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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Linda Lou says
Made it for a family gathering. Now it’s the first thing they request.
Farah Abumaizar says
Amazing, I’m so happy to hear that! It’s the best when a new recipe gets added to the family regular rotation!
Anna says
Absolutely delicious! Followed the recipe exactly and my chef husband ate every last drop. This has officially made its way into our family recipe collection. SOOO GOOD! Thank you! I am your newest follower! š
Farah Abumaizar says
That made me SO happy! Super hard to please a chef. Thanks so much for the kind comment, and welcome to the family!
Nicole Stangl says
How much pasta water do I use? It doesn’t say in the recipe.
Farah Abumaizar says
I usually eyeball it, and it ends up being around 1/4 cup!
Eric says
super yummy
Farah Abumaizar says
Thanks Eric! So glad you liked it!
Julie says
I thought this was delicious! I did take the liberty of doubling the amount of mozzarella. I don’t alway have bouillion cubes – what could I substitute for that?
Farah Abumaizar says
You can honestly leave them out, they just add a little umammi flavor, maybe a pinch more salt and seasoning. Love the idea of doubling the mozzarella, the more cheese the better!
Marie-Claude says
Amazing sauce! Very quick and easy.
Farah Abumaizar says
So glad you enjoyed it Marie! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Michaela says
This recipe was FANTASTIC! I made the pink sauce with penne last night, and everyone had seconds. It was simple to put together but tasted like something I would order at a restaurant. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Farah Abumaizar says
I am soooo happy you liked it! It’s seriously such an easy go to meal, and one of our favorites. We never order it out anymore!
Amy says
we loved it, so simple but so good
Farah Abumaizar says
I’m so glad you liked it!!
SG says
Made this; it’s very good. My teenage son liked it too.
Farah Abumaizar says
I’m so glad to hear that! It’s so satisfying when our kids like what we make lol!
Stephanie Hernandez says
I love this recipe so much! Can I get this baked with sprinkled mozzarella on top?
Farah Abumaizar says
Absolutely yes! You should cook the pasta al dente, maybe 1 minute less then package directions as it’ll bake further in the oven.
Ayesha Chagtai says
This pasta is made on repeat at our home! Itās the most wholesome and easy to put together dish. I take the liberty of adding lots of vegetables with it and it tastes incredible!
Farah Abumaizar says
I’m so so happy that you like this pasta as much as we do- and LOVE that you add veggies! I might have to start sneaking some in for my kids as well- thanks so much for taking the time to comment!
Jonathan says
The kids loved it!
Farah Abumaizar says
So glad to hear that!
Haley says
It had An amazing taste! I doubled it & added a pound of ground turkey in it. It was amazing.
Farah Abumaizar says
That sounds like a great way to add protein!
aimee says
Have you ever added parmesan cheese vs mozzarella ?
Farah Abumaizar says
No, but it would be just fine! It’s creamy enough with the cream, so it doesn’t necessarily need that extra cheesiness from the mozzarella (but I love it!)
Lola says
I sub the mozzarella for grated Parmesan and I love the added depth of flavour. I also add some zucchini mushrooms and red bell pepper and baked chicken breast on the side so itās more well rounded. I highly recommend subbing Parmesan for the mozzarella
Farah Abumaizar says
The more veggies the better, sounds amazing!
Chris says
This is one of our favorite recipes. We need to take a main dish to a potluck. Can this be made ahead of time and kept on low in a crockpot until time to eat or will it make the noodles too mushy?
Farah Abumaizar says
So happy you like it Chris! I’d be worried that the noodles would get too mushy, what I’d do would be to keep the sauc warm in a crockpot, have the drained pasta stored somewhere separately, and then toss the cooked pasta with the warm sauce right before serving!
MICHELLE says
We enjoyed this recipe! The only thing I changed was the bouillon cube and added a cup of no-salt chicken stock to the pasta water due to a low-salt diet.
We will definitely make this again in the near future.
Farah Abumaizar says
Great substitution, thanks for letting me know Michelle!
Jessica says
What kind of milk will work for this recipe? We traditionally use non-dairy milk so wondering what the options are. Hoping to make this tonight as it sounds perfect on a cold winter evening. Thank you!
Farah Abumaizar says
Although I haven’t tried it, I feel like coconut milk is your best best because it’ll have that thick and creamy texture!
Jill says
Everyone had 2nds. Delish. š
Farah Abumaizar says
That’s amazing! Thank you for letting me know Jill!