One Pot Pasta with Mascarpone Tomato Sauce

A quick and easy one pot pasta with fresh tomatoes, zucchini, and basil. And the rich and creamy mascarpone tomato sauce will keep you coming back for more. Perfect for when you need to get dinner on the table fast!

I've only recently hopped on the "one pot pasta" bandwagon. I admit that I was skeptical at first, but it really is a genius cooking hack. Why cook your pasta separately from the sauce when you can cook them together in one pot, creating a thicker sauce??

We are utilizing our summer bounty here - with zucchini, sweet tomatoes, and fresh basil. Everything is cooked in one large pot, so clean-up is a breeze. And if you serve this al fresco with a glass of red or white wine, you could transport yourself to the Mediterranean.

We start by sautéeing our vegetables and garlic, then add tomato paste and herbs, and the final step is adding the boiling water and pasta. It all cooks together, with the pasta absorbing the water and flavors from the vegetables and herbs.

After removing the pot from the heat, we add mascarpone cheese, which melts into the sauce, making it velvety and creamy. This buttery Italian cheese adds rich flavor and elevates the tomato sauce, making it addictive.

This vegetarian pasta recipe can truly be called comfort food, despite the fact that it's nutritious. It's bright, tangy, savory, and aromatic - and dinner can be on the table in less than 30 minutes!

For more vegetarian pasta recipes, try my caramelized shallot pasta with greens, summer tortellini salad, spring pea ravioli with mushrooms, broccoli pasta bake, and creamy pea pesto fettuccine with roasted tomatoes.

Jump to:

• Why This Pasta Is The Best
• Expert Tips
• Ingredient Notes
• Recipe Instructions
• Variations and Substitutions
• One Pot Pasta with Mascarpone Tomato Sauce Recipe

Why This Pasta Is The Best

• Quick and Easy: This entire recipe is cooked in one pot for ease and simplicity, and it's ready in just 30 minutes.
• Simple and flavorful vegetarian weeknight meal
• Healthy and nutritious: Packed full of zucchini, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and basil
• Thick, rich, velvety and creamy
• Freezer-friendly

Expert Tips

• Storage: Place in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• How to freeze: After completely cooled, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in refrigerator overnight.
• How to reheat: Place in a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of water, and reheat over medium-low heat on the stovetop for 8-10 minutes, until heated thoroughly.
• Use fresh basil. I recommend using fresh basil here for the most flavor. However, you can use dried basil as well, or make your own Italian seasoning mix.
• Don't skimp on the salt. Although the amount of salt listed (1 ½ teaspoons) may seem like a lot, you aren't adding any salt to the pasta water, so the dish is not overly salty at all.
• Adjust sauce to your desired consistency. If the sauce is too thick and you want to thin it out a bit, add hot water one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved.
• How to serve: This creamy pasta dish would be fantastic accompanied by harvest apple salad, citrus fennel salad, or creamy cucumber avocado gazpacho.
• Use fresh or canned tomatoes. Depending on what's in season where you live, you can use fresh or canned tomatoes. Both will work great.

Ingredient Notes

• Yellow onion - You can also use a red onion or 3 shallots as a substitute.
• Garlic - I recommend using fresh garlic, but jarred garlic or garlic powder will work as well.
• Tomatoes - Fresh or canned will work just fine.
• Tomato paste - Provides a very concentrated tomato flavor. If this is not available at your local grocery store, you can substitute it with marinara sauce or even ketchup. The flavor will be slightly different and your sauce won't be as thick, but it will still be delicious.
• Salt - Don't skip the salt! Between all of the fresh veggies and pasta, we need salt to bring out the flavors.
• Rotini pasta - Use your favorite type/shape of pasta; rotini holds the sauce really well!
• Mascarpone cheese - an Italian cheese made from heavy cream and citric acid, which thickens the cream. Similar to cream cheese, it adds rich and slightly sweet flavor to both savory and sweet dishes. Use your leftover cheese in no-bake tahini cheesecake, pumpkin and mushroom risotto, creamy pasta with scallops and bacon, and asparagus, tomato, and goat cheese frittata.
• Fresh basil - Always use fresh herbs whenever possible, but dried basil will work here as well.

Recipe Instructions

*See recipe card below for printable instructions.

In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and oregano, and cook for an additional minute.

Add tomatoes, zucchini, tomato paste, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Cook for another 4-5 minutes.

Pour boiling water and rotini pasta into the pot. Give it a stir and simmer for 10-12 minutes. You may need to adjust the heat to low if it reaches a rapid boil and starts to splatter. Remove from heat.

Add mascarpone and basil and stir thoroughly. If mixture is too thick, add an additional tablespoon or two of hot water. Garnish with additional basil and serve immediately.

Variations and Substitutions

• Use a different pasta. Try different pasta shapes each time you make this, and see which one you like best! I like rotini for this dish because it holds the thick sauce really well, but penne, fusilli, and orecchiette would all work great as well.
• Make vegan: Use any plant-based cream or cream cheese for the mascarpone cheese.
• Make gluten-free: Substitute gluten-free pasta for a gluten-free meal.
• Add protein. For an even heartier dish, add your favorite protein.
• Make spicy: Add ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes before serving for a slight pop of heat.
• Use cream cheese. If mascarpone isn't available at your local market, you can substitute cream cheese for a similar flavor.
• Substitute vegetables. Depending on the season, use your favorite vegetables. Asparagus, broccoli, squash, and Swiss chard would all taste great.
• Use marinara sauce. If tomato paste is not available, substitute marinara sauce for a similar flavor. Because it contains more water, you won't need to add water to thin out your sauce (and your sauce won't be as thick and creamy using marinara).

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