Most tomato pasta recipes have you boil the pasta in water, drain it, and then toss it with the sauce. But that's where the flavor gets lost. In Crete, we make this one pot tomato pasta differently: we cook the pasta right in the sauce and add some feta cheese. Creamy, rich and full of flavor in every bite. And the best part? You only need one pot!
This is the ultimate one pot creamy tomato pasta recipe. Everything cooks together in a single pan, soaking up all that tomato goodness. Forget draining, multiple pans and boring flavors. This feta cheese and tomato pasta comes out velvety and perfectly balanced with the saltiness from the crumbled feta. A true, simple tomato sauce pasta recipe you'll want on repeat.
In Crete, we cook the pasta in the sauce because it absorbs every bit of flavor while releasing starch that naturally thickens the sauce, making it creamy without heavy cream. This technique works for all pasta and tomato sauce recipes, whether you're using fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes or even leftover red sauce from yesterday's dinner. I especially love making it with leftover red sauce from Kokkinisto (Greek beef stew in tomato sauce). Adding some feta cheese and letting it melt in the pot makes this dish extra creamy.
If you love recipes with tomatoes don't miss my homemade pizza sauce with canned tomatoes (which can also be used as a pasta sauce), this everything tomato sauce for pasta, a recipe from my college years when I added to my tomato sauce whatever I had in my fridge, and this delicious quick summer pasta with eggplant, tomato and feta.
📋 Ingredient notes
To make this one pot creamy tomato pasta with feta cheese you'll need the following ingredients:
Pasta: Spaghetti is my favorite for this recipe, but you can also use macaroni, farfalle, orzo, or fusilli. Whole wheat pasta can be a healthier option, especially if you follow the Mediterranean Diet.
Tomatoes: Choose the ripest, most aromatic tomatoes you can find! San Μarzano tomatoes, Roma tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes are great options. This time, I found some pink tomatoes at the market (though they don't look very pink in the photo) and decided to try them. If tomatoes are out of season, high-quality canned tomatoes will give you better results.
👉 According to foodandwine.com, plum tomatoes are the best tomatoes for tomato sauce.
Basil: I love adding fresh basil to this sauce. Sometimes, when I want something more Greek, I replace the basil with thyme and oregano. Other times I'll use a cinnamon stick and 3-4 whole cloves instead.
Feta cheese: High-quality feta will take this simple homemade tomato sauce to another level. If you don't have feta cheese, use another cheese such as Parmesan, mozzarella, or Kefalotyri.
🎥 Video
Watch how to make this creamy, one pot tomato pasta with feta.
🎵 Music on Video: Building a treehouse, Musician: Tall as a pine
📖 Recipe
Creamy, one pot tomato pasta with feta
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoon (20 g) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 (80 g) onion (small, chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (or adjust to taste)
- 2 large (500 g) tomatoes (grated)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
- 2 ½ cups (600 g) water (or chicken broth, see note#1)
- 7 oz (200 g) spaghetti (see note#2)
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) salt (or to taste)
- black pepper (to taste)
- 10 fresh basil leaves
- 7 oz (200 g) feta cheese (crumbled)
Instructions
- Using the coarse side of a box grater, grate the onion onto a plate, then grate the tomatoes into a bowl.👉 Cut the tomatoes in half, remove the core and carefully grate them on the box grater with the cut side facing the grater. Discard the skin left on the grater.
- Transfer the olive oil and the onion to a large saucepan (or large pot) and saute over medium heat, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent.Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomato paste and salt, and cook for 1 minute.👉 This caramelizes the tomato paste and enhances the flavor.
- Add the grated tomatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.
- Pour in the water (or broth), bring to a boil then stir in the pasta. Stir well, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover with the lid and cook until the pasta is almost ready. Stir occasionally during cooking to prevent sticking.👉 The pasta will need longer time to cook in the sauce, compared to cooking in water.👉 Cook over low heat to prevent the pasta from sticking to the pan.
- When the pasta is almost ready, add approximately the two thirds of the feta and the basil. Stir until most of the feta has melted and the sauce has thickened. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of water.Serve immediately with the rest of the feta crumbled over each plate.
Notes
Similar Recipes You'll Love:
Nutrition
🍳 More Pasta Recipes
If you tried this creamy, one pot tomato pasta with feta, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Effie says
Turned out great and I only used one saucepan! Thanks Makos 😊