Tomato alfredo sauce is a pink pasta sauce that gives you the best of both worlds! Enjoy this easy, flavorful sauce on your next pasta night. Ready in under 30 minutes!
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If you have trouble deciding between red sauce or white sauce on your pasta, I've got you covered. This alfredo sauce is mixed with canned tomatoes to make a creamy pink sauce that really satisfies.
Toss it with your favorite pasta (they all work!) and get ready to impress your friends or family.
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Yellow onion
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Garlic
- Crushed tomatoes
- Heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil
- Pasta, for serving
How to make tomato alfredo sauce
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the butter. Once melted, add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and cook until warmed, 2-5 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream and parmesan cheese, stirring to combine. Bring to a bubble, then allow to simmer over low heat for 5 minutes or until warm and thickened.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve tossed with 1 pound of your favorite pasta.
Top tips
Purchasing crushed tomatoes
It's actually kind of difficult to find a 14 ounce can of crushed tomatoes. Most of the cans I found used fire roasted tomatoes.
If this is the case for you, you have several options. It would be totally ok to use fire roasted tomatoes if you like that flavor. Otherwise, you can buy a 28 ounce can and only use half, throwing out the other half, using it for something else, or freezing it for future use.
It would also be ok to add a whole 28 ounce can of tomatoes to this sauce, it will just have more tomato flavor and be extra saucy.
What kind of pasta to serve with tomato alfredo
You can use whatever your favorite pasta shape is to go with this sauce. I chose bowties because I love the bite that the center of the bow has.
I recommend cooking your pasta 1 minute shy of al dente and finishing it directly in the sauce on the stovetop, reserving a little pasta water and adding it as needed if the sauce becomes too thick.
How to store
Leftovers can be kept in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. While you could technically freeze this sauce for up to 3 months, I don't entirely recommend it because the texture of the heavy cream can change when thawing.
Tips for customizing tomato alfredo sauce
- Serve with vegetarian sausage for extra protein, or meat eaters can add cooked Italian sausage, shrimp, or salmon
- Add some spice with ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes added with the garlic
- Add a splash of vodka or white wine before adding the tomatoes, allowing it to cook off for a few minutes
- Add your favorite roasted veggies such as broccoli, red bell peppers, spinach, or mushrooms at the end
- Swap the heavy cream for half and half to make it lighter
FAQ
Everything in the sauce is gluten-free, you would just need to choose a gluten-free pasta to make this a gluten-free meal.
Real parmesan cheese is not vegetarian because it is made with animal rennet. If this is important to you, look for a parmesan cheese made with vegetable rennet.
What to serve with alfredo tomato sauce
- Garlic Bread Baguette
- The Best Easy Vegan Salad
- Salad Bar Salad
- Air Fryer Asparagus
- Air Fryer Zucchini
More pasta recipes
- Penne al Pomodoro
- Spaghetti with Chickpeas
- Meatless Baked Ziti
- Spaghetti Arrabbiata
- Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
- Tomato and Feta Pasta
- Mushroom Alfredo
- Olive Oil Alfredo
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Tomato Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ⅓ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 15 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 5 large basil leaves, julienned or torn
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the butter. Once melted, add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and cook until warmed, 2-5 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream and parmesan cheese, stirring to combine. Bring to a bubble, then allow to simmer over low heat for 5 minutes or until warm and thickened.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve tossed with 1 pound of your favorite pasta.
Notes
Tips for customizing tomato alfredo sauce
- Serve with vegetarian sausage for extra protein, or meat eaters can add cooked Italian sausage, shrimp, or salmon
- Add some spice with ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes added with the garlic
- Add a splash of vodka or white wine before adding the tomatoes, allowing it to cook off for a few minutes
- Add your favorite roasted veggies such as broccoli, red bell peppers, spinach, or mushrooms at the end
- Swap the heavy cream for half and half to make it lighter
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