In 20+ years of cooking pasta (ramen counts, right?) I've tried what feels like every iteration of pasta. From simple lemon and garlic pasta to vegetarian lasagna, sesame noodles to gnocchi all the ways, we love it! Pasta is on our dinner table every single week.
In addition to loving pasta, you may have figured out that I also I love Trader Joe's. Walking the aisles can be inspiring (fun new pasta shapes for every season) and time saving (I'm looking at you packaged gnocchi).
But there is one thing that stops me from buying every single item I pick up. We keep kosher and not all of their items are kosher😭. This recipe was inspired by the Trader Joe's jarred rose sauce. I saw it, knew I had to make it, and Pink Sauce Pasta was born.
Made with pantry ingredients that you likely already have on hand, the pink sauce is kinda like a blend of alfredo sauce and marinara sauce. It's beautiful pink color is sure to satisfy even your pickiest eater (we all have one of those). Served with a green veggie, garlic bread or a simple salad, it's the perfect dinner for those super busy weeknights we all run into.
Why you'll love it
- You'll feel so good making homemade pasta sauce
- Made from simple pantry ingredients
- Super easy to put together in just a few minutes
- Kids LOVE it!
Ingredients
- Tomato Paste: You can find it in either a can or a squeeze tube. I highly recommend the tube so you can reseal it easily and use the rest another time.
- Tomato Sauce: You are looking for the regular tomato sauce in a can here, not marinara sauce or pizza sauce.
- Dairy: Use heavy cream it's going to give you the creamiest results.
- Pasta: Penne is my preferred pasta shape but if you only have rigatoni or mostaccioli on hand, those will work too.
- Garlic: I like to use frozen garlic cubes in place of fresh garlic cloves, but you can use either. Just be sure to crush your garlic well before adding to the recipe.
How to Make Pink Sauce Pasta
- Start by boiling water for the pasta in a large pot on the stove. Once it comes to a boil, generously salt the water and then cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- While the pasta cooks, you’ll want to make the pink sauce. Start by adding the tomato paste and garlic to a saute pan with a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Cook the tomato paste with the garlic for a minute or two.
- Then add the two cans of tomato sauce. Let that cook for 2-3 minutes while you stir the tomato paste and garlic mixture into it, before adding the heavy cream to the pan.
- Bring the mixture to a low boil and then turn off the heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until full melted into the sauce, then return the pan to the stove. Add salt to taste. Return the pan to the stove over low heat, add in the butter and let melt, then stir until fully incorporated into a creamy sauce.
- Now you can either add the cooked pasta into the sauce and toss it all together or serve the pink sauce and pasta separately for people to serve themselves. If you plan on mixing the sauce and pasta together before serving, be sure to leave your pasta al dente so it doesn't get mushy as it soaks up the sauce.
FAQ's
I don't suggest it. While this sauce is quite versatile and can go on so many different pasta types and they don’t all hold up to the one pot method.
If you really want by adding more liquid to the sauce so that the pasta has something to absorb. I would add either an additional 15 oz can of tomato sauce or an additional 1 cup of milk.
Check out these posts (here and here) on how I make one pot pasta for other tips and tricks to make it work.
While you can always use whatever pasta shape you have in your pantry (we have no fewer than 7 shapes of pasta in our pantry at all times), I highly suggest a tubular pasta in this recipe. There is something about the inside of the tube being able to hold lots of delicious sauce that just works really well.
The following pasta shapes are my favorites for this recipe:
- Penne Rigate
- Rigatoni
- Bucatini
Yes and no 🙂 While you can substitute something lighter for the heavy cream, the sauce may curdle a bit. I would recommend half and half or a plant based option of coconut cream as alternatives.
Variations
Any of the following variations are easy whip up and help keep a bit of variety in your family's dinner menu.
- Add some green: Add fresh spinach, roasted broccoli or frozen peas for a pop of green and some extra nutrients.
- Spice it up: Add red pepper flakes at the end to taste
- Change out the pasta: Make Pink Sauce with Ravioli by precooking any flavor ravioli you like and substituting them in for the penne.
- Add a protein: Since we keep kosher I would add something like grilled salmon to this dish, but if you don't grilled chicken would be another option.
- Make it gluten free: Simply swap the pasta for a gluten free alternative like Banza or Barilla Gluten Free.
Storing Leftovers
Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat, the best method is on the stovetop, slowly warming it up so that the sauce goes back to its original creamy texture. Feel free to add a splash of heavy cream if needed to help this happen.
Did you try this recipe and and love it? 😍 Let me know by leaving a comment below or 5 ⭐ rating!
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Pink Sauce Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 oz dried penne pasta or other tublar shape you like
- 2 TB tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon grated garlic or one frozen garlic cube
- 2 cans tomato sauce total 30oz
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese (plus more for topping if desired)
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt the pasta water and then cook the pasta according to package directions. When pasta is cooked to al dente, drain and
- While the pasta cooks, add the tomato paste and garlic to a large straight sided saute pan and cook for about 2 minutes over medium heat. Then add the tomato sauce and stir for another 2-3 minutes. Next add the sugar and stir to combine.
- Let the sauce come to a simmer and then add the heavy cream and stir together. Bring the mixture to a low boil and add in the salt (to taste).
- Turn off the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and add the butter, stirring until it's melted and incorporated into the sauce.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, mixing until all the pasta is fully coated. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- I suggest using penne pasta, but you can also use any other tubular pasta. Stay away from flat pastas like farfalle or tiny pastas like elbows, because the pasta sauce will just fall off.
- If you want to make this sauce in advance, you can. Store just the sauce in a glass jar, then warm through when ready to serve. I don't suggest mixing the pasta and the sauce until you are ready to serve.
CJ Gaudette says
Oh this sauce was so good! I added chicken to the recipe, by adding olive oil and cooking chicken breast strips and seasoned them with Italian seasoning. Then I deglazed the pan with a half cup of red wine before continuing with the recipe. When the sauce was done I cut up the chicken and added back into the sauce and then added cooked rigatoni. It was absolutely scrumptious! Thank you!
Marni Katz says
I'm so glad you liked it AND added what worked for your family! I love when people adapt simple recipes to work even better for them!
Hossain hridoy says
Wow good recepi