Tomato season has officially begun here in NC (thanks to greenhouses), and it’s something I literally count down to every season! Anytime someone says they don’t like tomatoes I always have to ask, “Have you ever tried anything other than a grocery store tomato?” The difference is night and day from the flavor and wonderfulness of the homegrown variety. Whether you grow some yourself or buy from your local farmers’ market this summer, I urge you to see for yourself exactly what I am talking about here!
Inspired by both my friend Valerie (who makes a pasta dish of her own with mozzarella and tomatoes) and Rachael Ray Magazine (that recently featured a green creamy pasta sauce), I couldn’t wait to throw together this mashup to create a super easy one-dish weeknight meal. This Tomato Basil Weeknight Pasta is an easy one to double, so if you have a bigger family or enjoy leftovers…I say, go for it! :)
Tomato Basil Weeknight Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine noodles
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish (if desired)
- 1/4 cup broth (chicken or veggie)
- 1/4 onion (quarter of one onion), peeled and roughly diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tomato, diced
- 6 ounces fresh mozzarella balls (small), sliced in half (usually sold floating in water)
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
Instructions
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Cook pasta according to package directions.
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In a food processor blend together the basil, spinach, Parmesan, broth, onion, and garlic until smooth.
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Add the mixture to a large skillet, along with the cream, over medium heat. Cook while stirring until the mixture is heated through and thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Toss in the cooked pasta and stir to combine.
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Mix in the diced tomatoes, mozzarella balls, salt, and pepper. Top with extra Parmesan (if using) and serve warm.
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
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Linda
May 22, 2018 at 5:37 amThanks for sharing
Kasandra
May 23, 2018 at 12:17 pmThis looks AMAZING!!! I love that it is vegetarian (for me), but might add a little diced chicken for my husband and kids. Thanks!!!
Sandi
May 25, 2018 at 10:02 pmThere is chicken broth in this, but I suppose you could sub veggie broth or maybe even white wine
Michelle
May 23, 2018 at 12:50 pmThis looks so good, but I have tried looking for basil in bulk before to make pesto, etc., and have had no success. I have tried several grocery stores as well as the local farmers’ market. All I can find are expensive little packets with just a few leaves. Is there any substitute that would work for basil in this recipe and your other similar pesto recipes calling for lots of basil? I know it would definitely change the flavor some, but maybe there is some way to modify it?
Taylor Holmes
May 23, 2018 at 5:29 pmMichelle, I’ve found that you can buy basil plants at the grocery store for much cheaper than the little packets. Earthfare, Harris Teeter, even Food Lion carry them usually. This will give you all the basil you need for the recipe and then some! Added bonus– pot it and continue to grow more.
Michelle
May 24, 2018 at 2:03 pmDo you mean in the potted plant section of the store? I have looked in the produce section where there are fresh bunches of cilantro, parsely, etc., and never see it there, but I have never looked for a plant in a small pot, if that’s what you mean. I have Food Lion and Walmart where I live.
Taylor Holmes
May 25, 2018 at 8:04 amYes, exactly. The potted herbs are usually in and around the produce section. Food Lion should have it and I would expect Walmart to as well.
Amy Taylor (comment moderator)
May 25, 2018 at 11:34 amAnd also, for future reference, basil is one of the easiest herbs to grow. Get a few plants established now and they will produce all season. Trim them back before they start to flower.
Missy
May 29, 2018 at 9:56 pmDo you have Trader Joe’s near you? They sell large containers of both organic and non-organic basil.
Michelle
May 30, 2018 at 1:25 pmI don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby, I have to drive 40 minutes to get there one way! I checked Food Lion, they only get sporadic shipments of the plants, and have no way to tell me when the next one will come in. I will check Walmart next time I go there. Thank you for the suggestions!
Michelle Hogan
May 23, 2018 at 8:50 pmThis was amazing! All 7 if us loved it! We were scraping the pot. I didn’t have fresh basil, so I added a little bit of store bought pesto. But it worked beautifully! Will definitely make this again!
Chrissy
May 28, 2018 at 5:01 pmI made this last night. My husband says he doesn’t like pesto but he ate this up! I loved it. Will definitely become a staple in our house.
Stephanie
June 6, 2018 at 1:02 pmMade this last night and the whole family loved it-including my 2 and 6 year old picky eaters.
I ended up serving mine with BioNatures Whole Wheat Spaghettini (Hard to locate 100% Whole wheat fettuccine in my local grocer) and I think it made the final dish a little saucier which my whole family loves. I did find I had to add a bit more broth to my food processor to smooth up the sauce but other than that, I followed the recipe exactly! Will def make again! Thanks for sharing!
dannie
June 11, 2018 at 4:49 amI prefer taking the dish without the mozzarella balls,looks delicious.
Candice
July 4, 2018 at 12:45 pmMy husband and I both liked this recipe a lot. I made it with zoodles!
Adarsh
July 5, 2018 at 2:13 amhey, I liked this recipe. thanks
Areesha Zahid
July 21, 2018 at 2:15 pmnice one Lisa i will try it this will help me alot please also review my article “Reason Why You Eat Macaroni” at https://www.puro.pk/macaroni-reason-eat-italian-cuisine/
Jodi Sproull
July 25, 2018 at 11:55 amMade this last night, using fresh basil. This was delicious! I have 5 kids so I doubled the recipe. We are eating the leftovers for lunch right now. I’ll be making this again.
Jessica Flory
February 4, 2019 at 10:08 pmYum! We loved this. All three of my boys inhaled it haha. Thank you, Lisa!