One Pot Creamy Pasta with Tomato Mascarpone Sauce

This one pot creamy pasta is rich, cozy, and weeknight-friendly, with rotini simmered right into a tomato mascarpone sauce until every bite is silky and flavorful. Fresh zucchini, tomatoes, and basil keep it bright while still feeling like comfort food.

This creamy one pot pasta is the kind of weeknight dinner I love: minimal cleanup, simple ingredients, and a silky tomato mascarpone sauce that tastes much richer than the effort involved. Instead of boiling the pasta separately, the rotini cooks right in the tomato sauce, releasing starch as it simmers and helping the sauce cling to every bite.

I use a small amount of mascarpone at the end for a creamy, slightly tangy finish without making the pasta feel heavy. Fresh tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, and basil keep it bright and flavorful, while tomato paste gives the sauce depth. It's a vegetarian one pot pasta that's ready in about 35 minutes and perfect for busy nights.

For more vegetarian pasta recipes, try my no-cream pasta primavera, pasta with spinach and mushrooms, and spinach artichoke dip baked pasta!

Jump to:

• ⭐️ Why You'll Love This Tomato Mascarpone Pasta
• 🍅 Ingredient Notes
• 🔪 How To Make One Pot Creamy Pasta
• 📝 Variations and Substitutions
• 👩🏼‍🍳 Tips For the Best One Pot Pasta
• 👩🏼‍🍳 Storage and Reheating
• 💬 Frequently Asked Questions
• 🍝 More Vegetarian Pasta Recipes
• One Pot Creamy Pasta Recipe

⭐️ Why You'll Love This Tomato Mascarpone Pasta

• Truly one pot: The pasta cooks directly in the sauce, so there's no separate pot of boiling water or colander needed.
• Creamy without heavy cream: Mascarpone melts into the tomato sauce for a velvety finish.
• Weeknight-friendly: Ready in about 35 minutes with simple, easy-to-find ingredients.
• Vegetarian but satisfying: Zucchini, tomatoes, basil, garlic, and tomato paste give it fresh flavor and depth.
• Easy to adjust: Use different short pasta shapes, seasonal vegetables, or a dairy-free cream cheese-style alternative.

🍅 Ingredient Notes

• Short pasta - Rotini works especially well because the spirals hold onto the creamy tomato sauce. Penne, fusilli, shells, or orecchiette are also good options.
• Tomato paste - This gives the sauce a deeper tomato flavor and helps create a rich base without needing a long simmer.
• Fresh tomatoes - They add brightness and a bit of juicy texture. Canned diced tomatoes can work in a pinch.
• Zucchini - A quick-cooking vegetable that makes this feel fresh and summery. Dice it small so it cooks at the same rate as the pasta. Any type of summer squash will work as a substitute. Use it to make my easy zucchini risotto!
• Mascarpone - This is what makes the sauce creamy and silky. Stir it in off the heat so it melts smoothly into the pasta.
• Fresh basil - Add it at the end for the best flavor.

🔪 How To Make One Pot Creamy Pasta

The key is to simmer the pasta gently and stir often enough so the starches release into the sauce without the pasta sticking to the bottom of the pot.

*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

• Make it dairy-free: Use a vegan cream cheese to replace mascarpone cheese.
• Add protein: Stir in crispy tofu, white beans, or chickpeas for a heartier vegetarian dinner.
• Make it spicy: Add ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes before serving for a slight pop of heat.
• Use homemade Italian seasoning mix to replace the dried oregano.
• Use different vegetables. Try asparagus, mushrooms, broccoli, or Swiss chard depending on the season.

👩🏼‍🍳 Tips For the Best One Pot Pasta

• Use a large pot or Dutch oven. The pasta needs room to simmer evenly.
• Keep it at a gentle simmer. A rapid boil can cause splattering and uneven cooking.
• Stir occasionally, especially near the end. As the sauce thickens, the pasta is more likely to stick.
• Don't under-salt it. Since there's not separate pot of salted pasta water, the salt in the sauce seasons the whole dish.
• Add hot water only as needed. If the pasta needs more time but the sauce is getting too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons at a time.
• Stir in mascarpone off the heat. This helps keep the sauce smooth and creamy.

👩🏼‍🍳 Storage and Reheating

Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave, adding a splash of water to loosen the sauce.

You can freeze this pasta for up to 3 months, though the mascarpone sauce may be slightly less silky after thawing. For best results, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently.

💬 Frequently Asked Questions

🍝 More Vegetarian Pasta Recipes

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