Paccheri Pasta in Creamy Tomato Sauce

November 4, 2023

Nov 4, 2023 by Tania Sheff · This post may contain affiliate links

It’s hard not to love this delicious Paccheri Pasta in Creamy Tomato Sauce. With its rich sauce made with garlic, cream, and Parmesan, it’s scrumptious.

I love a good pasta dish, especially on a cold day. This simple yet utterly tasty Paccheri Pasta in Creamy Tomato Sauce is a favorite because the sauce is such a cheesy, rich treat. With hints of garlic and a little bit of heat from the red pepper flakes, these flavors marry well with the salty, nutty Parmesan cheese and heavy cream.

One of the best things about this recipe is that it’s easy to make substitutions to if you’re missing ingredients or want to beef it up a little with added protein. You can tweak it to your preference easily and serve it as a side to a main dish or make it the star of dinner with soup and salad on the side. There are so many ways to enjoy this dish. Now let’s look at the ingredients you’ll be using to make this Paccheri Pasta with Tomato Sauce.

Video Tutorial

Main ingredients

Pasta.
Tomatoes.
Olive oil.
Garlic.
Red pepper flakes.
Heavy cream.
Parmesan cheese.
Salt & Pepper.

How to make Paccheri Pasta with Tomato Sauce

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and generously season it with salt. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. (Paccheri usually cooks in 12 minutes).

2. While the pasta is cooking, pour olive oil into a large skillet. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook over medium heat for 1 minute.

3. Now add the tomatoes and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Transfer the cooked tomatoes to a mixing bowl and add the cream and Parmesan cheese. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Alternatively, you can use a blender.

5. Pour the sauce back into the skillet and bring to a gentle simmer.

6. Drain the pasta and mix it with the sauce. Garnish with Parmesan and enjoy!

Tips for the best Paccheri Pasta with Tomato Sauce

Salt the pasta water. Salting the water that the pasta is boiled in infuses the noodles with the salty flavor, which works much better than salting later on in the cooking process.
Cook the pasta al dente. Avoid mushy noodles that might overcook when tossed with the hot sauce by cooking them al dente with a little chew.
Be careful blending hot liquids. Because hot liquids being blended can create pressure and cause them to spurt out, place a kitchen towel on your blender if this is how you’re pureeing your sauce.
Don’t rinse the pasta. The starch on the pasta makes it easier for the sauce to adhere to it, so don’t rinse it off after it’s cooked.

Variations to this Recipe

Substitute a different type of pasta. Besides paccheri pasta, you could also use rigatoni, fusilli, ditalini, or any other type you like.
Make it lighter. Substitute Half & Half or fat-free Half & Half to make this dish a little lighter.
Add extra heat. Give it more of a kick by adding some extra red pepper flakes. Conversely, if you don’t want any heat at all, skip this spice altogether.
Add protein. Meatballs, sausage, chicken breast, shrimp, or salmon can all be added to this paccheri pasta to make it a more satisfying meal.

How to Store and Reheat it

Store this Paccheri Pasta with Tomato Sauce once it has cooled in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat it on the stovetop, adding a little cream if needed, or in the microwave until warmed through.

What to Serve this with

Bread. Serve this Paccheri Pasta with Tomato Sauce with some bread to sop up the delicious sauce. Try this Air Fryer Garlic Bread or Potato Flatbread.
Proteins. Make this a side dish to be served with Air Fryer Pork Chops, Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast, Salmon in Creamy Sauce, Quick Maple Sriracha Tofu, or Crunchy Baked Shrimp.
Salad. Start the meal with a green salad, like this Wedge Salad, Mediterranean Quinoa Salad, Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad, or Simple Kale Salad.
Soup. Enjoy this pasta with a bowl of Hearty Mushroom Soup, Turkey Cabbage Soup, Red Lentil Soup with Bacon, or Moroccan Chickpea Soup.

I hope you love this Paccheri Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce as much as I do. It’s hearty, flavorful, and very satisfying. Enjoy!

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