Nearly two decades ago I sat down for a dinner date at an upscale Upper East Side Italian restaurant and ordered linguini in a tomato cream sauce. As soon as I put the fork to my mouth it was culinary heaven. So simple and so utterly delicious I ordered that same dish every time after. Years later, when they took the dish off the menu, I was determined to duplicate it at home. After much trial and error I finally succeeded and surprisingly, with the simplest ingredients and most unexpected recipe.

Here’s my easy recipe for restaurant style pasta:

Ingredients:

• 18 ounces GF or regular fresh linguini 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 4 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1 jar (approximately 25 ounces) of your favorite marinara sauce 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp black pepper 
• 1/2 cup heavy cream 
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Instructions:

• Sauté garlic and olive oil over medium to low heat until fragrant. 
• Add marinara sauce, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for about 15 minutes. 
• Cook pasta as directed and drain. 
• Remove sauce from heat, add cream. Once marinara and cream combine turn heat back on low and stir for about five minutes. 
• Toss sauce with pasta. 
• Plate, garnish with basil, and serve immediately.