Can I use canned tomatoes instead of fresh ones?

You can swap out the fresh tomatoes for canned whole or diced tomatoes. You may need to remove some of the excess liquid. A 14.5-ounce can of tomatoes replaces 1 pound of fresh tomatoes.

Can I use cream cheese instead of Neufchatel cheese?

Yes, replacing this lower-fat type of cream cheese with regular is easy. Use the block cream cheese, not the whipped kind in a tub.

Is this creamy red sauce pasta spicy?

The red pepper flakes, especially when added at the beginning to cook into the sauce, will give this pasta sauce recipe a bit of a bite. If you’re not interested in any spiciness, you can leave the flakes out, and if someone wants to, they can add it to their individual serving.

30-Minute Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

Description

Made with fresh tomatoes, milk, and neufchatel cheese. This fresh tomato cream sauce is tossed with hot penne for an easy, light, and meatless meal.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. fresh firm tomatoes, such as beefsteak or plum, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dried basil or 2 tsp. fresh basil
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
2 oz. Neufchatel cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese), cubed
3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2 cups fresh baby spinach, lightly packed
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
8 oz. dry penne pasta
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper

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Instructions

In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, and basil. Cook for about 3 minutes until the tomatoes have softened and some of the liquid has reduced.
Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute longer, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium and gradually whisk in the milk. Let simmer 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Stir in cream cheese and Parmesan and cook until melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Add spinach and stir until wilted, and then, add the parsley.
Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain reserving some of the pasta water. Add pasta to the sauce. Thin out with pasta water as needed. Serve immediately.

Notes

Tomatoes: This sauce is great to make with fresh tomatoes that are on the firm side, whether from the supermarket or your own garden. Beefsteak, plum, or even tomatoes on the vine work great.
Milk: Whole milk or 2% milk works the best. I wouldn’t use anything lower in fat than that.
Cream Cheese: Neufchatel cheese is basically lower fat cream cheese. Regular cream cheese can be substituted. Just make sure it’s the brick kind and not the spreadable one.
Spinach: I’ve never made this dish with frozen spinach but I would imagine it will work. Just make sure to thaw out the spinach completely and squeeze out as much moisture as you can before adding to the sauce.
Parsley: If parsley is not your thing, add fresh basil instead.
Pasta: Any type of pasta works here. Just remember to reserve some of that pasta water to thin out the sauce.
Leftovers: Leftovers will keep refrigerated up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat over medium-low heat with a splash of some type of liquid, such as milk, cream, chicken broth, or even white wine.

Nutrition

Serving Size:
Calories: 397
Sugar: 8.6 g
Sodium: 163.4 mg
Fat: 13.4 g
Carbohydrates: 56 g
Protein: 14 g
Cholesterol: 16.5 mg