Move over spaghetti, this bowtie pasta with homemade tomato and herbs sauce is our family's favorite.
Rosemary & Sage Tomato Sauce
We call this incredibly delicious pasta sauce "Mandy's Pasta" since we got this recipe from a friend on our neighborhood when our first baby was born.
But since you won't likely having the privilege of knowing Mandy, you can call it Rich and Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta, Rosemary & Sage Tomato Sauce or whatever other brilliant name you can come up with.
Regardless of what you choose to call it, this bowtie pasta sauce is sure to become a favorite family dinner. In fact, our children much prefer this sauce over spaghetti sauce any day.
Luckily, this homemade pasta sauce is easy to make and I usually always have the ingredients on hand.
This meal is a staple at our house for weeknight dinners, but we also call it "Christmas pasta" and eat it on Christmas day since it's very festive.

Ingredients
Here's what you need to make this pasta sauce:
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 1 tsp. dry basil (2 tsp. if using fresh)
- ½ tsp. rosemary (1 tsp. if using fresh)
- ½ tsp. sage (1 tsp. if fresh)
- ½ tsp. beef Better than Bouillon or beef boillon
- 2 cans petite-diced tomatoes (or equivalent if using fresh tomatoes)
- salt/pepper
- ½ cup heavy cream
Directions
- In a large sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the Better than Bouillon and spices. Give it a quick stir and cook for 1 minute. Be careful not to burn the spices!
- Drain the canned tomatoes and add them to the sauce pan. Add salt/pepper. Simmer on medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes. After simmering, pour in the cream and simmer until the sauce is thick about 5-10 more minutes.
- Serve over cooked bowtie (farfalle) noodles. Sprinkle with fresh parmesan if desired.
What To Serve With It
We love serving this pasta with garlic bread, salad or cooked corn.
Print📖 Recipe

Rich & Creamy Tomato Pasta Our Whole Family Loves
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: enough for 6 people 1x
Description
Our family's all-time favorite pasta! This rich and cream tomato based pasta sauce is incredibly fast to make, has the best flavors and only uses basic ingredients.
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 1 tsp. dry basil (2 tsp. if using fresh)
- ½ tsp. rosemary (1 tsp. if using fresh)
- ½ tsp. sage (1 tsp. if fresh)
- ½ tsp. beef Better than Bouillon or beef boillon
- 2 cans petite-diced tomatoes (or equivalent if using fresh tomatoes)
- salt/pepper
- ½ cup heavy cream
For serving
- 1 pound bowtie pasta, cooked
- fresh parmesan
Instructions
- In a large sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the Better than Bouillon and spices. Give it a quick stir and cook for 1 minute. Be careful not to burn the spices!
- Drain the canned tomatoes and add them to the sauce pan. Add salt/pepper. Simmer on medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes. After simmering, pour in the cream and simmer until the sauce is thick about 5-10 more minutes.
- Serve over cooked bowtie (farfalle) noodles. Sprinkle with fresh parmesan if desired.
Notes
Cream: if you don't have cream on hand, you can use half and half or even milk. The sauce will just be thinner, but still be delicious. Cream will give it that thick and creamy flavor.
Slow Cooker: if you want to prepare this dish in advance, make the recipe as follows except do not add the cream. Place in the slow cooker. Just before serving, add the cream and heat thoroughly.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: pasta
Keywords: pink pasta, tomato basil pasta, bowtie pasta sauce
N says
ok, this is absolutely amazing. i can't believe how quick it is but it tastes so gourmet!
★★★★★