HERE?S AN EASY PASTA recipe. The all-purpose cream adds volume and richness to the tomato sauce while the nutmeg perks it up with a warm, savory flavor. Freshly grated whole nutmeg is best to use but if you can?t find any, just use nutmeg powder, which is more readily available.

Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce

1 500-g pack penne pasta (or any desired shape pasta)

2 tbsp butter

1 medium onion, diced

3 c tomato sauce

2 c all-purpose cream

1 c grated cheese, plus more for serving

2-3 medium tomatoes, seeded and sliced lengthwise

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder

? c strips of fresh basil leaves

Salt to taste

Cook pasta following package directions. Cover pasta to keep warm.

Heat butter in a casserole and sauté onions until soft. Stir in tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Pour in all-purpose cream and stir until well-blended. Mixture will become pale orange in color. Add grated cheese. Let simmer, stirring, until cheese is completely melted. Add tomatoes.

Sprinkle the nutmeg and basil leaves. Season to taste with salt. Continue simmering until tomatoes are heated through, about one minute. Remove from heat. Pour over cooked pasta and toss well to combine. If desired, serve with more grated cheese.

Tips

So as not to bring down the temperature of the simmering tomato sauce, be sure the all-purpose cream is at room temperature. If it had been previously refrigerated, remove from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before using.

Use any type of cheese you like. Parmesan and Romano, however, are particularly good for this recipe.

After the cheese has melted, taste a teaspoon of the sauce before seasoning with salt (some cheeses tend to be on the salty side). That way, you?ll know how much salt to add.

Note: Check out my recipe for lemon-garlic pasta in the November issue of Yummy Magazine, available in bookstores and magazine stands.