The perfect blend of tomato and cream sauce, this pasta with pink sauce is one of our favorite dishes to make and comes together so quickly! Just a handful of ingredients and a quick cooking time gets lunch or dinner on the table in a flash.
What is pink sauce?
In the Middle East, pasta pink sauce is one of the most popular restaurant dishes to order. It’s a blend of tomato and cream sauce, so the resulting pasta sauce is colored pink. It’s really delicious! It has tang from the tomato sauce, and creaminess from white sauce without being too rich and heavy. It makes creamy sauced pasta more approachable!
Ingredients in pasta with pink sauce:
Pasta: I like using penne- it’s the most typical way to make pink sauce pasta, but you can use any pasta you like.
Tomato passata: This is not the same thing as tomato paste. You’ll find jars labeled passata in the same section you find canned tomatoes and sauce. It’s basically pureed and strained uncooked or lightly cooked tomatoes. If you can’t find it, you can substitute tomato puree or tomato sauce.
The creamy part: A mix between heavy cream (whipping cream) and milk. This is another great way to keep the pasta from being too heavy with all heavy cream.
The flavoring: The sauce starts off with a base of olive oil and butter, in which we cook onion and garlic. This gets the flavor going.
Added to this are the spices: simply dried basil (can sub Italian seasoning if you want), red chili flakes, salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar which helps with the acidity of the tomatoes. The crumbled bouillon cube (you can use veggie stock too) adds a lot of flavor, depth and some salt to the dish too.
The cheese: I use mozzarella cheese that’s stirred into the sauce at the last minute making it gooey and delicious. You can also top the completed dish with some fresh Parmesan if desired or extra mozzarella.
How to make pink sauce pasta:
First make the pasta. You’ll cook it according to package instructions, until pasta is al dente, then you’ll drain the pasta but reserve a little pasta water. Be careful not too overcook, since it’ll get added back to the pink sauce and soften a little further.
Heat butter and olive oil in a large enough skillet to fit all the pasta ingredients over medium heat until the butter melts.
Next, add the diced onion and saute until softened. Once the onion is soft, the garlic goes in for another minute or until fragrant.
Add the tomato passata and all the herbs and simmer for just a few minutes.
The last step is adding the milk, the cream and the shredded mozzarella cheese and stirring until a thick pink sauce forms.
Add the cooked pasta back into the skillet and stir until the pasta is evenly coated in the sauce. If it’s too thick, add a splash of pasta water to loosen.
That’s it! A delicious meal in a flash!
Tips for pink sauce success:
-Make sure not to overcook the pasta so it doesn’t get too soft when you add it back to the sauce.
-Cook the onions through thoroughly until soft- they won’t cook further when you add the tomato passata.
-Adjust the seasoning to your taste. The bouillon cube will add saltiness, so taste before adding any salt.
-Make it as creamy and as cheesy as you like. The amounts indicated are my perfect balance.
Can I use other types of pasta with pink sauce?
Yes! I made this with ravioli and it was absolutely delicious. You can also use spaghetti, elbow macaroni, linguine, whatever you like!
What to serve pink pasta with:
This pairs well with a simple salad, or go the other end of the spectrum with dinner rolls or garlic bread.
I love having any pasta with garlic confit.
Try with some protein on the side, like these easy oven baked chicken breasts. I also had pasta as a side to a simple steak once and it was superb. You can try breaded chicken or veal too.
Mix in some cooked shrimp or chicken for a more substantial meal.
Pink Sauce Pasta
Ingredients
- 300 g pasta of choice, I used penne
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small red onion, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1.5 cups tomato passata (or puree or sauce-not tomato paste)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 chicken bouillon cube, crumbled
- pinch sugar
- sprinkle of red chili flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/3-1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to package instructions, then drain, reserving some of the pasta water.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter and olive oil. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the tomato passata, dried basil, crumbled chicken bouillon cube, sugar, red chili flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for a few minutes, then add the cream, milk and the shredded mozzarella.
- Add the cooked pasta, toss to combine and warm through for a few minutes. If sauce is too thick, add a splash of pasta water. Enjoy immediately!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Penne With Pink Sauce by everylittlecrumb on Jumprope.
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urmi says
best pink sauce pasta recipe ever
Farah Abumaizar says
Thanks so much Urmi! We love it too!
Renate says
Saved as a favorite, I love your website!
Farah Abumaizar says
Thanks so much Renate! That’s so kind of you, you’ll love this pasta!
Anamm says
Yummiest pasta ever 😍. Everyone loved it.
And easy to make
Farah Abumaizar says
Thanks so much Anamm, We love it too! So happy you all enjoyed 🙂
Noor says
Simple yet delicious at so many levels definately a keeper
Farah Abumaizar says
Thanks so much for your comment Noor! So glad you enjoy it!
Alyssa says
Hi!
