A Deliciously Decadent Dinner
Why make fettuccine with creamy herbed tomato sauce and mozzarella? First, so yummy. This is definitely a rich dish with ricotta and heavy whipping cream. It must be the sweet of the onions, against the acidity of the tomatoes, all tempered with the fatty richness of the cream and cheeses, but this is so good.
Second, this is nearly a one pan dish if it weren’t for cooking the pasta in a different pot from the sauce. Lastly, I know not everything on this ingredient list is a staple, but this is an easy dish to pull together. You will be glad you did!
What You’ll Need to Make Fettuccine with Herbed Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella
- Tomatoes – I’ve chosen to use canned tomatoes for a few reasons. They are more economical than fresh cherry tomatoes. I do like to make this dish if I have cherries that have past their prime for salad. This is a wonderful way to use those little bombs of sweetness. Second, while fresh tomatoes are great to use, but a few skins will remain and lots of seeds. If that doesn’t bother you, go with fresh. Lastly, I wanted to use canned tomatoes because they have a long shelf life and are a more common kitchen staple.
- Herbs – I love having fresh herbs. It makes a big difference to use fresh. Please give this a try. Growing herbs on the patio, porch or on the kitchen counter is so easy and worthwhile. Remove the leaves from the stems before chopping. Save these until the end so they retain some of the bright color and flavor.
- Dairy – As I said above, this is a rich dish. I think even without the dairy, the Marsala and onions with the beef broth load the sauce with flavor, but then we go and add ricotta, heavy whipping cream (you can never go wrong with this ingredient), and slabs of broiled mozzarella cheese.
How to Make Fettuccine with Herbed Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella
Be sure to use an oven safe pan to prepare the sauce so you can add the mozzarella and toss it right in the oven. I clearly have an affinity for the cast-iron skillet because I use it almost exclusively in my recipes.
There are other options besides cast-iron, just be sure it’s oven safe. Chop and caramelize the onions in Marsala wine and sugar. Don’t forget the garlic! This quartet should create an amazing aroma.
Continue to build the layers of flavor with tomatoes, beef broth, salt, and pepper. Let the tomatoes cook down, then, gradually add in the broth. Let it all simmer and reduce. While your sauce is cooking down, prepare the fettuccini per the instructions on the box. Be sure to save some pasta water to finish the sauce.
My favorite part! I love the photo to the left so much – the vivid red of the tomatoes, with the bright green of the herbs, mixing with the creamy ricotta. The heavy whipping cream sprawling over and pooling with the oil from the dish, it’s so pretty! Alright. Back to business. After you admire the beauty of your dish, add a bit of pasta water, mix it all up and heat through.
Bubble and Broil
The last step is to place slabs of fresh mozzarella over the sauce and broil. Place the pan on the top rack under a broiler for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese begins to bubble and develop little speckles of char. If your pan is large enough, mix the pasta with the sauce first, then cover with mozzarella. Be sure the pasta is well covered with sauce and cheese.
Dig. In.
Here we are! The time it takes to cook down each layer creates an amazing flavor. This couldn’t be more simple to prepare. Serve your creamy herbed tomato sauce over a hearty helping of fettuccine with a side of broiled mozzarella. Then, dig in!
Tips, Tricks, & FAQs
- Can you make this with dried herbs? Absolutely, you can use dried herbs. I recommend crushing them to release the oil and flavors. These can be added at any point in the cooking of the sauce, but before the last 5 minutes to hydrate them. Fresh is amazing, but sometimes it isn’t available.
- Can you make this with fresh tomatoes?
- Yes!! I often will make this with the fresh tomatoes that are less than pretty (not makin’ the cut for a salad), but are perfect for a sauce. Fresh tomatoes will need to cook down until the skins split. You can also mash them as well.
- I don’t mind the skin and seeds. If this is something you don’t like, you can run the sauce through a food processor then strain the sauce in a mesh strainer before adding the cream and ricotta. Consider cooking the onions separately, unless you want to strain those out too.
