Tomato Butter Pasta
This Tomato Butter Pasta is so good as a side dish or meal all in itself but its extra good paired with my Crusted Chicken Romano. I love making these together and they are my copycat version of the Crusted Chicken Romano dish from the Cheesecake Factory and the red sauce pasta that is paired with it. This tomato butter pasta dish is super simple and light and is packed with flavor but not overly rich! Try this pasta dish all on it's own or make it with the Crusted Chicken Romano!
Ingredients
- 8 oz Spaghetti or Angel Hair Pasta
- 3 tbsp Salt for Pasta Water
- 6 tbsp Butter
- 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
- 7-8 large San Marzano or Romano Tomatoes, Grated
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Seasoning Salt I use Alpine Seasoning or Johnny's Seasoning
- ¼ cup Fresh Basil- Chopped finely
- ½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- ½ cup Pasta Water
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Boil the spaghetti in salted water according to package instructions. I add about 3 TBSP of Sea Salt. Always salt your pasta water!!
- **Prepare the Sauce: **Grate the san marzano or roma tomatoes with a cheese grater into a bowl. This will remove the skins and leave the inside flesh and juice of the tomato.
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute). Do not burn the garlic!
- Add Tomatoes: Stir in the grated tomatoes, salt, black pepper, and seasoning salt. Simmer for 15 minutes while the pasta and chicken are cooking, stirring occasionally.
- Finish the Sauce: Add in the cooked pasta straight from the pot into the pan with the tomatoes (do not drain) and then add in 1/2 cup of parmesan, 1/2 cup of pasta water and the remaining tbsp of butter and the chopped fresh basil. Toss the pasta to mix everything together until well mixed over low heat. The sauce will thicken as you toss it around and the pasta water you added will also help thicken the sauce.
- Serve the Tomato Butter Pasta all by itself or pair it with the Crusted Chicken Romano (recipe above) and enjoy!
Notes
Substitutions and Variations:
- Breadcrumbs: Substitute Italian-style breadcrumbs if you don’t have panko.
- Cheese: If you prefer, use all Parmesan instead of mixing with Pecorino Romano.
- Oil Choices: Vegetable, canola, or peanut oil work best for frying but I prefer to use olive oil or avocado and butter since seed oils are not as healthy.
- Lighter Option: Bake the breaded chicken at 400°F for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs.