Tomato & Mascarpone Sauce

A quick and easy sauce for any pasta you make with it. Tomato & Mascarpone Sauce takes pasta night to a new level with crushed & diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, and Italian spices, then transforms them into a delicate, tangy yet creamy sauce with the addition of mascarpone. One of my favorite pasta sauces of all time!

I remember seeing a jar of tomato mascarpone sauce on the shelves of Whole Foods Market. I figured I would try it, and I absolutely loved it. I tried to recreate it, and I feel I did a good job, if not better! The mascarpone tastes like cream cheese almost, which gave this sauce a tangy taste to it, but it was most welcomed. You can serve this on chicken cutlets to make chicken parmesan, over veggie noodles, and many more uses listed below. This sauce wasn’t hard to make either. It starts with a simple tomato sauce, then add in the mascarpone cheese. It’s ready within 45 minutes too, and not much prep is needed!

How to make Tomato & Mascarpone Sauce

This is one of my favorite pasta sauces that I’ve made. It’s luxurious and tangy, yet so simple! I guarantee that this recipe will be a part of your favorite recipe binder (or book!). (Full ingredient amounts and complete instructions are available in the recipe card down below).

  • Canned Crushed & Diced Tomatoes: I used both because I wanted texture in the sauce. I use crushed tomatoes in puree since that’s what my grocery store has to offer. You can use canned whole peeled tomatoes instead and crush them yourself. I used petite diced tomatoes as well for texture. You can use fresh, good-quality tomatoes instead of canned ones. You will need about 3.5 lb worth of tomatoes, preferably plum, cherry, grape, or a mixture, then use half for the crushed tomatoes and half for the diced tomatoes.
  • Mascarpone Cheese: Add at the very end. This is the key ingredient to a rich and creamy sauce! This should be available near the cream cheese at your grocery store, or if it has an Italian cheese section (like mine), it could be there!
  • Yellow or Sweet Onion: I used yellow, but sweet onions will work here. It’ll cut through the tanginess of the mascarpone cheese.
  • Garlic: Always need garlic in pasta sauces!
  • Italian Seasoning: I used dried Italian seasoning for this.
  • Fresh Basil: Fresh is always the best for sauce. You get more flavor and vibrancy from fresh leaves.
  • Tomato Paste: Used to thicken the sauce a bit.
  • White Wine: Any white wine will do, except bubbly. I used a Sauvignon Blanc since it tends to be drier & lighter than a Pinot Grigio.
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Used for sauteing the onions and garlic. I try to find the best quality olive oil. I like the robust oils.
  • Salt, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: The red pepper flakes are optional. I personally like to add a little kick to sauces. It’s subtle.
  • Parmesan Cheese: Pecorino Romano works as well! Sprinkle this right before serving over pasta, or however you’re serving it.
  • Pasta: The best way to enjoy this sauce. I used fettuccine. I like thicker noodles for creamy sauces. Any noodles will work. Try gnocchi or ravioli if you want to get fancy!

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, reserving 1/2 of pasta water. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions until translucent. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle in the Italian seasoning and add the tomato paste, letting the paste brown slightly. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits, if any. Add in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, salt, red pepper flakes (if using), and 3/4 of the fresh basil. Stir, then bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Allow simmering for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, then stir in the mascarpone, adding more or less to your preference. Stir in the cooked pasta, adding in some pasta water a little at a time until it reaches the consistency you want. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and garnish with remaining basil then serve.

