Creamy Tomato Pasta

• a handful of spaghetti10 oz spaghettia handful of gluten-free pasta10 oz gluten-free pasta — pull it a minute early — gluten-free noodles soften fast
• a pat of butter2 tbsp unsalted buttera glug of olive oil2 tbsp olive oil — loses a little richness; a splash of pasta water smooths it back
• 3 cloves garlic, minced3 cloves garlic, minced
• half an onion, finely chopped1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup tomato passata1 cup tomato passata
• 3/4 cup heavy cream3/4 cup heavy cream3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk3/4 cup coconut milk — use the thick canned kind; leaves a faint coconut note
• 1/2 cup milk1/2 cup milk1/2 cup oat milk1/2 cup oat milk — any unsweetened plant milk works here
• a big handful of grated parmesan3/4 cup parmesan, finely grateda couple spoonfuls of nutritional yeast3 tbsp nutritional yeast — stir in for the savory, cheesy depth without the cheese
• 1 tsp dried basil1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp chicken stock powder1 tsp chicken stock powder
• salt, to tastesalt, to taste
• black pepper, to tasteblack pepper, finely ground, to taste

Steps

1. Boil the spaghetti in well-salted water, stopping two minutes shy of the package time. Scoop out a mug of the cooking water before you drain.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until soft, about 2 minutes.
3. Pour in the passata, cream, milk, parmesan, basil, and stock powder. Stir until the cheese melts, then simmer for 2 minutes and salt to taste.
4. Add the drained pasta and toss for a minute or two until the sauce clings to the strands. Loosen with a splash of the reserved water if it gets too thick.
5. Serve right away with extra parmesan and parsley on top.