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This nourishing tomato soup with pasta requires only basic pantry staples; it’s simple to make, yet rich and full of tomato flavor. It’s a one-pot family meal that’s meatless, delicious, and economical!
Yes, making a big bowl of comforting, soupy pasta is possible just by reaching into your pantry. This is my goal with most recipes I make for The Clever Meal: simple, delicious, affordable meals made for real life.
For this everyday recipe, start by sautéing the onion until soft and sweet, then add garlic, convenient dried basil, and turmeric.
These pantry staples give a delicious twist with depth and flavor, and turmeric is also packed with incredible
Then add good-quality tomato sauce (aka tomato passata here in the UK), broth, a touch of tomato paste, and your favorite chunky short-cut pasta, and cook everything in one pot.
Yes, it’s that easy!
And magically, you’ll have a pot full of comforting, thick tomato soup with pasta to enjoy!
List of the ingredients
- Good-quality tomato sauce (aka puree or passata, I use )
- Short-cut pasta (orecchiette, ditaloni, shells…)
- Olive oil
- Onion and garlic
- Ground
- Broth (or water)
- Fresh or (use both if you wish)
- Salt & pepper
How to make tomato soup with pasta
(Note: this is a quick description with step-by-step photos; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Sauté the diced onion in olive oil.
- Stir in garlic, dried basil, and turmeric. If you use only fresh basil, add it at the end.
Recipe notes & tips
Tomato soup with pasta ingredients
Tomato sauce: Aka tomato passata (for my UK/Australian readers). Good-quality tomato sauce is key: its rich, smooth texture makes the tomato pasta soup lusher. My fav brand is
Pasta: Use your favorite chunky pasta cut like orecchiette (we love it!), shells or ditali and cook it until al dente. The recipe is also great for using a mix of dried pasta leftovers you have in your pantry.
Tomato paste: It adds more flavor, but you can skip it if you don’t have it.
Onion and garlic: This combo makes the flavor base. You can add diced carrot and celery and start with a proper
Turmeric: This golden spice pairs well with tomato sauce, adding depth of flavor and health benefits. You can skip it if you don’t like it or don’t have it.
Basil: Basil and tomatoes make the perfect combination. You can use shredded fresh basil at the end—it’s perfect—but convenient dried basil works fine. Feel free to use both if you wish, but reduce the dried basil by half in this case.
Broth: I use low-sodium vegetable broth, but regular vegetable broth or even chicken broth will do, and add more flavor if you don’t keep it vegan. But feel free to use plain water if that makes your life easier.
Olive oil: You can use butter instead of olive oil if you wish, but a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil at the end is excellent.
Salt and pepper: Add more salt if necessary to adjust the seasoning, and serve with freshly ground black pepper if desired.
More recipes with canned tomatoes?
If you stockpile canned tomatoes and tomato sauce, this collection of is perfect for using these convenient pantry staples.
Here are a few more of my favorite everyday recipes:
For more one-pot meals, don’t miss this collection of
Let me know if you make this tomato soup with pasta or have any questions! Leave a comment, send me a message, or rate it. I would love to hear from you!
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Tomato Soup with Pasta
This nourishing tomato soup with pasta is so comforting and requires only basic pantry staples. It’s incredibly simple to make, yet rich and full of tomato flavor. The recipe yields 4 servings (1 cup each).
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil or butter
- 1 onion, diced (any colour)
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- ½ Tablespoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon dried basil (or a handful of fresh basil leaves)
- 3 cups (720 ml) tomato passata (puree)
- 3 cups (720 ml)
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- ¾ teaspoon fine salt, or according to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ lb (8oz/240 grams) short cut pasta (orecchiette, shells..)
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the diced onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion turns translucent (5 minutes).
- Add the garlic, turmeric, and basil, and stir to enhance all the flavors for about 1 minute (if you use fresh basil, keep it aside and add it at the end).
- Add the tomato sauce, broth, tomato paste, salt, and pepper (¾ tsp of fine salt is fine if you use low-sodium vegetable broth, but if you use regular or chicken broth, it's better to adjust the seasoning at the end).
- Stir in the pasta and bring to the boil. Then, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook the pasta, keeping the lid halfway. Stir often.
- The soup will nicely thicken while the pasta is cooking, but trust your judgment and add extra broth if needed or if you prefer a thinner consistency when the pasta is done. Turn the heat off, taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking if needed, and stir in the thorn basil leaves if you use fresh basil.
- Divide into 4 bowls and serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, black pepper, and grated/shaved parmesan cheese, if desired.
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