This delicious Tomato Sour Cream Pasta is an easy weeknight family dinner and a great way to elevate a boring tomato and pasta dish. It takes only 25 minutes from start to finish and can be made ahead.
My Tomato Sour Cream Pasta sauce has been a go-to main course for my family for years. Whenever I don’t have anything else planned, this is an easy one to pull together in minutes.
The taste is seriously amazing – and amazingly simple!! What’s amazing about it is that the tomatoes, which are still slightly chunky become a thick, velvety, tangy and creamy sauce.
I warn you, you will want to lock the doors, grab a spoon, and eat this tomato sour cream sauce straight from the pan (not because I’ve done that or anything😳). I recommend that you mix it with a Rotini or Fusilli pasta that can hold all of that delicious creamy sauce in the spiral grooves. Enjoy it with your family tonight!
Simple Ingredients and Substitutes!
- Canned Whole Peeled Tomatoes – I used San Marzano whole tomatoes for this recipe. I crushed them in my fingers before adding them, which gives me the best texture. You can also use diced tomatoes. If you want to substitute in a premade pasta sauce or marinara sauce, you can definitely do that. Just make sure to taste for salt and adjust as needed.
- Cloves garlic – Fresh is best when it comes to garlic. The great thing in this recipe is that you just need to peel it. The food processor does the rest. But you can buy pre-minced garlic to save time or mince it in bulk and freeze it for use when you need it! You can also substitute in dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – You can substitute with any neutral oil, such as vegetable oil, avocado oil, or even coconut oil.
- Sour Cream – Sour Cream is really the star in this recipe, bringing creaminess and tang. I used full-fat sour cream, but you can also use a low fat version. If you don’t want to or have it to use, then you can substitute with heavy cream, mascarpone, crème fraîche, coconut milk, or greek yogurt. Some of these options may make it a thinner consistency, so you may need to mix in a second tablespoon of cornstarch.
- Vegetable Base – I love the depth of flavor that you get without having to add a lot of extra liquid. You can substitute with chicken base, beef base, or garlic base. You can also crush a bouillon cube and add it, just make sure that it completely dissolves.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch is add to the sauce to help thicken it since this is such a quick cooking recipe. You don’t have to thicken the sauce if you don’t have cornstarch. You can leave it a bit thinner or you can cook it for longer to let it thicken naturally.
- Fresh Basil – Basil really is the ideal fresh herb for this recipe. However, if you don’t have it, you can use fresh parsley leaves for the freshness.
- Salt and Ground Black Pepper – these are added to taste and can be coarse or fine.
- Uncooked Fusilli pasta – You can use any short cut dried pasta or long cut pasta. You could also use egg noodles.
See the recipe card for exact measurements.
This Sour Cream Tomato Sauce Pasta is Such an Easy Recipe!
Honestly, this recipe is so simple that there really is very little to prep ahead. But, every little bit helps, right? So, here are the steps you can do the day(s) in advance and store in the fridge.
Mince 1 garlic clove and store in a small container or storage bag.
Open the can of San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes and crush the tomatoes with your fingers into a storage container or bag. Pour in the remaining sauce from the can and store crushed tomatoes and sauce in the fridge.
Into a small bowl, add the sour cream, the Vegetable Base, and cornstarch and mix to combine. Seal the bowl with plastic wrap or cover with lid and store in the fridge.
Easy Cooking Steps for Sour Cream Tomato Pasta
Now comes the EASIEST dinner you’ve ever put together (not counting delivery;)).
Cook the Rotini or Fusilli pasta according to package instructions in a large pot of salted water. I use Gluten-Free Rotini pasta in this dish, but use your favorite!
Preheat a large skillet or large frying pan over medium heat. Saute the garlic with olive oil, add the tomatoes, stir with the garlic and cook on medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Next whisk in the sour cream, vegetable base, and cornstarch mixture. Cook for another 5 minutes until the sauce thickens and starts to bubble (lightly cover with aluminum foil if it starts to splatter).
Last, add in the basil and the pasta and stir to completely combine. Taste for seasoning and add a pinch of salt if needed.
Serve on a plate or in a bowl and garnish with basil and grated parmesan cheese (if you like)!
Enjoy!!
Want More Super Easy Dinner Recipes under 30 Minutes to Prepare?
Of course you want 30 minutes or less recipes! You are busy and some nights require FAST dinners. So, my first recommendation is this easy Kid-Friendly Creamy Pasta Primavera Recipe. It comes together in 30 minutes and is truly a delicious meal.
