No-Cook Creamy Tomato Pasta
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Inspired by Italian flavors, this incredibly easy no-cook creamy tomato pasta is ready in 15 minutes, and it’s your perfect summer weeknight dinner: simple yet amazingly satisfying! All you’ll need are some sweet sun-ripen tomatoes, crunchy almonds, a handful of basil leaves, some capers, garlic, olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt!
Love this? Try this Broccoli Pesto Pasta!
Table of contents
Some days I just crave something creamy and satisfying, quick to make but still healthy!
I am addicted to carbs and could never get onto one of those low-carb diets out there. I need to eat pasta or rice at least once a day to feel like myself!
And when I am short on time, this pasta can be a life-saver!
It’s made with 7 simple ingredients (one of which is salt!), and it comes together in no time.
All you need is a food processor or a blender, and you are done!
It’s also vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free (as long as you use some gluten-free pasta).
Creamy tomato pasta ingredients
This pasta is inspired by Pesto Alla Trapanese, a type of pesto cooked in Sicily. And although I made some personal alterations, the sunny Mediterranean flavors are as delicious as in the original recipe I used to eat when I went on holiday in Sicily as a kid.
For my version of this easy no-cook tomato sauce, you’ll need the following:
- Fresh tomatoes
- Fresh basil
- Garlic
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Almonds
- Capers (optional)
- Sea salt
And remember:
As with any incredibly simple recipe, the quality of the ingredients will make a real difference here.
Tomatoes
Using fresh sun-ripen sweet tomatoes will make this sauce incredible. So make sure you pick the best quality tomatoes you can find.
You can use cherry tomatoes or vine tomatoes. It’s up to you. If you use cherry tomatoes, you can just put them in the food processor as they are.
If you are using vine tomatoes, feel free to remove the tomato seeds. I prefer to leave mine in and simply cut the tomatoes in half before adding them to the blender. I find that when I toss my pasta in the pan to warm it up, the extra liquid helps.
Some people also go through the trouble of blanching tomatoes to peel them. I don’t. Who has got time for that? Plus, tomato skin is rich in vitamins and nutrients. As long as you have a good enough blender, the tomato skin will disappear!
Everything else
Almonds: You can either use raw or roasted almonds. If you use roasted almonds, you’ll get a little bit more flavor depth. But I find that raw almonds make a slightly creamier sauce.
Extra-virgin olive oil: make sure your extra-virgin olive oil is of good quality, as the flavor will come through the sauce.
Capers: Capers add a little more saltiness, but they are optional. You can use capers in brine or salt. If you use capers in salt, reduce the quantity of salt you use to your taste.
Pasta: And, of course, pick your favorite type of pasta! Here I used chickpeas and brown rice pasta. It’s naturally gluten-free and packed with protein and fiber. If you want to make this recipe in under 15 minutes, make sure to choose a type of pasta that cooks in under 10 minutes.
You can top your pasta with some vegan parmesan (I use grated nuts with a pinch of nutritional yeast). Or you can use real parmesan if you want to keep this pasta vegetarian.
How to make this easy no-cook creamy tomato pasta
- While your pasta is cooking, put the almonds in a blender or food processor and blend for a few seconds until you get something that resembles almond meal, like this.
- Add the remaining ingredients and blend until you reach a smooth, creamy consistency.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and then put it back into the pan. Add the creamy tomato sauce and mix for a couple of minutes on low heat, until warm.
- Add some parmesan on top (vegan or not), and enjoy!
Why I love this no-cook creamy tomato pasta
- It’s quick and easy to make
- It uses only whole simple ingredients
- Filling
- Satisfying
- It tastes like summer
- Vegan
- Gluten-free if made with gluten-free pasta
- Dairy-free
Some other great summer dinner ideas:
And if you are looking for some other simple summer dinner recipes, have a look at some of my favorites here:
- Basil Pesto Pasta
- Red Pepper Pasta
- Creamy Tomato Pasta With Herbs
- Stir-Fry Noodles With Crispy Tofu
- One-Pan Mexican Quinoa
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Vegetarian Paella
And for more summer-inspired dinner recipes, check this collection of over 50 summer dinner ideas.
If you try this creamy no-cook tomato pasta recipe, please leave a comment and a rating and let me know how much you liked it!
No-Cook Creamy Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 oz favorite pasta of choice
For the sauce:
- 12 oz fresh tomatoes
- 1/4 cup almonds
- 1 clove garlic
- 30 basil leaves
- 1 tsp capers
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Bring the water to a boil, add salt, and cook your pasta al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, put the almonds in a blender or food processor and blend for a few seconds until you get something that resembles almond meal.
- Add the tomatoes (if using vine tomatoes, cut them in half), extra-virgin olive oil, washed basil leaves, peeled garlic clove, capers, salt, and blend until you reach a smooth, creamy consistency. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and then put it back in the pan. Add the creamy sauce and mix for a couple of minutes on low heat until warm.
- Add some parmesan on top (vegan or not) and some fresh basil leaves, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe? Tag @gatheringdreams on Instagram. I want to see it!
So so good! Perfect pasta meal for late summer when you have a garden full of fresh tomatoes. I didn’t add the capers because I didn’t have any, but I did throw some parmesan cheese in the sauce. It turned out great!
Thanks so much Rene 🙂
Do you have to use almonds with this recipe?
You can substitute them for cashew, but if you don’t want to do nuts you can leave them out. It’ll just be less creamy. Add an extra tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to balance things out.
How do you measure 12oz of fresh tomatoes? I weighed mine on a kitchen scale and converted grams to oz but the is only about 1 large tomato to get 12oz. Is that right?
I normally weight everything in grams. That’s around 350g, which should be more than one tomato, unless it’s really big one!
It is easy so far. I have MS AND certain tasks require a lot of effort. We will have to see.
I hope you managed to cook this recipe, Carol! Let me know if you liked it 🙂