Creamy Tomato Pappardelle Pasta Recipe

Our creamy tomato pappardelle recipe is quick and easy to make. Pappardelle pasta and white mushrooms are covered in a thick and creamy tomato and ground beef sauce for a hearty comfort-food dish.

As well as being delicious, this pasta dish can also be part of a healthy diet, a perfect not-so-guilty pleasure.

Differences Between Pappardelle and Fettuccine

Pappardelle and fettuccine are both wide and thick varieties of pasta and frequently paired with creamy sauces. 

The only thing that separates them is the width. Fettuccine is around 0.5-inch thick while pappardelle is around 1-inch thick.

Is Creamy Tomato Pappardelle Pasta Healthy?

Yes, it is.

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For a dish with heavy cream and cheese, you may be wondering if the level of calories and saturated fat is too high. For this recipe, we have carefully adjusted the portion size and amount of ingredients to make sure the dish is healthy.

Each serving contains 494 calories and 8 grams of saturated fat. We use just enough heavy cream and cheese to get the desired texture. Also, the number of calories allows you to add more vegetables to the meal.

This dish also contains 20.4 grams of protein whose health benefits include promoting bone health and supporting weight loss.

Ingredients You Will Need

• Pasta

Our pasta choice for this recipe is pappardelle because its thick and wide shape is a perfect match for the chunky and creamy sauce. 

You can also replace pappardelle with other wide pasta like fettuccine or tagliatelle. Still, we recommend pappardelle because it’s the thickest variety of the three. 

• Tomato sauce

As the base of the sauce, we used our homemade tomato sauce. Our recipe for the tomato sauce features aromatics like onion and garlic alongside paprika for color and a little kick. For more pasta recipes using our homemade tomato sauce, check out our Vegan Spaghetti and Squid Ink Seafood Pasta recipes. You’ll love them!

• Beef

Ground beef is a source of protein in the dish, but it’s more of a component of the sauce than a standalone meat ingredient. Caramelizing the ground beef will release its signature meaty flavor. 

• Mushrooms

We used white mushrooms cut into bite-sized pieces as another source of protein in this recipe. The mushrooms have a mild flavor but benefit from all the other ingredients because they can soak up all their goodness.

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• Chicken stock

Chicken stock is added near the end and reduced with the other ingredients. You can also use beef broth, but it has bolder and stronger flavors than chicken broth.

• Heavy cream

We added heavy cream to help thicken the sauce and add creamy flavors.

• Others

This recipe also includes olive oil, garlic, and onion as aromatics and spices like salt, pepper, paprika, and thyme. Lastly, we used flour to further thicken the sauce.

Tips for Making

• Don’t overcook the pasta

Cooking pasta perfectly is vital to this dish. You should boil the pasta until al dente before stirring it with other ingredients. 

To check, take a bite, if it’s somewhat firm, you can take it off the heat. Or if you use dried pasta, take it out 2 minutes earlier than the time on the package.

• Substitute the heavy cream

Vegan cream can be a healthy substitute for heavy cream. It’s quick, easy, and made from two ingredients:

Soak cashews in hot water for 5-10 minutes or cool water for 2-3 hours. Rinse the cashews and blend until creamy.

How to Store and Reheat the Leftovers

Pappardelle pasta can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. You can increase its shelf life to 1-2 months by freezing it in freezer bags.

For pasta dishes with a creamy sauce like this one, reheating can be tricky as the fat in the sauce can separate.

The microwave is the best solution if you don’t have time. Add some milk or water to the pasta and let it run for 1 minute. Remove it and stir. If it’s still dry, add 1-2 tbsp of milk or water and repeat the process.

You can also use an oven. The process is similar to the microwave, but remember to place the pasta on a baking dish and cover it with aluminum foil. Stir halfway through to check if the pasta is cooked evenly.

If you aren’t in a rush, reheating on a stove with a skillet is the best way because you can check all the way through. Stir frequently on low heat and add water or milk when needed.

What to Serve With This Recipe

This creamy pappardelle pasta is a hearty dish, so we recommend a salad on the side to add some vegetables to the meal.

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• Beet and Feta Cheese Salad: This colorful salad adds a variety of flavors and textures to balance out the creaminess of the pasta. The earthy flavors of beet and arugula mixed with oranges will lighten up the pasta dish, and walnuts will add a nice contrast in texture.
• Fresh Lime Juice: Lime juice is a quick, easy, and refreshing beverage to finish a meal.

How to Make Creamy Tomato Pappardelle Pasta

5 from 1 vote

Our creamy tomato pappardelle pasta recipe is quick and easy to make. This pasta dish is delicious but can also be part of a healthy diet, a perfect not-so-guilty pleasure.

- by Tuyet Pham, Luna Regina, 2022-07-29

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• cook TIME 15 mins
• prep TIME 10 mins
• total TIME 25 mins

• COURSE Main Course
• CUISINE Italian
• SERVINGS
  4

  servings
• CALORIES 494 kcal

INGREDIENTS

1x2x3x

• 18 oz pappardelle (cooked)
• 6 oz 85% lean ground beef
• 6 oz white mushroom
• 1 cup homemade tomato sauce
• 0.5 oz grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 cup unsalted chicken broth
• 4 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp garlic (minced)
• 2 oz onion (chopped)
• 2 tsp all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

Image instructions

1

Put a pan on medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp garlic, and 2 oz onion and caramelize for 1 minute.

2

Add 6 oz white mushrooms and mix well for 3 minutes.

3

Add 6 oz ground beef and continue stirring for 2 minutes.

4

Add 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 tsp paprika, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp thyme, and 2 tsp all-purpose flour and mix thoroughly.

5

Add 1 cup unsalted chicken broth, bring it to a boil, and let it simmer for another 3 minutes.

6

Mix in 4 tbsp heavy cream and add 18 oz cooked pappardelle. Stir carefully for 1 minute.

7

Take it off the heat, and garnish with the 0.5 oz grated parmesan cheese and 2 tbsp parsley. Enjoy.

NUTRITION

Nutrition Facts

How to Make Creamy Tomato Pappardelle Pasta

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 494Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Fat 23g

35%

Saturated Fat 8g

50%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 4g

Cholesterol 48mg

16%

Sodium 558mg

24%

Potassium 593mg

17%

Carbohydrate 52g

17%

Fiber 5g

21%

Sugar 6g

7%

Protein 20g

40%

Vitamin A 1435IU

29%

Vitamin C 20mg

24%

Calcium 81mg

8%

Iron 3mg

17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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