This super simple Crème Fraîche Tomato Pasta has a smooth creamy tomato sauce. Rich tomato sweetness balanced by the tang of Crème Fraîche.
- Quick and easy. Onion and garlic free. No-chop recipe! The perfect from scratch dish at the end of a long day.
- Simple ingredients. Just pantry essentials. If not already, make crème fraîche a stock item in your fridge. It is one of my essential chilled items, alongside butter.
- Rich creamy tomato sauce. Simmered down tomatoes with oregano and crème fraîche. Mmm....delicious!
This Crème Fraîche Tomato Pasta is a doddle to make and uses my go to alternative to cream, crème fraîche.
Can you put crème fraîche in pasta sauce? Absolutely. If anything, crème fraîche gives a richer, more tangy flavour than cream. Crème fraîche can even be the sauce itself. My Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraîche Pasta has just crème fraîche as the sauce with some lemon juice added for extra flavour.
Canned tomatoes can have a somewhat acidic taste, and crème fraîche, like cream, can help to smooth out and soften the flavours.
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Ingredients
- Dried pasta. I prefer to use fusilli, these little spirals of pasta are perfect for trapping lots of sauce and easy to eat.
- Canned tomatoes. Whole, chopped or crushed canned tomatoes are all good for this recipe.
- Sugar.
- Dried oregano.
- Salt.
- Ground Black Pepper.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Crème Fraîche Tomato Pasta
This great pasta dish is quick to throw together. Here's how to make it.
- Boil the water. Put about 6 to 8 pints (4 to 5 litres) of water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add a generous amount of salt, 1 to 2 tablespoons. This may sound a lot but helps to bring out the flavour of the pasta, rather than making it salty.
- Cook the pasta. Add 16oz (500g) fusilli pasta to boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes less than indicated on its wrapping, then start testing the pasta for an al dente texture. Al dente means that the pasta still has a little bit of texture when you bite into it. At this stage it is better for the pasta to be slightly under cooked rather than overcooked. The pasta will continue to cook when added to the sauce. Whilst the pasta is cooking prepare the sauce.
- Prepare the canned tomatoes. This step may not be necessary if you have chopped or crushed canned tomatoes. I find that a potato masher works very well for crushing tomatoes. I use this method for whole canned tomatoes and also chopped canned tomatoes for a smoother sauce. Put 2x14.5oz (400g) cans of tomatoes (including juice) into a bowl. Crush the canned tomatoes the potato masher. If you do not have a potato masher, a fork is a good alternative.
- Cook the tomatoes. Put the crushed tomatoes into a large wide saucepan or sauté pan and add 2 teaspoons of sugar. Fast boil over a medium to high heat for about 5 minutes.
- Add crème fraîche and seasoning. Add 5 tablespoons of crème fraîche, 2 teaspoons of dried oregano and salt and black pepper to taste. Gently simmer the tomato sauce for about 5 minutes allowing the flavours to develop. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Reserve some pasta water and drain pasta. Once the pasta is cooked, remove about 1 ladleful of pasta water and keep for later use. Drain the pasta.
- Add the pasta to the sauce. Add the drained pasta to the Crème Fraîche Tomato sauce. Stir the pasta in gently. If the pasta is too al dente to your taste add a little of the reserved pasta water stirring it in well, and heat for a couple more minute. You can also add some of the pasta water to loosen up the sauce if it is too thick.
- Serve up the pasta. Ladle into dishes and add your preferred topping, such as finely chopped parsley or grated parmesan. I sometimes top with a knob of soft butter for extra rich yumminess.
FAQ
Can you put crème fraîche in pasta sauce?
Yes. Crème fraîche is an excellent alternative to cream and gives a richer, more tangy flavour.
More Quick & Easy Pasta Dishes
Another super easy tomato sauce pasta dish using canned tomatoes is this Penne Napoli (pasta with tomato and basil sauce) recipe. Crème fraîche is truly brilliant for pasta sauces, and another delicious and quick recipe with crème fraîche is this Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraîche Pasta.
And my favourite for speediness and buttery decadence, Garlic Butter Pasta.
📋 Recipe Card
Crème Fraîche Tomato Pasta
This super simple Crème Fraîche Tomato Pasta has a smooth creamy tomato sauce. Rich tomato sweetness balanced by the tang of Crème Fraîche.
Ingredients
- 16 oz pasta (fusilli)
- 2 14.5oz cans of tomatoes (whole, chopped or crushed)
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt
- ground black pepper
Instructions
- Boil the water. Put about 6 to 8 pints (4 to 5 litres) of water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add a generous amount of salt, 1 to 2 tablespoons. This may sound a lot but helps to bring out the flavour of the pasta, rather than making it salty.
- Cook the pasta. Add 16oz (500g) fusilli pasta to boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes less than indicated on its wrapping, then start testing the pasta for an al dente texture. Al dente means that the pasta still has a little bit of texture when you bite into it. At this stage it is better for the pasta to be slightly under cooked rather than overcooked. The pasta will continue to cook when added to the sauce. Whilst the pasta is cooking prepare the sauce.
- Prepare the canned tomatoes. This step may not be necessary if you have chopped or crushed canned tomatoes. I find that a potato masher works very well for crushing tomatoes. I use this method for whole canned tomatoes and also chopped canned tomatoes for a smoother sauce. Put 2x14.5oz (400g) cans of tomatoes (including juice) into a bowl. Crush the canned tomatoes the potato masher. If you do not have a potato masher, a fork is a good alternative.
- Cook the tomatoes. Put the crushed tomatoes into a large wide saucepan or sauté pan and add 2 teaspoons of sugar. Fast boil over a medium to high heat for about 5 minutes.
- Add crème fraîche and seasoning. Add 5 tablespoons of crème fraîche, 2 teaspoons of dried oregano and salt and black pepper to taste. Gently simmer the tomato sauce for about 5 minutes allowing the flavours to develop. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Reserve some pasta water and drain pasta. Once the pasta is cooked, remove about 1 ladleful of pasta water and keep for later use. Drain the pasta.
- Add the pasta to the sauce. Add the drained pasta to the Crème Fraîche Tomato sauce. Stir the pasta in gently. If the pasta is too al dente to your taste add a little of the reserved pasta water stirring it in well, and heat for a couple more minute. You can also add some of the pasta water to loosen up the sauce if it is too thick.
- Serve up the pasta. Ladle into dishes and add your preferred topping, such as finely chopped parsley or grated parmesan. I sometimes top with a knob of soft butter for extra rich yumminess.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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