One of the key steps in this recipe is grating the tomatoes to form the sauce.
Why grate the tomatoes?
To be honest the grating of tomatoes is mostly about the ability to form a sauce using fresh tomatoes. Grating the tomatoes leaves you with the perfect texture for a sauce, and, you get the bonus of not needing to peel the tomatoes – the grater does it for you! Just discard the skin you get to it.
What kind of tomatoes to use?
The tomatoes make up a big bulk of the sauce, so try and get some nice ripe good quality tomatoes. Here I’ve used plum tomatoes which work perfectly, so do grab them if you can.
Process shots: weigh tomatoes (photo 1), begin grating on box grater (photo 2), carefully grate up until the point only the skin is left (photo 3), discard skin (photo 4).
Tomato Butter Pasta Sauce
Creating an emulsion
The tomatoes are obviously going to be fairly watery, and to form the sauce we need to blend them with the butter. You will form an emulsion by just simmering and stirring the two of them, but to help along you’ll want to toss in some starchy pasta water. The starch molecules will help create a glossy, ever-so-slightly creamy sauce. Just pour this in as needed after adding the pasta.
Extra goodies
Alongside the butter and tomatoes, I love frying off some garlic and chilli flakes, just for a gorgeous base flavour. I also love tossing in some fresh basil and parmesan alongside the pasta, just to really lift the whole dish.
Process shots: melt butter (photo 1), fry garlic and chilli flakes (photo 2), add tomatoes and seasoning (photo 3), toss in cooked pasta (photo 4), toss in basil (photo 5), toss in parmesan (photo 6).
Serving Tomato Butter Pasta
Once I’ve tossed in the parmesan, I love stirring in one final knob of butter, just to give the pasta a gorgeously glossy, buttery texture to finish. From there, just serve up with any leftover basil/parmesan and tuck in! I usually whip this up for a no-fuss and relatively quickly Lunch.
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this tomato butter pasta shall we?!
How to make Tomato Butter Pasta (Full Recipe & Video)
Tomato Butter Pasta
Equipment:
- Large Pan & Wooden Spoon
- Large Pot & Tongs
- Box Grater & Bowl
- Fine Cheese Grater
Ingredients (check list):
- 9oz / 250g Spaghetti, or other long cut pasta
- 1lb / 500g Tomatoes (see notes)
- 4 tbsp / 2oz / 60g Butter
- 1/3 cup / 1oz / 30g freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
- handful of Fresh Basil, finely diced
- pinch of Chilli Flakes, to taste
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- Use a box grater to grate each tomato into a bowl. Discard the skin when you get to it.
- Melt 3.5 tbsp butter in a large pan over medium heat (save the remaining 1/2 tbsp butter for later). Add in garlic & chilli flakes and fry for a couple of minutes. Pour in the tomatoes, generously season with salt & pepper and give it a good stir.
- Keep on a gentle simmer and occasionally stir for 15mins, or until sauce begins to thicken and emulsify with the butter.
- Meanwhile, place the pasta in heavily salted water and cook until al dente.
- Use tongs to transfer the pasta straight into the pan and toss to combine with the sauce. Toss in basil, then toss in parmesan, adding starchy pasta water from the pot to thin out the sauce as needed. If you go overboard with the pasta water, just continue to simmer & toss the pasta in the sauce until it thickens and clings around the pasta.
- Add in the final 1/2 tbsp butter and toss until melted. Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly, then serve up with any extra basil/parmesan and enjoy!
Quick 1 min demo!
Notes:
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition:
For more similar recipes check out these beauties:
Tomato Pasta Recipes
- Pasta Pomodoro
- Creamy Tomato Pasta
- Tomato Mushroom Pasta
- Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
- Tomato Spinach Pasta
If you loved this Tomato Butter Pasta Recipe then be sure to Pin it for later! Already made it or got a question? Give me a shout in the comments and pick up your free ecookbook along the way!
63 Comments
Samantha
October 18, 2023 at 7:07 pmAMAZING. I made extra with chicken added and I still didn’t have leftovers haha. My 3 boys are picky eaters and EVERYONE had 3 plates (Hubby had 4). New favorite and shared with my mom. Thank you. This recipe is simple, easy, fast and just amazing. Will make again.
Chris Collins
October 19, 2023 at 7:43 pmSo great to hear, Samantha! Thanks so much for the review 🙂 C.
Jonathan
October 10, 2023 at 3:10 pmA huge hit at the table, so much so that there almost weren’t enough leftovers to send with our daughter for lunch the next day. And, FYI, this is one of those dishes that is even better the next day, so make sure you make enough for leftovers.
One small point, pretty sure that as written and for normal eaters this is closer to 4 servings than 2 (most pasta is 2 oz. / serving).
Chris Collins
October 10, 2023 at 5:57 pmThanks so much for the review, Jonathan! Glad to hear this went down well 🙂 C.
Neva
September 23, 2023 at 3:32 pmThe best pasta meal I have ever had!! We loved it thank you so much!!
