Pink Sauce Pasta Recipe (Rosé Sauce)
This easy pink sauce pasta recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. This rosé sauce requires 10 ingredients and gets ready in 30 minutes.
Servings 3
Calories 645kcal
Ingredients
- 8 oz Dry Pasta penne, rigatoni, lumachine, tortiglioni or small shell pasta
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- ½ cup White onion or yellow, finely chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 (14 oz) can San marzano tomatoes
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- ½ cup Milk full-fat whole milk
- ½ cup Heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup Vegetarian parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 8 Basil leaves chopped
Instructions
- Cook the pasta al dente, according to package instructions. How to: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Once it starts boiling, add a big pinch of salt and pasta. Stir it once to avoid pasta sticking together. The water will come to a boil again and cook pasta as per the package instruction time (until al dente).
- Take san Marzano tomatoes into the food processor or a blender and make a smooth puree out of it.
- Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add onion and garlic. Sprinkle a little pinch of salt to speed up the cooking process. Mix and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the onion starts to brown.
- Add pureed tomatoes, remaining salt and pepper. Mix and let the mixture come to a simmer.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pan partially with a lid and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Do stir once or twice in between and make sure that the sauce is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. You’ll notice the sauce has thickened up nicely.
- Add milk and heavy cream. Mix and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add boiled, drained pasta and parmesan cheese. Mix and cook until cheese is melted.
- Add freshly chopped basil leaves and pink sauce pasta is ready to serve.
Notes
Ingredient Notes:
- Onion: Use yellow or white onion for mild flavor. Or use shallots for an even milder flavor.
- San Marzano tomato can is a must. Do not use a can of regular tomatoes. Because san Marzano tomatoes are sweeter and less acidic compared to regular ones.
- Full-fat whole milk and heavy whipping cream are recommended for a creamy texture. But you can use skim milk and light cream or half-half for a healthier option.
- Instead of fresh basil, you can use dried basil.
- Buy a block of parmesan cheese and grate it yourself right before making the pasta. Freshly grated cheese will melt nicely in the sauce compared to ready grated cheese that comes in a container.
- Always add salt once the water comes to a boil. Salted water takes longer to come to a boil.
- Do not overcook the pasta. Follow the instruction on the package for how long to boil the pasta. Use a timer and check the pasta doneness at the shortest time recommended on the package. This means, that when the package says to boil for 8-10 minutes, I would check my pasta at 8 minutes and decide if it needs further cooking.
- You can add Italian seasoning or dried oregano for a different flavor.
- You can add red chili flakes for a slightly spicy taste.
Nutrition
Calories: 645kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 868mg | Potassium: 734mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1131IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 348mg | Iron: 3mg
