This Pink Sauce Pasta is a cozy dish with a tangy, creamy, delicious tomato cream sauce. Even though this recipe is restaurant-worthy, it takes less than 30 minutes to put together (including prep time). It’s also made mainly of pantry/kitchen staples, so it’s easy to throw together on busy weeknights.
This pink sauce pasta is a family favorite in my house for its flavor and fun appearance. It’s made with crushed tomatoes and heavy cream, which combine to create the pink hue it’s known for. This delicious Italian pink sauce recipe is great for impressing people of all ages (including the in-laws!).
If you want to keep the pink sauce train going, try making my Pink Sauce for Lobster Ravioli.
I love creamy tomato pasta dishes, like my quick and easy Butter Chicken Pasta, fresh Basil Pasta, hearty Sausage & Peppers Pasta, one pot Instant Pot Chicken Spaghetti, and my creamy Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta.
For fall, I love to make this Savory Pumpkin Pasta Sauce or Baked Alfredo Tortellini.
These pink sauce pastas pair perfectly with this delicious Texas Toast Garlic Bread or this Parmesan Rosemary Bread. You will be in complete carb heaven!
For a lighter side dish, serve this pink sauce pasta with a simple salad, like my Panera Copycat Greek Salad or Kale Crunch Salad. So fresh and crisp!
Interested in more pasta recipes? I have a post with 20 Valentine’s Day Pasta Recipes, but these recipes can be made year-round!
Table of Contents
What Is Pink Sauce Pasta?
You may have seen pink sauce pasta on TikTok, where it originally gained a ton of popularity. It’s a pasta dish made with a creamy tomato sauce that turns pink because of the addition of heavy cream and crushed tomatoes. It’s the best of both worlds between marinara and a creamy pasta sauce, as you still get the tomato flavor and a rich, creamy consistency.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Full of flavor – Fresh garlic, dried herbs, white wine, and tomatoes are among the ingredients in this pink sauce pasta that help add a ton of flavor to the dish.
- Made with simple ingredients – I love making this Italian pink sauce pasta because many of the ingredients are pantry staples.
- Creamy – Using heavy cream helps create a deliciously rich pink pasta sauce.
- Tangy – The crushed tomatoes add a tangy, acidic flavor that pairs well with the cream-based sauce.
- Vegetarian – This recipe contains no meat, making it a vegetarian-friendly main.
- Great for family dinners – If your family can never decide between alfredo sauce, vodka sauce, or marinara, they’ll love this recipe, which tastes like a combination of the three.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Shallot: If you don’t have a shallot on hand, a yellow or red onion will also work. It will change the flavor of the pink sauce pasta slightly, but the creamy tomato sauce will still be tasty.
- Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
- Red Chili Flakes: Adding crushed red pepper flakes helps create some heat in the cream sauce. If you have a low heat tolerance, you can leave the red pepper flakes out or reduce the amount to ½ teaspoon for less heat.
- White Wine: I like using sauvignon blanc because it is dry and citrusy, making it a great pairing with the other sauce ingredients. You can swap the wine for vegetable or chicken broth if you don’t enjoy the taste of wine in pasta recipes.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make Pink Sauce Pasta
Quick Overview
- Sauté aromatics.
- Create sauce.
- Boil pasta.
- Combine.
Step by Step Instructions
Be sure to stir the aromatics as they cook to prevent pieces from burning.
Step 1: Over medium heat in a large pan, melt the butter. Add the shallot and garlic, and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until golden.
Step 2: Stir in the salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and chili flakes. Sauté for 60 seconds or until fragrant.
Step 3: Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Step 4: Stir in the crushed tomatoes. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer.
Keep 1-2 cups of pasta water to the side to help adjust the sauce to your liking.
Step 5: While the sauce simmers, boil the pasta in salted water according to the package instructions. Reserve some pasta water before draining the pasta.
Step 6: Stir in the heavy cream and increase the heat to medium. Once the cream begins to bubble, stir in the Parmesan cheese.
Step 7: Toss the drained pasta with the pink sauce, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve the desired consistency.
Recipe Serving Suggestions
Garnish this pink sauce pasta with fresh basil, parsley, or freshly grated parmesan cheese. I love serving this pink sauce pasta recipe with a side of bread or rolls so you can scoop up leftover sauce. Here are a few ideas:
Expert Tips
- Use good quality parmesan & grate it yourself. When making recipes like this pink sauce pasta, I always recommend using good-quality parmesan cheese. If you use a pre-shredded option, it won’t melt as well in the sauce as it has an anti-sticking agent to keep the shreds from sticking to each other. This anticaking agent also keeps the cheese from melting when you heat it. For the creamiest clump-free sauce, use freshly grated parmesan cheese.