I’m sorry if this has been asked already but is there a substitute for the chicken bouillon cube? I’m really not a fan of the ingredients in those little cubes. Thank you! <3
Farah Abumaizar says
Hello!! You can completely leave it out, maybe just add a pinch more salt
Nancy Kelly says
Wow! I added fresh spinach with the onions. I also flash sautéed scallops and added them. This sauce is perfect. Next time I will add fresh mushrooms!
Farah Abumaizar says
I love your additions! Yum! Scallops are a favorite of mine. So glad you liked the recipe thanks for taking the time to comment Nancy!
Yesha patel says
I tried this recipe, and its just amazing 5/5 💜💜💜
Farah Abumaizar says
So glad you liked it!!!! Thanks for taking the time to comment
Barbara Murawski says
Tried several similar sauces and this one is definitely the best or closest to a Rose Sauce I once had in a Montreal Restaurant. Will definitely make this one again.
Farah Abumaizar says
So so happy to hear you liked the recipe! Thanks for taking the time to comment Barbara!
Mandi says
Can this sauce be cooked ahead of time and added to pasta the next day? I worry about the cheese and cream if cooked ahead of time.
Farah Abumaizar says
Yes!! It’ll be fine, if you need to thin it out when reheating just add a splash of pasta water, milk or cream!
Hetal Patel says
Amazing recipe very quick and easy. This recipe has become all time favorite within a month we made this pasta 3 times and making it again today.
Farah Abumaizar says
I am so so happy to hear this! What great feedback, thank you Hetal!
Ellie says
This was a great (and easy) recipe! We made butternut squash ravioli noodles to go with it for my boyfriend, and gluten free linguine noodles for myself, and both were delicious. And it was super easy to make it lactose free by using lactose free products because we’re lactose intolerant. Sometimes recipes use ingredients that are impossible to find lactose free substitutes for but this simple ingredient list lends itself great for dietary substitutions. Thank you! 🙂
Farah Abumaizar says
Thanks Ellie for the update! So glad it works well with those swaps, and butternut squash ravioli sounds like a dream with this sauce! So happy you two enjoyed it!
Ali Campbell says
Wow… hands down, best pasta we’ve ever had! Super unique exceptional flavor… really blown away. We were all obsessed. This is one of those dishes that is just above the rest. Different level. Even our crazy picky toddler for the first time in his life (no joke) asked for seconds. What a phenomenal recipe! Thank you, new fav and new staple!
Farah Abumaizar says
What an amazing comment to read! Truly made my day, I get so happy when kids like a recipe because I know how hard to please they can be. Thanks for taking the time to comment !
Jodie says
As a college student with hardly any time to spare for meal prep, i can confirm this recipe is both easy to make and really filling. I’m literally eating it while typing this out, will definitely make again!
Farah Abumaizar says
Thank you so much for the comment Jodie! So happy you enjoyed the pasta definitely one of my fave recipes! Happy studying ❤️
Nita says
Can I make the sauce in the morning and just reheat and add the pasta in the evening for dinner? Meaning, does it keep well in the refrigerator for about 6 or so hours?
Farah Abumaizar says
Yes ! If you need to thin it out, add some pasta water or a splash of hot water or cream and should be just fine. Like you mentioned, don’t mix it with the pasta before refrigerating
Darian says
I made this, but unfortunately, it’s got an awkward taste Could be becuase of the wheat noodles. Don’t know. But my dad LOVED it. It was very easy to make though.
Farah Abumaizar says
Thanks for the feedback Darian! Maybe try with regular noodles, it’s an indulgent dish for sure! Glad your dad enjoyed ❤️
Maria says
Hi! I’m making this tonight – do you think I could use better than bouillon BEEF? Or chicken broth ? I don’t have chicken bouillon and really don’t want to go to the store 😀 thanks!
Farah Abumaizar says
I’m sure beef bouillon or veggie stock will work absolutely fine!! Let me know!
Darren says
Great recipe! I’m just about to cook it now. It could do with some veg for nutrition though.
Farah Abumaizar says
You could totally add any veg of your choice! Mushrooms would be great, so would bell peppers and broccoli !
Ledz says
Oh my god! I just made this for dinner. Absolutely the best rosé sauce I’ve ever tasted! Even those in restaurants! Even my son who is super picky loved it! A family of 5…. “had their gut full”!!!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Farah Abumaizar says
What a wonderful comment!! Thank you so much for sharing, I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe as much as our family does! So happy your picky son liked it, I know the feeling as a mom with a very picky 4 year old hehe
Debi Scott says
I made this today and LOVED it! I used 4 medium onions, fresh basil, a little fresh oregano, crushed tomatoes, chicken base (I didn’t have bouillon) and probably used closer to 3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese. After the sauce was made, I mixed it together with penne pasta, and a blend of sautéed zucchini, red peppers, mushrooms and pea pods. A delightful dish! Thank you for sharing this delicious sauce recipe.
Farah Abumaizar says
I am so glad you liked it! Your addition sound wonderful, love the idea of the veggies!
Carol says
What does 300 g pasta equate to in cups and/or ounces?
Farah Abumaizar says
Hi! It’s about 10-11 ounces ☺️