Tomato Basil Pasta is a quick and easy pasta cooked with tomato sauce, garlic, basil and some seasonings.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 8 oz dry penne pasta ((about 2-2.5 cups))
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 small onion (finely chopped)
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 can 14 oz crushed tomatoes ((about 1.5 cups))
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste (or tomato ketchup (optional))
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil
  • 1/4 cup cheese
  • salt (to taste)

Method

Instant Pot Method:

  1. Press SAUTE mode on Instant Pot. Add olive oil and once it’s hot add minced garlic and onion, saute for 1-2 minutes or till onions are soft.
  2. Then add oregano, red chili flakes, black pepper, and salt to the instant pot. Add water and make sure to deglaze the bottom of the pot to remove any stuck bits.
  3. Add dry pasta and spread crushed tomatoes along with the liquid, tomato paste on top. Gently push all pasta under the liquid. Do not mix it. Most of the pasta should be covered in sauce and water. If it is not, add some more water. Note:*If you are using whole or diced tomatoes, make sure to puree in a blender first and then add.
  4. Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes.
  5. Using penne pasta in this recipe which has 10 minutes for cooking on the stovetop. So to cook on Instant Pot – Divide the cooking time by half and minus one for al dente pasta. So it's 4 minutes. For softer pasta do 5 minutes.
  6. When the instant pot beeps, wait 2-3 minutes and Quick Release the remaining pressure manually.

Stovetop Pot Method:

  1. Cook Pasta according to the packet instructions. Keep aside, reserve some cooked pasta water.
  2. Heat Olive oil in a pan on medium flame. Add minced garlic and onion saute for 1-2 minutes or till onions are soft.
  3. Then add the canned crushed tomatoes along with the juice, salt, red chilli flakes and oregano and cook for 8-10 minutes on medium heat or until sauce has just started to thicken. If the sauce is too thick add some pasta water to adjust the consistency. Remove the sauce from the heat.
  4. Next add the cooked pasta and toss with the sauce, then stir in the fresh basil sprigs and cheese when the pasta is hot.
  5. Serve Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta in a plate and sprinkle some fresh basil and cheese over it for garnish.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.