Fettuccine with Creamy Herbed Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella
Equipment
- broiler
- 10" diameter cast-iron skillet or oven safe skillet
- chef's knife
- Colander
- cutting board
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- potato masher or large fork (optional to mash tomatoes)
- stock pot
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped (1 large onion)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh garlic (2 medium cloves)
- 2 Tablespoons combined, chopped basil, oregano, thyme
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup Marsala (optional), beef broth or water as substitute
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 28 oz diced canned tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sea salt + 1 teaspoon per 3 cups of water to cook pasta
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 12 oz dried fettuccine pasta
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth (or make broth from paste)
- 1/2 cup ricotta
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
- 10 oz fresh mozzarella slices (8-10 slices)
Instructions
Gather All Ingredients and Prep Chopped Items
- Onions. Peel and dice the onions.1 1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped (1 large onion)
- Garlic. Slice, chop, then press the garlic with the flat side of the knife.1 1/2 teaspoon fresh garlic (2 medium cloves)
- Herbs. Remove the oregano, thyme and basil leaves from the stems. To do this with oregano and thyme, grab the top of the stem with one hand and with the other hand, using your index finger and thumb to pinch the stem, run your finger and thumb along the stalk to the base. The leaves should easily come off. The goal it to leave any woody stems out of the mix. Rough chop the herbs. Set all aside.2 Tablespoons combined, chopped basil, oregano, thyme
Sauce & Pasta
- Oil. In a 10" diameter cast-iron skillet or other oven safe pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions to the skillet and cook until tender. Stir occasionally. About 5 minutes. The onions will have a yellow color.2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Saute. To the cooked onions, add the pressed garlic, marsala, and sugar. Continue to cook for approximately 5 minutes more. The onions will have a brownish color and should become more translucent.1/4 cup Marsala (optional), beef broth or water as substitute, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- Sauce. To the cooked onions, add the diced tomatoes and juices, salt, and pepper. Increase heat to medium high and simmer the sauce for about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. The tomato juices will reduce completely.28 oz diced canned tomatoes, 1 teaspoon sea salt + 1 teaspoon per 3 cups of water to cook pasta, 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Pasta. While the tomato sauce is cooking. Bring salted water to a boil for the pasta. I recommend 1 teaspoon of salt for every 3 cups of water. I also like to break the fettuccine in half before cooking. I think it fits better in the pan and it's easier to manage when eating. Cook the pasta per the directions on the box. Remember to reserve at least 1/4 cup paster water before draining.12 oz dried fettuccine pasta
- Simmer. After getting the pasta going and the tomatoes have cooked for roughly 15 minutes the tomatoes should become softer and the juices will reduce. Then, slowly add in the beef broth 1/2 cup at a time to keep the temperature from dropping too much. Bring the sauce back to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.Take this time to measure the cream, ricotta, and mozzarella.1 1/2 cups beef broth (or make broth from paste)
Finishing Touches and Assembly
- Mash. If the tomatoes are too chunky to your liking, they should be soft enough to carefully mash with the back of a fork or a potato masher before moving to the next step.
- Dairy and Herbs. Once the tomatoes are done, reduce the heat to low. Add the cream, ricotta, herbs, and 1/4 cup served pasta water. Combine well and heat through, about 5 minutes. By the way, this is the fun part because the colors of the red, and green of the herbs with the cream before you combine it all is gorgeous!1/2 cup ricotta, 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
- Mozzarella. Place the mozzarella slices evenly over the sauce. Broil on the top rack for 8-10 minutes or until the mozzarella is melty and bubbly.10 oz fresh mozzarella slices (8-10 slices)
- Plate. Plate up pasta and serve the sauce overtop. Serve immediately.
- Note: My pan wasn't large enough, but you could also mix the sauce with the pasta in the pan, then layer over the mozzarella, then broil.
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