This easy recipe for Pasta With Pink Sauce combines sweet San Marzano tomatoes with a splash of cream to create a delicate pink sauce that pairs well with any pasta. Whip up this sauce in just 30 minutes for a busy weeknight dinner that everyone will enjoy!
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What Is Pink Sauce?
I was first introduced to Pink Sauce back in college when I frequented a little Italian restaurant named Mama D's in Newport Beach. This delicious Italian sauce is a fusion of the classic tomato sauce and creamy white Alfredo sauce. It's the best of both worlds!
The best part is how easy this recipe is. Instead of making both tomato sauce and Alfredo sauce from scratch, you can cheat a little without sacrificing any flavor. Use canned San Marzano tomatoes for an instant red sauce that's still high quality. And a splash of cream adds a rich, silky flavor, resulting in a beautiful pink color and a luscious velvety texture. Fold in your choice of pasta and seriously.. you'll be resisting the urge to eat it straight from the pan.
This Pasta with Pink Sauce makes an excellent lunch or dinner that can be on the table in just 30 minutes. It's rich, creamy, luscious, lick-it-off-the-plate good!
Why You'll Love it
- It’s a simple way to make a homemade Italian classic dish.
- You’ll have a meal on the table in 30 minutes.
- This dish uses simple ingredients you can find in any grocery store.
- Customize it by using your favorite pasta and veggies.
- It makes great leftovers that are perfect for lunch or meal prep.
Ingredients
This recipe has simple ingredients that you can find anywhere. It's a perfect dish to make when you’re short on time and want something decadent.
- Pasta: I used pappardelle, but choose your favorite! This sauce would go particularly well with rigatoni, penne, fettucine, orecchiette, or cavatappi.
- Butter or oil: You can use your favorite cooking medium - even ghee would be delicious.
- Onion and garlic: Infuses the sauce with a classic Italian flavor.
- San Marzano tomatoes: You’ll need a can of whole tomatoes. These are popular in Italian red sauces because they're sweet and sturdy.
- Italian seasoning: Gives the sauce a rich Italian herb flavor. You can substitute with a blend of dried basil, parsley, and oregano.
- Sugar: Balances the acidity of the tomatoes and rounds out the dish.
- Heavy cream: Adds a creamy richness to the sauce.
- Baby spinach and frozen peas: My two favorite additions to any pasta dish, but feel free to add any vegetable you have on hand!
- Grated Parmesan cheese: Adds a salty bite to the dish.
How To Make It
Making your own sauce from scratch is totally worth it! It takes a lot less effort than you may think to get a restaurant-quality Italian sauce that pairs well with any pasta.
- Cook the pasta: Cook your pasta in a pot of salted boiling water. The water should be as salty as broth and make sure to cook the pasta 1-2 minutes less than what the box says.
- Cook the vegetables: While your pasta is cooking, heat up the oil or butter in a separate skillet. Soften the onions before adding in the garlic.
- Simmer the sauce: To the skillet with the garlic and onion, add San Marzano tomatoes, Italian seasoning, sugar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Carefully crush the tomatoes with your wooden spoon (be careful as it'll splatter!). Then simmer for at least 8-10 minutes, which will help thicken the sauce and remove any tin can flavor.
- Add cream & vegetables: To the tomato sauce, pour in heavy cream and stir until combined. Then, add peas and spinach and stir until wilted. Simmer the pink sauce on low until the pasta is finished cooking.
- Finish the pasta: Add the very al dente pasta to the sauce. Turn the heat to high and stir continuously until pasta is perfectly al dente. Finish the pasta in the sauce results in a very flavorful pasta while the starch helps thicken and emulsifies the sauce. Finish the Parmesan cheese and enjoy!
Top Tips
- Adjust the pasta quantity to your choosing. If you want an ultra saucy dish, use only 8 oz of pasta. It'll be heavy on the sauce so you'll have more room for protein or veggies if you want to add more. Or if you prefer the pasta and sauce to be more equal in proportions, go up to 12 oz of pasta.
- Have everything chopped, measured, and ready to go. Timing is everything in this dish! You should start on your sauce first, while the water is coming to a boil for the pasta. As soon as it's boiling, drop the pasta. The sauce should be ready by the time the pasta is very al dente.
- Heavily salt the pasta water. We're not using any of the pasta water for the sauce, so you can salt it more than usual. I like it to taste as salty as broth.
Make It Yours
- This recipe is vegetarian but it's very versatile. Feel free to add your favorite protein like chicken, steak, shrimp, or sausage.
- This sauce goes with everything! Try different pasta shapes, or even add it to ravioli, gnocchi, or lasagna.
- To make this gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free pasta.
- To make this dairy-free, use oil to sauté the vegetables and try full-fat coconut milk or cream instead of heavy cream. The taste will be a little different and lighter. Skip the sugar and Parmesan cheese as well.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Leftover Pasta with Pink Sauce can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat or microwave until warmed through. Stir thoroughly to combine everything.
Freezing: Let the dish cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe airtight container. You could also store it in a zipper-top bag but keep it flat and remove as much air as possible. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating and serving.
FAQ
Both pink sauce and vodka sauce have a tomato base. However, vodka sauce adds a splash of vodka while pink sauce uses milk or cream.
Generally, pink sauce is made by mixing tomatoes and cream which gives it a light pink color.
Pink sauce has a delicate flavor that is creamy and also slightly sweet and acidic from the tomatoes making it a great flavor combination.
Looking For More?
Pasta is one of my favorite things to cook and eat! If you want to expand your pasta repertoire, try these:
- One-Pot Creamy Chicken Gnocchi
- Sausage and Kale Pasta
- One-Pot Cheeseburger Pasta
- French Onion Chicken Pasta Bake
- Tortellini Caprese
📋 Recipe
Pasta with Pink Sauce
Ingredients
- 8-12 oz pasta I used pappardelle
- ½ tablespoon butter or oil
- ¼ onion diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 28 oz San Marzano whole tomatoes
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning see notes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 handfuls baby spinach
- ⅓ cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
- While the water comes to a boil, heat butter or oil in a large, wide pan or pot. Add onion, cooking 3-4 minutes until softened. Then add garlic and cook for additional minute. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Add can of San Marzano tomatoes, Italian seasoning, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Crush the tomatoes with your wooden spoon and then simmer on medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring often. For an ultra smooth sauce, purée with immersion blender.
- Add heavy cream, spinach, & peas to the sauce. Stir to let spinach wilt and season to taste. Let simmer over low heat until pasta is ready.
- Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook 1 minute less than al dente. Directly transfer the pasta to the sauce with a slotted spoon or tongs.
- Turn the heat to high and mix constantly until pasta is al dente. Then turn off the heat and finish with Parmesan cheese. Season to taste.
- Let sit for a minute to allow the sauce to thicken, then serve while hot.
Notes
- Storing Leftovers: Store in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- To Freeze: Let the dish cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe airtight container. You could also store it in a zipper-top bag but keep it flat and remove as much air as possible. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating and serving.
- Reheating: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat or microwave until warmed through. Stir thoroughly to combine everything.
- Substitutions:
- If you don't have Italian seasoning, substitute with 1 teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, and ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- In place of spinach and peas, use any vegetables you'd like!
- You can also replace the San Marzano tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and sugar with your favorite jarred marinara sauce.
- To make this gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free pasta.
- To make this dairy-free, use oil to sauté the vegetables and try full-fat coconut milk or cream instead of heavy cream. The taste will be a little different and lighter. Skip the sugar and Parmesan cheese as well.
Nutrition
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