Pinterest Image Pasta – Easy 30-Minute Weeknight Dinner

Pinterest Image Pasta is the dish your feed keeps promising and your kitchen can actually deliver. It is a creamy tomato basil pasta with a golden garlic edge, and it comes together in one pan in about 30 minutes.

I built this recipe for the nights when you want something that looks like a food blog photo but tastes like real dinner. The sauce clings to every strand, the edges bubble in the oven, and your whole kitchen smells like a trattoria.

You do not need fancy tools. One skillet, one pot of boiling water, and a handful of pantry staples are enough. Let's make it together.

About the Ingredients

12 oz (340g) penne pasta

Penne holds the creamy sauce inside its tubes. You can swap in rigatoni, ziti, or fusilli with the same cook time.

2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter

Butter gives the sauce its silky base. Salted butter works too, just skip the extra salt at the end.

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Fresh garlic is worth the 30 seconds of slicing. Jarred minced garlic is a fine shortcut in a pinch, use 1 tsp.

1 can (28 oz / 794g) crushed tomatoes

Crushed tomatoes make a thick, spoonable sauce. Fire-roasted crushed tomatoes add a lovely smoky note if you can find them.

1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream

Cream turns the tomato sauce pink and velvety. For a lighter version, use half-and-half and simmer 2 minutes longer.

1 tsp dried basil

Dried basil blooms in the hot sauce and tastes almost fresh. If you have fresh basil, stir 1/4 cup in at the very end instead.

1 tsp kosher salt

Kosher salt seasons evenly and dissolves fast. If using fine table salt, start with 3/4 tsp and taste before adding more.

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

These bring gentle warmth, not heat. Skip them entirely for kids, or double them if you like a kick.

1 1/2 cups (170g) shredded mozzarella

Low-moisture mozzarella melts into that golden, stretchy top. Provolone or a mild cheddar blend works as a substitute.

1/3 cup (30g) grated Parmesan

Parmesan adds salty depth to the sauce and the crust. Pecorino Romano is sharper and just as delicious.

2 tbsp (30ml) olive oil

Olive oil keeps the pasta from sticking and helps the top brown. Any neutral oil will do if you are out.

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Parsley adds a bright green finish. Fresh basil or chives make a great stand-in.

Tips & Tricks

Salt the pasta water like you mean it

Use about 1 tbsp of salt per gallon of water, because this is your only chance to season the noodles from the inside. If the water tastes like mild sea water, you got it right.

Do not drain the pasta too early

Cook it 1 minute shy of the package time so it finishes in the sauce without turning mushy. A slightly firm noodle soaks up more flavor.

Watch the broiler like a hawk

The cheese goes from golden to burnt in under 60 seconds. Stay at the oven door and pull it the second you see bubbling brown spots.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Boil the pasta

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil, add the penne, and cook 1 minute less than the package says, about 9 minutes. The pasta should be firm at the center but not chalky.

2. Bloom the garlic

While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil and butter in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat (about 350F / 175C) for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 60 seconds until fragrant and pale gold. Do not let it brown or it will taste bitter.

3. Build the sauce

Pour in the crushed tomatoes, dried basil, kosher salt, and red pepper flakes, then stir and simmer 8 minutes over medium-low heat until the sauce darkens and thickens slightly. You will see it pull away from the pan edges.

4. Make it creamy

Lower the heat and stir in the heavy cream, then simmer 3 minutes until the sauce turns a soft pink and coats the back of a spoon. Taste and add a pinch more salt if it feels flat.

5. Combine pasta and sauce

Drain the pasta and add it straight into the skillet, tossing gently for 1 minute so every tube fills with sauce. If it looks dry, splash in 2 tbsp of the reserved pasta water.

6. Add the cheese

Turn off the heat and scatter the mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top. Do not stir, let the cheese sit in a single layer so it melts into a golden blanket.

7. Broil until golden

Move the skillet to the top rack and broil at 500F (260C) for 3 to 4 minutes, until the cheese bubbles at the edges and turns deep golden brown. Pull it out the moment you see those brown spots.

8. Rest and serve

Let the skillet rest 5 minutes so the cheese sets, then sprinkle with parsley and serve straight from the pan. The first scoop should pull a long, stretchy cheese strand.

Delicious Variations

Spicy Sausage Version

Brown 1 lb of crumbled hot Italian sausage in the skillet before the garlic, then proceed as written for a heartier, meaty dinner.

Vegetarian Garden Version

Fold in 2 cups of sautéed zucchini and a handful of spinach with the cream for a veggie-packed twist.

Pesto Swirl Version

Stir 3 tbsp of basil pesto into the sauce right before adding the pasta for a fresher, herbier flavor.

How to Store Pinterest Image

Frequently Asked Questions

Give this Pinterest Image Pasta a try this week and let the golden, bubbling skillet do the talking. Snap a photo before the first scoop disappears, and tell me how your family reacted. Here's to small steps, big impact.

Pinterest Image

Pinterest Image Pasta is a creamy tomato basil one-pan dinner ready in 30 minutes, with golden garlic, bubbling edges, and just 285 calories a bowl.

★★★★½ 4.8 (187 ratings)

15 minPrep time35 minCook time6Servings285 kcalCalories

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🧂 Ingredients

• 12 oz (340g) penne pasta
• 2 tbsp (28g) unsalted butter
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 can (28 oz / 794g) crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 cups (170g) shredded mozzarella
• 1/3 cup (30g) grated Parmesan
• 2 tbsp (30ml) olive oil
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

📋 Instructions

1. 1Boil the pasta — Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil, add the penne, and cook 1 minute less than the package says, about 9 minutes. The pasta should be firm at the center but not chalky.
2. 2Bloom the garlic — While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil and butter in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat (about 350F / 175C) for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 60 seconds until fragrant and pale gold. Do not let it brown or it will taste bitter.
3. 3Build the sauce — Pour in the crushed tomatoes, dried basil, kosher salt, and red pepper flakes, then stir and simmer 8 minutes over medium-low heat until the sauce darkens and thickens slightly. You will see it pull away from the pan edges.
4. 4Make it creamy — Lower the heat and stir in the heavy cream, then simmer 3 minutes until the sauce turns a soft pink and coats the back of a spoon. Taste and add a pinch more salt if it feels flat.
5. 5Combine pasta and sauce — Drain the pasta and add it straight into the skillet, tossing gently for 1 minute so every tube fills with sauce. If it looks dry, splash in 2 tbsp of the reserved pasta water.
6. 6Add the cheese — Turn off the heat and scatter the mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top. Do not stir, let the cheese sit in a single layer so it melts into a golden blanket.
7. 7Broil until golden — Move the skillet to the top rack and broil at 500F (260C) for 3 to 4 minutes, until the cheese bubbles at the edges and turns deep golden brown. Pull it out the moment you see those brown spots.
8. 8Rest and serve — Let the skillet rest 5 minutes so the cheese sets, then sprinkle with parsley and serve straight from the pan. The first scoop should pull a long, stretchy cheese strand.

👨‍🍳 Chef's Note: If your skillet is not oven-safe, transfer the pasta to a baking dish before broiling. A cast-iron skillet gives the crispest, most golden edges.

Servings: 6

Cuisine: Italian-American

Course: Dinner

Nutrition (per serving): 285 kcal · 12g protein · 22g carbs · 9g fat

Written by Maya Chen

Maya writes about sustainable living and zero-waste swaps for busy families. She focuses on small, actionable changes that fit into real life without judgment or guilt.