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    Home » Savory

    Pink Sauce Pasta

    January 23, 2024 By Sam Leave a Comment

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    collage of pink sauce pasta, top image of pasta in skillet photographed from above, bottom image photographed from side

    A close cousin to to penne alla vodka, pink sauce pasta is made with a velvety smooth tomato cream sauce. Just a few minutes of hands-on time for restaurant-quality flavor!

    Overhead view of pink sauce pasta in a blue cast iron skillet.

    The BEST Pink Sauce Pasta

    Another satisfying (and meatless) pasta dish, this is a cousin (sister?) to my vodka sauce. It’s made with tomato sauce blended with cream, and makes a satisfying, velvety sauce. The flavor is a perfect blend of tangy tomato sauce and rich cream, plus some parmesan and fresh basil too!

    Why You’ll Love This Recipe

    • Only 15 minutes of prep work, and the rest of the time is hands-off. This makes an excellent weeknight dinner!
    • Pairs well with any protein; meatballs, seared chicken, or shrimp would all work. It’s also great as a standalone meatless option, too though!
    • Incredible flavor and smooth texture. It’s a unique dish that truly tastes restaurant-quality!
    • Not quite alfredo, nor is it marinara–this is the best of both worlds!

    What You Need

    Most of these ingredients will look familiar if you’ve made my penne alla vodka, though there are a few differences. Let’s go over the important ones before we get cooking.

    Overhead view of ingredients including pasta, cream, canned tomatoes, and more.
    • Canned tomatoes. I recommend whole peeled tomatoes. Use a good quality tomato for the best flavor; San Marzano tomatoes are an excellent choice (also my preference when making tomato soup and arrabiata sauce)!
    • Cream. Heavy cream, whipping cream, or double cream will all work. This doesn’t win you any diet points, but what it does do is balance the flavor of the tomatoes and make the sauce luxuriously creamy (without being cloyingly so).
    • Basil. I use and recommend fresh basil, but if you can only find dried, you can use that instead. This won’t be a direct substitution; you will only need 1 ½ teaspoons if you use dried.
    • White wine. I recommend a dry white wine like pinot grigio. For an alcohol-free version, you could try using chicken stock instead, but wine is one of the ingredients that makes this a classic pink sauce pasta.
    • Pasta. Rigatoni is usually the pasta noodle of choice for this dish, but feel free to substitute your favorite. Penne is another great option. I like a tube-shaped noodle, the better for holding all that sauce!

    SAM’S TIP: Not a wine drinker? Me neither. I like to buy a 4-pack of mini wine bottles to use for cooking, that way I don’t feel guilty about opening a whole bottle of wine for a recipe!

    Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

    How to Make Pink Sauce Pasta

    4 photo collage of pink pasta sauce being made, garlic, paste, wine and tomatoes added
    1. Saute the onion in olive oil and butter until softened, then stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
    2. Stir in the tomato paste, salt, and spices and cook until the tomato paste caramelizes a bit. It will darken in color slightly when you’re ready for the next step (this is great for developing the flavor of the tomato paste!).
    3. Drizzle in the wine while scraping the bottom of the pan. We want all of those browned bits to get worked into the sauce, as they’re loaded with flavor (plus, catching them now will make cleanup easier)! Keep cooking until the wine/broth reduces by about half. Most, if not all, of the alcohol cooks off during this step.
    4. Add the tomatoes and use your spatula to break them up so they have a crushed consistency, then drizzle in the cream. Stir until everything is well combined.
    Two photos showing the sauce being blended and pasta being added
    1. Blend the sauce with an immersion blender, food processor, or blender. Once smooth, pour the sauce back into your pot and let simmer for about 30 minutes.
    2. Add the cooked pasta, cheese, basil, and a splash of pasta water you’ve reserved from cooking your noodles (a key secret ingredient for sauce that beautifully coats your noodles). Cook over low heat and stir until the cheese melts and the sauce coats the noodles, then serve!

    SAM’S TIP: Canned tomatoes with a lot of citric acid can make your pink sauce acidic. Always taste-test, and if yours is acidic, a pinch of sugar will help balance things out.

    Spoon serving pink sauce pasta from a skillet.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Why is it called pink sauce?

    While truthfully it’s a bit more orange than pink, this sauce gets its name from the color combination that results from blending tomato sauce with cream.

    What’s the difference between pink sauce and vodka sauce?