- Salt the pasta water generously. Be sure to add a good amount of salt to the pasta water when making this creamy pink sauce pasta. The salt adds extra flavor to the noodles and helps keep them from clumping together as they cook.
- Cook the pasta al dente. I recommend cooking the pasta al dente for pink sauce pasta recipes (or other pasta recipes). If you cook the pasta until fully softened, it will turn into mush in the fridge. Cooked pasta that’s al dente will hold its shape and texture better when stored.
Additions & Variations
- Add protein. This pink sauce pasta tastes great with quite a few proteins. To boost the protein in this recipe, add baked salmon, cooked shrimp, grilled chicken, or prosciutto.
- Try it with cheese ravioli. Instead of using penne pasta or a similar noodle style, consider making this creamy tomato pasta recipe with cheese ravioli. This pasta pairs well with the other pink sauce pasta ingredients and makes the recipe feel more decadent.
Recipe FAQs
There are a few differences between pink sauce pasta and vodka sauce pasta. For one, pink sauce is more of a cream-based sauce even though it has crushed tomatoes (or tomato paste), while vodka sauce is heavier on the tomatoes. Additionally, pink sauce does not have any vodka in it. Instead, you’ll use a white wine to create a complex flavor.
This dish goes by a few names, including pasta rosa and pasta rose. However, many recipes simply call it pink sauce pasta (or a similar name).
Yes, pink sauce is quite tasty. It’s creamy, tangy, acidic, and bursting with complex flavors that make it irresistible.
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BEST Pink Sauce Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot, diced finely*
- 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt*
- fresh cracked pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes*
- 1/3 cup dry white wine*
- 1 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 pound dry short cut pasta, like rigatoni or penne pasta
- 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- fresh basil leaves, for serving
Instructions
- Over medium heat in a large pan, melt the butter. Add the shallot and garlic, and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until golden.2 Tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil, 8 cloves garlic, 1 shallot, diced finely*
- Stir in the salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and chili flakes. Sauté for 60 seconds or until fragrant.1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt*, fresh cracked pepper, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon red chili flakes*
- Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.1/3 cup dry white wine*
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer.1 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes
- While the sauce simmers, boil the pasta in salted water according to the package instructions. Reserve some pasta water before draining the pasta.1 pound dry short cut pasta, like rigatoni or penne pasta
- Stir in the heavy cream and increase the heat to medium. Once the cream begins to bubble, stir in the Parmesan cheese.1 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1 cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- Toss the drained pasta with the pink sauce, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve the desired consistency.fresh basil leaves, for serving
Notes
- Shallot: If you don’t have a shallot on hand, a yellow or red onion will also work. It will change the flavor of the pink sauce pasta slightly, but the creamy tomato sauce will still be tasty.
- Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
- Red Chili Flakes: Adding crushed red pepper flakes helps create some heat in the cream sauce. If you have a low heat tolerance, you can leave the red pepper flakes out or reduce the amount to ½ teaspoon for less heat.
- White Wine: I like using sauvignon blanc because it is dry and citrusy, making it a great pairing with the other sauce ingredients. You can swap the wine for vegetable or chicken broth if you don’t enjoy the taste of wine in pasta recipes.
- Use good quality parmesan & grate it yourself. When making recipes like this pink sauce pasta, I always recommend using good-quality parmesan cheese. If you use a pre-shredded option, it won’t melt as well in the sauce as it has an anti-sticking agent to keep the shreds from sticking to each other. This anticaking agent also keeps the cheese from melting when you heat it. For the creamiest clump-free sauce, use freshly grated parmesan cheese.
- Salt the pasta water generously. Be sure to add a good amount of salt to the pasta water when making this creamy pink sauce pasta. The salt adds extra flavor to the noodles and helps keep them from clumping together as they cook.
- Cook the pasta al dente. I recommend cooking the pasta al dente for pink sauce pasta recipes (or other pasta recipes). If you cook the pasta until fully softened, it will turn into mush in the fridge. Cooked pasta that’s al dente will hold its shape and texture better when stored.
- Add protein. This pink sauce pasta tastes great with quite a few proteins. To boost the protein in this recipe, add baked salmon, cooked shrimp, grilled chicken, or prosciutto.
- Try it with cheese ravioli. Instead of using penne pasta or a similar noodle style, consider making this creamy tomato pasta recipe with cheese ravioli. This pasta pairs well with the other pink sauce pasta ingredients and makes the recipe feel more decadent.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
this cream sauce is SOO yummy! adding white wine really lifted the flavours