Marry Me Pasta Recipe (Easy Tomato Pasta)

This Marry Me Pasta is going to be your new dinner best friend. Curly fettuccini in a creamy parmesan tomato sauce, topped with fresh basil.

Marry Me Pasta is a pasta version of one of the most popular recipes on my Tiktok, Tuscan Chicken (you can see the video here). Pasta in a creamy sauce with butter, cheese, fresh tomatoes and basil, it is just so good. It's one of those delicious recipes that is perfect for busy weeknight family dinners, because it takes just 15-20 minutes of cooking time to get it on the dinner table, and everyone will love it.

Ingredients you'll need to make Marry Me Pasta

• 350g curly fettuccine
• ½ red onion (diced)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced) or 2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or chilli flakes (optional)
• 400g mixed baby tomatoes (heirloom), or if you can't find these, you can use sundried tomatoes instead.
• 1 cup vegetable stock or chicken stock (chicken broth)
• 1 bunch fresh basil
• 30g butter (I prefer salted, but you can use unsalted butter)
• ½ cup thickened pouring cream (heavy cream or single cream)
• 60 g fresh parmesan cheese (grated)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper

See full details and metric conversions on the recipe card.

Substitutions and Add-ins for Marry Me Pasta

• You can use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic.
• Fresh herbs are the winner here, but if you can't access them you can use dried Italian herbs instead.
• I use fresh cherry tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes as I prefer the flavour, but if you can't find these you can use sun-dried tomatoes instead, just use half the quantity.
• Chicken - this is a vegetarian recipe, but you can add diced skinless chicken breasts at step 3 to make it Marry Me Chicken Pasta.
• Pasta - I used curly fettuccine because I like how it captures the sauce, but you can also use a short pasta like penne pasta.
• Shallots - instead of red onions you can use shallot for a milder flavour.
• Dairy-free - instead of butter and cream, you can use a dairy-free cream cheese, and a dairy-free shredded parmesan cheese.

How to make Marry Me Pasta

1. Boil a kettle of water. While it's boiling, dice the red onion, mince the garlic, and grate the parmesan cheese.
2. Add boiling water to a pot with salt and add the pasta.
3. Place a deep frying pan or large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, diced onion, minced garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, paprika, and chilli flakes (if using). Stir for 2-3 minutes until the tomato paste turns deep red, making sure to stir so nothing burns on the bottom of the pan.
4. Add vegetable stock, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with your wooden spoon, and let it simmer on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes. While it simmers, pick basil leaves and squash the baby tomatoes once they're soft.
5. When the pasta is almost ready according to package directions, add the butter and heavy cream to the pan. Stir for 1-2 minutes or until butter has melted, then transfer the al dente pasta to the tomato cream sauce using tongs. Stir again, and top it with grated fresh parmesan, basil leaves, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Serve it warm for the best flavor and texture. Enjoy!

Kid-Friendly Variations

This recipe is made for kids, and will become a family favorite.

• You can skip the basil if you want to simplify things for them, and don't use the red pepper flakes when making for kids.

How to Store Marry Me Pasta

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. For best results, don't freeze cooked pasta, but you can freeze the sauce.

Equipment

You will need a kettle, a pot, a stovetop, a deep frying pan or large skillet.

More Easy and Cheesy Pasta Recipes

If you like cheesy pasta dinners, you should also try my Pasta alla Papalina Recipe (Creamy Pasta with Ham and Peas), my Four Cheese Corn Pasta which is like a supercharged mac and cheese, or my Tomato Pasta with Cheese Dumplings.

Recipe