Next, we have my Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil Pasta, which is bright and delicious and very easy to prep ahead and make on a business weeknight.
Or how about Stove Top Easy Tuna Casserole with Pimiento? This is a dish from my childhood that’s been updated, but is still incredibly easy and comes together in 30 minutes.
Sour Cream Tomato Sauce Pasta FAQs
What Pasta is best to use for this recipe?
For this Sour Cream Tomato Sauce, I recommend a short cut pasta with places for the sauce to creep into, like a fusilli, rotini, campanelle, penne, farfalle, or even elbow. Of course, if you only have long pasta on hand, like spaghetti or linguine, any pasta will work! You can use either dry or fresh pasta, but I find that if you are making this ahead and reheating it, then a dry short cut pasta will hold up best during the reheating.
What would be additional herbs or seasonings for this sauce?
You can certainly spruce up this sauce with a variety of herbs, seasonings, or aromatics. Fresh or dried oregano, Italian seasoning, finely dice onion, and green onions are all great options. For a bit of heat, you can add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
What protein is best to add to this?
You could cut chicken breast into bite-size cubes and cook it in the pan and then transfer it to a plate before making the sauce. Then add the chicken bak into the sauce at the end. You could do the same method with shrimp. You could also use a chickpea-based pasta in this, which will give you lots of protein!
Can I freeze this sauce?
If you want to make this ahead and freeze, my recommendation is to leave the sour cream out until you thaw the sauce and reheat it. When you reheat it, do so in a skillet over medium heat. While the sauce is reheating, follow Step 3 in the Prep Ahead Steps and then Steps 3-5 in the Cooking Steps.
Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe below! I love to hear your feedback and your rating helps others to find this recipe. Thanks so much!
Sour Cream Tomato Sauce Pasta
Ingredients
- 28 ounces San Marzano Tomatoes, whole peeled (1 can)
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ cup Sour Cream
- 1 teaspoon Vegetable Base
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons basil, finely sliced
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
- 16 ounces uncooked Fusilli pasta (or any short cut pasta)
Instructions
Prep Ahead Steps
- Mince 1 garlic clove and store in a small container or storage bag
- Open the can of San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes and crush the tomatoes with your fingers into a storage container or bag. Pour in the remaining sauce from the can and store crushed tomatoes and sauce in the fridge
- Into a small bowl, add the sour cream, the Vegetable Base, and cornstarch and mix to combine. Seal the bowl with plastic wrap or cover with lid and store in the fridge.
- Place the 5 prepped ingredients on a pan in the fridge to create your Kit: garlic, tomatoes, sour cream mixture, and pasta.
Cooking Steps
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions.
- Add the garlic to a preheated large skillet with a teaspoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Saute the garlic for 2 minutes on medium to low heat stirring it around so it doesn’t burn.
- Next add the tomatoes and the tomato sauce that you have crushed. If you haven't crushed them yet, do so right as you add them to the pan! Stir with the garlic and cook on medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in the sour cream mixture to the tomatoes in the skillet. Cook for another 5 minutes until the sauce thickens and starts to bubble (lightly cover with aluminum foil if it starts to splatter). Add salt and pepper, mix, then add more if needed to taste.
- Stir in the basil, leaving a little for garnish. If you cooked the pasta ahead of time and it is cold, put it in a strainer and run warm water over it to soften and separate it. Stir the cooked pasta into the tomato sauce.
- Serve in a bowl or plate and garnish with basil and grated parmesan cheese (if you like). Enjoy!
Notes
- What Pasta is best to use for this recipe? I love a short cut pasta with places for the sauce to creep into, like a fusilli, rotini, campanelle, penne, farfalle, or even elbow. Of course, if you only have long pasta on hand, like spaghetti or linguine, any pasta will work! You can use either dry or fresh pasta, but I find that if you are making this ahead and reheating it, then a dry short cut will hold up best during the reheating.
- What protein is best to add to this? You could cut chicken breast into bite-size cubes and cook it in the pan and then transfer it to a plate before making the sauce. Then add the chicken bak into the sauce at the end. You could do the same method with shrimp. You could also use a chickpea-based pasta in this, which will give you lots of protein!
- Can I freeze this sauce? If you want to make this ahead and freeze, my recommendation is to leave the sour cream out until you thaw the sauce and reheat it. When you reheat it, do so in a skillet over medium heat. While the sauce is reheating, follow Step 3 in the Prep Ahead Steps and then Steps 3-5 in the Cooking Steps.
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