Chris Collins
September 24, 2023 at 7:59 pmGreat to hear, Neva! 🙂 C.
Desiree
September 10, 2023 at 12:42 amMade this last week and my hubby requested it today. It was so amazing, perfection. Thank you for sharing this. How far in advance could I grate the tomatoes?
Chris Collins
September 10, 2023 at 12:05 pmSo great to hear this went down well! I can’t say I’ve grated them ahead of time – my instinct is I probably wouldn’t go more than 24 hours tightly stored in the fridge, just to keep them as fresh as possible. But you can definitely experiment and see how you get on! C.
Amanda
September 8, 2023 at 12:14 amI have been waiting patiently for enough of my romas to ripen at once to try this recipe, so glad I did! This is unbelievably rich and light at the same time. Didn’t have any basil, and one of the family doesn’t eat parm, so we grated it into individual bowls, but this is the best tomato-based pasta I have had in a very long time. Thank you so much for sharing!
Chris Collins
September 10, 2023 at 11:57 amThis is so awesome to read, Amanda! Glad it went down well 🙂 C.
Bernadette
September 4, 2023 at 7:09 amOne of the best pasta dishes I’ve had in a long time and so quick and easy. Definitely a keeper.
Chris Collins
September 5, 2023 at 10:03 amThanks so much for the review! 🙂 C.
Linda B
August 24, 2023 at 12:47 amThis is the best! Simple, delicious ingredients, beautifully prepared. This is everything we love at our house. Thank you!
Chris Collins
August 24, 2023 at 10:00 amThanks so much for the review, Linda! 🙂 C.
Storm Arashi
August 23, 2023 at 5:29 amThis is going to become my go to recipe for a nice easy homemade dinner. My neighbor gives us tomatoes all throughout the summer and fall and I’m always trying to find a good recipe to use them all up. THIS IS IT. We had three really big juicy tomatoes and once they were grated, they were perfect for it. The sauce came together perfectly. I also had some diced onion in my fridge so I sweated that down and then cooked the garlic and chili flakes together. I added the onions back in when the tomatoes went in. I didn’t have basil but honestly, didn’t need it. This recipe is phenomenal and honestly, you can use this sauce in a lot of dishes I imagine. My mom requested I make this sauce to go with my lasagna recipe. Thank you so much!! This is going to become a weeknight go to!
Chris Collins
August 23, 2023 at 10:12 amThis is so lovely to read! So happy the recipe went down well. Thanks so much for popping back for a review 🙂 C.
Denis P Holmes
August 3, 2023 at 1:13 amOur new “go to”pasta, my wife’s favorite, is mine also. Sooooo easy to make, and so delicious. A winner in our house…
Chris Collins
August 3, 2023 at 10:34 amSo lovely to hear, Denis! Thanks so much for the review 🙂 C.
Mary
July 28, 2023 at 2:29 amHubby loved this! I didn’t grate tomatoes but used tomato sauce. It’s what I had. I will make this again.
Chris Collins
July 28, 2023 at 10:42 amThanks so much for the review, Mary! 🙂 C.
Riss
July 21, 2023 at 5:40 pmHow can I make this for a party of 6? It looks so good
Chris Collins
July 22, 2023 at 11:26 amAt the top of the recipe card you’ll find the servings toggle. Just slide that to 6 and it’ll automatically change the quantities 🙂 C.
Farrell
July 10, 2023 at 4:56 pmI had a pound of farmers market tomatoes and made this and WOW! It was by far one of the easiest and flavorful sauces I’ve ever made. I like it better than a thick marinara. I added a bit too much salt so will cut that back next time but thank you for this recipe!
Chris Collins
July 12, 2023 at 7:37 amSo great to hear this went down well! C.
Megan
July 2, 2023 at 1:36 pmSimple and delicious, kids loved it.
Chris Collins
July 2, 2023 at 5:48 pmGreat to hear, Megan! 🙂 C.
Kristyn
June 22, 2023 at 12:08 amSo good. Made this tonight for dinner with a side of steamed broccoli. We loved it.
Chris Collins
June 22, 2023 at 10:08 amGreat to hear, Kristyn! Thanks for the review 🙂 C.
Teri Jo
June 13, 2023 at 1:27 amThis was amazing! I’ll admit, I substituted a can of crushed tomatoes for the fresh tomatoes. However, it was still divine! Rave reviews from the fam. Thank you! Next time, I’ll suck it up and use fresh tomatoes.
Chris Collins
June 13, 2023 at 11:39 amAh that’s still great to hear it works well with crushed tomatoes! Thanks for popping back for a review 🙂 C.
Edith
May 13, 2023 at 10:33 pmThis was excellent made as directed, my husband loved it!!! This will definitely be in our meal rotation.
Chris Collins
May 15, 2023 at 10:12 amGreat to hear, Edith! Thanks for the review! C.
Sissy
May 2, 2023 at 6:08 pmFabulous, easy to make and very satisfying.
Chris Collins
May 2, 2023 at 6:35 pmGreat to hear!! 🙂 C.