    They are very similar actually. Rather than vodka, we’ll use white wine (or chicken broth) here for depth of flavor and a velvety texture. I also use some different spices in my vodka sauce recipe, but other than that, there isn’t a whole lot of difference between the two.

    Can I substitute crushed tomatoes?

    Yes. Whole peeled tomatoes are preferable (better flavor and texture), but crushed will work if it’s all you can find or all you have on hand.

    Rigatoni pasta tossed in a tomato cream sauce and served in a blue cast iron skillet.

    What can I serve with pink sauce pasta?

    • Add some protein. Chicken, shrimp, Italian sausage, etc. Any of these would be a great addition. You could also cook the protein of your choice in the pan first in some olive oil then remove it to a plate while you cook the rest of your sauce, keeping this a one-dish dinner.
    • Up the nutritional ante. Wilt some spinach in the sauce immediately adding the pasta, a great way to sneak in more veggies!
    • Bread. Pink sauce pasta practically begs for crusty artisan bread, sourdough bread, or breadsticks on the side 😋
    • Lighten things up with a side salad. A light garden salad, Italian salad, with a vinaigrette or homemade ranch dressing makes this a complete meal. Caprese salad would be another great choice!

    Enjoy!

    Let’s bake together! Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified of all the newest recipes, and find my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜

    Overhead view of pink sauce pasta in a blue cast iron skillet.

    Pink Sauce Pasta

    A close cousin to to penne alla vodka, pink sauce pasta is made with a velvety smooth tomato cream sauce. Just a few minutes of hands-on time for restaurant-quality flavor!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner, Main Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 595kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 Tablespoons (28 g) butter salted or unsalted
    • 1 (140 g) medium yellow onion diced (about 1 cup)
    • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
    • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
    • 1 teaspoon table salt
    • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • ⅓ cup (80 ml) dry white wine or chicken broth
    • 28 oz (793 g) whole peeled tomatoes
    • 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) heavy cream
    • 16 oz (453 g) uncooked rigatoni pasta
    • ⅓ cup (27 g) grated parmesan cheese + more for serving
    • ¼ cup freshly sliced basil or 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
    • Additional parmesan and fresh basil for topping optional

    Recommended Equipment

    • Large Saucepan
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • In a large saucepan or pot over medium heat, heat oil and butter until the butter has melted.
      2 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 Tablespoons (28 g) butter
    • Add onion and saute, stirring frequently, until softened (about 3-5 minutes).
      1 (140 g) medium yellow onion
    • Add garlic and stir, cooking until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
      1 Tablespoon minced garlic
    • Add tomato paste, salt, thyme, and pepper and stir well.
      2 Tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon table salt, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • Slowly pour in wine (or broth), scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula to loosen any browned bits. Cook until liquid is reduced by about half.
      ⅓ cup (80 ml) dry white wine or chicken broth
    • Add whole tomatoes, breaking up the tomatoes with your spatula as you cook.
      28 oz (793 g) whole peeled tomatoes
    • Slowly drizzle in cream, stirring until well combined.
      1 ¼ cups (300 ml) heavy cream
    • Use an immersion blender to puree the sauce until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer sauce to a blender and puree in batches, then return to the pot.
    • Reduce heat and simmer sauce for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. After about 15 minutes, begin to prepare pasta (this will give you about 30 minutes of simmering total, which is ideal for this dish).
    • Prepare pasta. Cook pasta in well-salted water according to package instructions. Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of pasta water (you likely will not need all of it, just save extra in case, it's also nice to store and add a splash if reheating leftovers the next day).
      16 oz (453 g) uncooked rigatoni pasta
    • Add drained pasta, cheese, and basil along with ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir well and cook over low heat until the cheese is melted and the sauce has thickened and coats the noodles. If needed, add more pasta water, a splash at a time.
      ⅓ cup (27 g) grated parmesan cheese, ¼ cup freshly sliced basil
    • Serve immediately, garnished with additional grated parmesan cheese and torn fresh basil leaves, if desired.
      Additional parmesan and fresh basil for topping

    Notes

    Tomato acidity

    Canned tomatoes can vary in degrees of acidity. Always taste-test your sauce as it simmers, if yours seems acidic, add a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity.

    Storing

    Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I like to save some of the reserved pasta water on the side, then reheat the pasta on the stovetop with a splash of the pasta water to rehydrate it and keep the sauce creamy and smooth.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 595kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 766mg | Potassium: 576mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1187IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 3mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

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