Creamy Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce

This super rich pasta sauce is best in small doses with thick pasta like bucatini, rather than spaghetti. We’ve also made pasta casseroles with the sauce—and have even used it as the tomato sauce in a meat-free lasagna.

Cuisine

Modern

Course

Side Dish

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

less than 15 min

Cooking Technique

Max Pressure Cook, Pressure Cook

Keywords

2 pounds, contributed, cook 5 min, easy, fresh rosemary leaves, heavy cream, less than 15 min, loosely packed fresh basil leaves, max pressure cook, modern, prep 5 min, pressure cook, regular or low-fat evaporated milk, side dish, table salt, tomato paste, whole tomatoes, yellow onion

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

5 min

Servings

2 pounds

Ingredients

56 ouces whole tomatoes
1/2 cup regular or low-fat evaporated milk
1/2 small yellow onion
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp tomato paste

Instructions

Wash and dry your hands. Crush the canned tomatoes one by one into the cooker. Add the evaporated milk, onion, basil, rosemary (if using), and salt. Stir well and lock the lid onto the pot.
Optional 1 Max Pressure Cooker
Press Pressure cook on Max pressure for 4 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
Optional 2 All Pressure Cookers
Press Pressure cook (Manual) on High pressure for 5 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
Use the quick-release method to bring the pot’s pressure back to normal. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker. Stir in the cream and tomato paste. Either use an immersion blender to puree the sauce right in the pot, or pour the contents of the pot into a large blender, cover, and blend until smooth, scraping down the canister’s inside at least once.

Notes

Beyond
• For a 3-quart cooker, you must use the full amount of evaporated milk but halve the remaining ingredients.
• For an 8-quart cooker, you must add 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth with the evaporated milk.
• Add up to 1 teaspoon minced garlic with the basil.
• Grate nutmeg over the servings.
• Warm about 1/2 inch of olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat until wavy. Fry whole basil leaves in the oil until blistered, about 1 minute, turning once. Use these to garnish the pasta.
• For a vodka sauce, substitute vodka for the evaporated milk.