Tips & FAQs

  • Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Dairy doesn’t last too long!
    • Reheat: You can reheat in a microwave, or reheat in a saucepan over medium or medium-low heat and simmer until it’s hot. Add in splashes of water if it ends up being too thick.
    • Freeze: It’s possible to freeze this, but the mascarpone might separate from the sauce, so here’s my warning. It’ll freeze for up to 2 months. Make sure you completely cool the sauce before freezing. Thaw overnight and heat in a skillet or saucepan before using.
      • Keep the mascarpone from separating: Make the sauce, but don’t add in the mascarpone. Cool the sauce completely, then freeze for up to 2 months. Once you’re ready to reheat, allow the sauce to thaw overnight. Reheat in a skillet or saucepan. When it’s completely heated, stir in the mascarpone cheese and serve.
  • What’s mascarpone cheese? Mascarpone is a soft Italian acid-set cream cheese. Its flavor is actually a bit similar to cream cheese,
    • You can use creme fraiche, which is the closest substitute to mascarpone. You can use cream cheese instead, but it will be much tangier and bolder in flavor, so add a little at a time. A little goes a long way!
  • Variations:
    • To make this a meat sauce, add in some bacon, sausage, pancetta, or 80-20 fat ground beef!
    • Swap the minced garlic for roasted garlic for a deeper flavor.
    • Instead of serving with pasta, you can add this to chicken cutlets to make chicken parmesan, over veggie noodles like zoodles, zucchini boats (such as my Italian Zucchini Boats)
    • Use this in sausage and peppers dish.
    • Throw in some spinach or steamed broccoli for a nutritional boost.

Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Follow my Facebook page for updates as well! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.

Tomato & Mascarpone Sauce
Servings 4
Author Dani Bayer
Prep time
10 Min
Cook time
35 Min
Total time
45 Min
Print
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Tomato & Mascarpone Sauce

A quick and easy sauce for any pasta you make with it. Tomato & Mascarpone Sauce takes pasta night to a new level with crushed & diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, and Italian spices, then transforms them into a delicate, tangy yet creamy sauce with the addition of mascarpone. One of my favorite pasta sauces of all time!

Ingredients

  • 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained
  • 3 oz mascarpone cheese
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pinch crushed red pepper flakes, optional
  • 6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • Parmesan cheese, for serving
  • 1 lb fettuccine, or any pasta

Instructions

  1. Cook the fettuccine according to the package directions, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring so the garlic doesn’t burn.
  3. Sprinkle in the Italian seasoning and add the tomato paste. Stir into the onions and garlic. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, allowing the tomato paste to brown slightly.
  4. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the skillet, scraping up any browned bits, if any.
  5. Add in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, salt, red pepper flakes, and 3/4 of the basil. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 20-25 minutes.
  6. Remove from the heat, then stir in the mascarpone, adding more or less to your preference. Toss in the cooked pasta, adding a little bit of pasta water at a time until the sauce smoothly coats the pasta.
  7. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and the remaining basil.

Notes

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Dairy doesn’t last too long!

  • Reheat: You can reheat in a microwave, or reheat in a saucepan over medium or medium-low heat and simmer until it’s hot. Add in splashes of water if it ends up being too thick.
  • Freeze: It’s possible to freeze this, but the mascarpone might separate from the sauce, so here’s my warning. It’ll freeze for up to 2 months. Make sure you completely cool the sauce before freezing. Thaw overnight and heat in a skillet or saucepan before using.
  • Keep the mascarpone from separating: Make the sauce, but don’t add in the mascarpone. Cool the sauce completely, then freeze for up to 2 months. Once you’re ready to reheat, allow the sauce to thaw overnight. Reheat in a skillet or saucepan. When it’s completely heated, stir in the mascarpone cheese and serve.

What’s mascarpone cheese? Mascarpone is a soft Italian acid-set cream cheese. Its flavor is actually a bit similar to cream cheese,

  • You can use creme fraiche, which is the closest substitute to mascarpone. You can use cream cheese instead, but it will be much tangier and bolder in flavor, so add a little at a time. A little goes a long way!

Variations: To make this a meat sauce, add in some bacon, sausage, pancetta, or 80-20 fat ground beef!

  • Swap the minced garlic for roasted garlic for a deeper flavor.
  • Instead of serving with pasta, you can add this to chicken cutlets to make chicken parmesan, over veggie noodles like zoodles, zucchini boats (such as my Italian Zucchini Boats)
  • Use this in sausage and peppers dish.
  • Throw in some spinach or steamed broccoli for a nutritional boost.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

729.79

Fat (grams)

19.31

Sat. Fat (grams)

7.95

Carbs (grams)

115.35

Fiber (grams)

12.26

Net carbs

102.58

Sugar (grams)

21.5

Protein (grams)

24.87

Sodium (milligrams)

610.68

Cholesterol (grams)

116.51

The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and the brands of ingredients used.

tomato, cheese, mascarpone, pasta, sauce, creamy
Dinner, Sauce, Pasta
American, Italian
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