Pink Sauce Pasta is a quick and easy pasta recipe, coated in creamy blush sauce! Made with just a few simple ingredients, it will be perfect for a weeknight dinner that you can make in just 20 minutes.
Why you will love this recipe
- Quick and Easy. The whole dish takes about 20 minutes to make. While the pasta is cooking, you can prep the sauce. Then just mix everything together and the dinner is ready to serve!
- Just a few ingredients. There is nothing better than a quick meal that requires only a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry and the fridge.
- Delicious. The pink sauce is a mix of a classic tomato sauce and cream sauce. It has a perfect balance of flavors and texture.
Ingredients and Substitution
Pasta. You can use any type of pasta you have on hands, as long as it’s not too small in size. My favorite ones are penne, ziti, rigatoni, rotini, bow tie, and spaghetti.
Crushed tomatoes. Make sure that your crushed tomatoes are not very acidic. If they are, you just need to simmer them a bit longer and add a pinch of sugar to break down the acidity.
Heavy cream, Milk. I like to use a mix of heavy cream and milk to get the best consistency. You also can use 1 cup of half and half to substitute these two ingredients.
Parmesan cheese. I highly suggest to use freshly grated Parmesan cheese, as it will easily melt in the sauce.
Protein. If you want to add some protein, feel free to add some shrimp, chicken, or bacon to the dish.
How to make it
Boil a pot of water and cook the pasta according to the instructions until al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, preheat a large skillet over low/medium heat. Add 15 oz crushed tomatoes, seasoning (½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp dried oregano, and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes) and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
Then add ½ cup heavy cream and ½ cup milk. Stir in simmer for another 5 minutes.
Add 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese and stir in until melted.
Add cooked pasta and fold it in until evenly coated with sauce.
Tips and Tricks
- When you drain the pasta, always reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid. It will help to thin out the sauce if it comes out too thick.
- Don’t overcook the pasta! When it’s mixed with the sauce, it will absorb a lot of liquid from it and can become too mushy.
Storage and Freezing
How to store. You can store it in an air-tight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How to reheat. You can reheat it in a skillet over a medium heat. I like to add a few tablespoons of water to loosen up the sauce.
How to freeze. I don’t suggest to freeze this recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can use any pasta you have of hands or even tortellini, like in my recipe for Tortellini in Tomato Sauce.
Yes. You can simply substitute crushed tomatoes with marinara sauce. The rest will be according to the instructions.
Because this recipe is already rich, I like to serve it with some roasted vegetables or a light salad.
More Comfort Meals Ideas:
- Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Baked Cheese Tortellini with Meat Sauce
- Old Fashioned Goulash Recipe
- Chicken Broccoli Ziti
- Hawaiian Chicken Recipe
- Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Broccoli Chicken Rice Casserole
- Pork Milanese
- Creamy Vegetable Pasta
- Vegetable Pasta Bake
- Tomato Chicken Pasta Bake
Pink Sauce Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta
- 15 ounces crushed tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Boil a pot of water and cook the pasta according to the instructions until al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, preheat a large skillet over low/medium heat. Add 15 oz crushed tomatoes, seasoning (½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp dried oregano, and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes) and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
- Then add ½ cup heavy cream and ½ cup milk. Stir in simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Add 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese and stir in until melted.
- Add cooked pasta and fold it in until evenly coated with sauce.
Notes
- When you drain the pasta, always reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid. It will help you to thin out the sauce if it come out too thick.
- Don’t overcook the pasta! When it’s mixed with the sauce, it will absorb a more liquid from it and can become too mushy.
- You can store it in an air-tight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Leave a Reply