Tania Youngson
April 15, 2023 at 9:46 pmWould a can of crushed tomatoes be an acceptable substitution? Perhaps draining them?
Chris Collins
April 16, 2023 at 11:06 amYou could give it a go! No need to drain them, the water will reduce over the 15 mins of simmering 🙂 C.
Teri Jo
June 13, 2023 at 1:28 amI used a can of crushed tomatoes tonight and it turned out amazing!
Mary Ward
February 24, 2023 at 11:44 pmI have a Pinterest board for recipes that my husband loves. He asked to have this recipe put on it. He’s a huge pasta fan and is already talking about when to have it next. Thank you.
Chris Collins
February 26, 2023 at 10:49 amThat’s so great to hear, Mary! Thanks so much for popping back for a review 🙂 C.
Ali
February 20, 2023 at 11:14 pmWow, I’m neither a review person nor a recipe follower, but somehow I did all the things you said to do and this is the only thing I ever want to eat ♥️ Plus my picky eater teen chimed in and said that this was perfection, and we all loved the inclusion of red pepper flakes and garlic.
Also I’ve used my box grater for many other veggies, but the tomato idea is genius. Cheers!
Chris Collins
February 21, 2023 at 10:33 amAh that’s so awesome to hear! Glad the recipe went down well with everyone and thank you for the review 🙂 C.
Debi
January 20, 2023 at 2:16 amOmg… the best sauce I’ve ever made… simple and tangy and delicious
Chris Collins
January 20, 2023 at 10:14 amGreat to hear, Debi! Thanks for the review 🙂 C.
Jamie persky
January 2, 2023 at 9:16 pmAmy suggestions for adding a meat to this dish?
Chris Collins
January 4, 2023 at 1:26 amShrimp/prawns would be my first choice. You could also play around with chicken or sausage too. C.
Kira
April 19, 2023 at 10:47 pmWow, so delicious and so easy. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to use canned tomatoes again. My husband and 3 kids aged 10-14 ALL devoured it. I love finding simple, flavour-packed recipes. Great for a busy weeknight, but elegant enough to serve for company. THANK YOU so much for sharing!
Chris Collins
April 21, 2023 at 5:26 pmThanks so much for popping back for a review, Kira! So happy to hear it went down well with you can the family 🙂 C.
Susan
December 11, 2022 at 5:12 pmGreat recipe. I added more garlic.
Chris Collins
December 12, 2022 at 3:19 pmThanks Susan! C.
JRiley
October 21, 2022 at 11:01 pm⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ In July I fractured and dislocated my right elbow and injured the wrist. I am right-handed so I haven’t been able to cook much and have existed pretty much on prefab frozen meals since. Tonight I just had to try this recipe even though I had to sub canned diced tomatoes, jarred garlic, cayenne pepper and dried basil. It turned out delicious. I can only imagine how good it is when the recipe is followed. I will definitely be making it often. Thanks for sharing. P.S. the stars wouldn’t click so I gave you five as best I could.
Chris Collins
October 22, 2022 at 1:29 pmSo happy to hear this went down well and worked out with the subs! Thanks for the review and I hope the injury clears up soon 🙂 C.
Amy McCord
October 21, 2022 at 1:11 amToo simple to be so good! My husband is still raving about it! Nice, clean eating! No more marinara sauce for us. This is the Bomb! Thanks for sharing!
Chris Collins
October 21, 2022 at 10:30 amAmy, so happy to hear this went down well! Thanks so much for the review 🙂 C.
Ingrid
October 19, 2022 at 3:31 amMade this a couple of days ago. Was thrilled at grating the tomatoes to form the sauce – so easy and turned out perfect. Delicious dinner, will make it often.
Chris Collins
October 19, 2022 at 11:31 amThat’s so great to hear, Ingrid! Glad it went down well 🙂 C.
Allison Catarino
September 30, 2022 at 3:23 pmJust made this. It’s so simple, yet so delicious!
Chris Collins
September 30, 2022 at 3:28 pmGreat to hear it went down well, Allison! Thanks for the review 🙂 C.
Kerry
September 5, 2022 at 9:52 pmDo Canned san marzano tomatoes work?
Chris Collins
September 6, 2022 at 9:40 amI’d definitely give it a o with grated fresh tomatoes first, but San Marzano tomatoes wouldn’t be a bad substitue.
Cathy
September 1, 2022 at 11:16 pmThank you for this great recipe! Excellent when homegrown roma tomatoes are at their prime. No changes needed. It is such a rustic, simple recipe. Definitely a keeper. Thanks again.
Chris Collins
September 2, 2022 at 1:38 pmThanks so much for the review, Cathy! Glad the recipe went down well 🙂 C.
Mandy
August 25, 2022 at 10:20 amSo simple and tasty! I managed to find some plum tomatoes which I was chuffed about. Although they were a little pricey. Anyway, great recipe thanks!
Chris Collins
August 25, 2022 at 10:31 amThanks Mandy! 🙂