Red Wine Tomato Cream Pasta Recipe

A simple red wine tomato cream pasta with cherry tomatoes, cream, and Parmigiano Reggiano — the pasta we make for date nights at home.

Bowl of red wine tomato cream pasta on a candlelit table with red wine, overlooking snowy mountain view at Whiskey Ridge — Red wine tomato cream pasta, candlelight, and a snowy evening at home at Whiskey Ridge

This is one of those pastas I started making by just throwing together things we usually have in the pantry and refrigerator — butter, shallot, garlic, cherry tomatoes, a little wine, a little cream, and whatever cheese we have. The first time I made it, I actually meant to use white wine but realized I didn’t have any, so I used red wine instead, and it ended up being a happy accident. It made the sauce a little deeper and richer, and now that’s the way I always make it.

Over time it turned into the pasta that Chad always asks for, so now we just call it Chad’s favorite pasta.

It’s a red wine tomato cream pasta with mozzarella and parmesan, and it’s really good with a glass of red wine and a candle on the counter. It feels a little special, but it’s actually very simple and comes together in about the time it takes to boil the pasta.

I usually make this with spaghetti, and I almost always use the Giadzy spaghetti. I started using it a couple of years ago and now it’s just the pasta we keep in the pantry. It has a better texture, it holds the sauce really well, and it’s more filling, so you don’t need a huge bowl to feel like you had a real dinner.

I learned a lot about cooking pasta from watching Giada over the years, and one of the most useful things I learned from her was to salt the pasta water really well — she says it should taste like seawater. That’s what seasons the pasta itself. She also always adds pasta water to the sauce and lets the pasta finish cooking in the sauce for a minute or two. I’ve done it that way ever since, and it’s what makes the sauce smooth and glossy and actually coat the pasta instead of just sitting on top.

This is a good pasta for a red wine night, a date night at home, or just a Friday night when you want something a little better than a jar of sauce.

Spaghetti with red wine cream sauce, cherry tomatoes, and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese — Chad’s Favorite Pasta with red wine cream sauce, cherry tomatoes, and Parmigiano-Reggiano

Chad’s Favorite Pasta

Red Wine Tomato Cream Pasta

Serves 2–3

Ingredients

2 tablespoons salted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small shallot, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
About 15-18cherry tomatoes, quartered
About ¼ cup red wine
About ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
About ¼ cup torn fresh mozzarella (about 2 slices)
About ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
About ¾ cup pasta water (reserved)
8–10 oz spaghetti
Kosher Salt

Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano on a wooden cutting board for red wine cream pasta — Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for Chad’s Favorite Pasta

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. The water should taste salty, like seawater. Cook pasta until al dente. Before draining, reserve about ¾ cup of pasta water.
While the pasta cooks, make the sauce. In a large pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat.
Add the chopped shallot and cook until soft, about 2–3 minutes.
Add the garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes and cook for about 30 seconds.
Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until they soften and start to break down.
Add the red wine and let it simmer for 2–3 minutes.
Turn the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream.
Add the torn mozzarella and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and stir until melted and smooth.
Drain the pasta, then return the pasta to the hot pot.
Pour the sauce over the pasta and start tossing.
Add the reserved pasta water a little at a time while tossing and stirring gently with a pasta spoon. Let the pasta cook in the sauce for a minute or two until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the pasta.
Serve with more grated Parmigiano-Reggiano on top.

Pot of boiling salted water for cooking spaghetti. — Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the spaghettil

Notes

Salt the pasta water well — it should taste like seawater.
Don’t forget to save the pasta water.
Letting the pasta finish cooking in the sauce helps the sauce stick to the pasta.