This recipe for Spaghetti with Skinny Tomato Cream Sauce is a fail-safe pasta dish that proves low fat doesn’t mean a lack of flavor. I Love tomato pasta sauces! Some of my all-time favorites are my Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce, Mushroom Tomato Sauce, and Spaghetti Bolognese. Try them and you will not be disappointed!
Creamy Pasta Sauce Without the Guilt
This vegetarian recipe is the perfect solution when you want something quick and tasty on a busy weeknight. Not only that, but it’s a cream sauce with a lot less guilt!
I LOVE cream sauces, but with they are packed with calories and fats so as much as I’d like to make them all the time, I tend to limit how often I make them.
With this recipe, I found a lighter way of making a cream sauce so I no longer have to limit how often I make it! Why not serve my Perfect Garlic Bread, meal complete!
Why This Recipe Works:
- The fat-free half and half cut the fat without affecting the creaminess of the dish
- The lighter cream gives a creamy consistency without the heavy richness of other cream sauces.
- The parmesan cheese adds a depth of flavor you won’t get with using cream alone.
Now I know this isn’t a fat-free dish. I think it would be impossible to make a fat free version because that would require skipping the Parmesan cheese, and to me, that would be totally unacceptable!
How to Make Spaghetti with Skinny Tomato Cream Sauce (aka Pink Sauce):
Start with heating a large pan coated in low-fat cooking spray and saute the onion until soft (about 5 minutes).
Add the garlic and cook for about a minute more.
Add the tomatoes.
Season with salt and pepper and cook, uncovered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
Add the half and half and Parmesan cheese. Season to taste and cook on low heat another few minutes.
Add the cheese and parsley.
Coat the slightly undercooked pasta and add a little pasta water to loosen if need be. 
Once the pasta is desired softness, add the sauce and serve hot with grated cheese.
It’s that easy! This Skinny Spaghetti with Tomato Cream Sauce may be low fat, but I promise it tastes absolutely amazing!
Other Pasta Dishes You’ll Love
Cook’s Tips:
- Cook the spaghetti until just undercooked and finish cooking in the sauce.
- Don’t add oil to your pasta water. This will cause the sauce to slip off the pasta instead of coating it.
- Taste as you season. Some parmesan cheeses are quite salty so you may want to wait to season with salt until after you’ve added the cheese. Then taste, add the salt and taste again.
- Don’t have time for sauteing the onions and garlic? Use your favorite tomato sauce and add the cream to it for a speedy alternative.
FAQs
Can you add milk to tomato pasta sauce? You can add full-fat milk instead of cream, but you will end up with a much thinner sauce that’s less creamy. Skimmed milk may curdle when added to the acid in the tomatoes.
Can Tomato Cream Sauce (aka Pink Sauce or Rose Sauce) be frozen? Tomato cream sauce freezes quite well. Just add it to an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
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Let's Make Spaghetti with Skinny Tomato Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- low-fat cooking spray
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes canned
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- a pinch of sugar optional
- 1 cup fat free half and half
- grated Parmesan or Romano cheese to taste
- fresh parsley chopped
- 1 pound spaghetti
Instructions
- Start your pasta water and cook until just under-cooked.
- Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan coated in low- fat cooking spray and saute the onion until soft (about 5 minutes).
- Add the garlic and cook for about a minute more (being careful not to let it get too dark).
- Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook, uncovered, over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
- Taste the sauce and if you need to cut down on acidity, add a pinch of sugar.
- Add the half and half and Parmesan cheese. Season to taste and cook on low heat another few minutes.
- Drain the pasta (reserving some of the pasta water)and add it to the pan with the sauce. Coat the pasta and add a little pasta sauce to loosen if need be.
- Serve hot once the pasta is desired softness.
Tips + Notes
- Cook the spaghetti until just undercooked and finish cooking in the sauce.
- Don't add oil to your pasta water. This will cause the sauce to slip off the pasta instead of coating it.
- Taste as you season. Some parmesan cheeses are quite salty so you may want to wait to season with salt until after you've added the cheese. Then taste, add the salt and taste again.
Nutrition Information:
Update Notes: This post was originally posted in 2017, but was rewritten and republished with new photos a video, step by step instructions and tips in Sept of 2019.
RACHAEL says
Yum. I could eat this sauce with a spoon. Very delicious. So easy and so good did not change a thing.
Erren Hart says
I’m delighted to hear you liked it so much! 🙂
Maria says
Fantastic recipe! Really easy to make and tastes amazing! Love everything you make! Love from Australia……..
Erren's Kitchen says
Thank you Maria, hello there, down under 🙂