Creamy Gemelli Pasta with Tomato Mascarpone Sauce
This Tomato Mascarpone Pasta combines blistered cherry tomatoes, garlic, shallot, basil, and creamy mascarpone with tender Gemelli pasta. Cooking the tomatoes until they blister concentrates their sweetness before the mascarpone turns them into a silky tomato cream sauce. Ready in 25 minutes, this cherry tomato mascarpone pasta is a flavorful vegetarian meal made with a handful of fresh ingredients.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb gemelli pasta or other short pasta
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 shallot minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
- ¼ cup Parmigiano or parmesan cheese more for serving
- 5 leaves fresh basil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large sauce pan or large skillet to medium heat. Add olive oil, garlic, and shallots. Let them get fragrant for 15-30 seconds in the oil Add the cherry tomatoes. Let cook at medium high heat until tomatoes are roasted and blistered.
- When the tomatoes are done cooking turn heat to low and add mascarpone cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Add parmigiano cheese and stir until smooth and combined.
- Cook your pasta in a large pot of salted water. Boil pasta until al dente package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Lastly, drain pasta and add to the prepared sauce. Add reserved pasta water and toss to combine. Stir in basil leaves. Let sauce coat pasta. Top with extra parmigiano cheese and fresh ground black pepper. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Let the tomatoes blister well before adding the mascarpone so their natural sweetness and flavor become concentrated.
- Lower the heat before adding the mascarpone so the cheese melts smoothly into the warm tomato mixture.
- Reserve the pasta water before draining. Its starch helps loosen the mascarpone sauce and helps it cling to the Gemelli.
- Cook the pasta al dente. Learn more on how to do so in my How to Cook Pasta Perfectly post.
- Toss the pasta with the sauce before serving so the creamy tomato sauce coats the Gemelli instead of sitting only on top.
Nutrition
Calories: 528kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 102mg | Potassium: 366mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 970IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 2mg
