Can I make pink pasta sauce ahead of time?

Yes, you can make just the pink pasta sauce ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge for 3 - 4 days. When you want to serve the pink pasta, just gently re-heat the sauce in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Then mix it together with freshly-cooked pasta, Parmesan, and basil (if using), as described in the recipe.

What kinds of pasta go well with pink pasta sauce?

While you can use any shape of pasta you like, creamy sauces such as this pink pasta sauce work well with wide, flat shapes such as tagliatelle, fettuccine, or linguine. Medium, tube shaped pasta shapes also work great, such as penne, rigatoni, or ziti. For an even more indulgent experience, you can even try making this pink sauce pasta with cheese or meat ravioli or tortellini. Here is a great resource on finding a good pasta shape for different types of sauces . Regardless of the shape, if you have the option, also look for bronze-cut pasta . Bronze-cut pastas have a rough exterior, perfect for grabbing onto the creamy sauce.

Are pink sauce and vodka sauce the same?

Pink sauce and vodka sauce are both pink-hued, creamy tomato sauces. However, vodka sauce has vodka added (surprise!), whereas pink sauce does not.

Can I make pink pasta sauce with milk or half and half instead of heavy cream?

This pink pasta recipe uses heavy whipping cream, which I chose because it has a very high fat content (at least 36%). This high fat content is useful because it not only makes the pasta super creamy, but also helps protect the sauce from separating when being simmered. If you would like to use half and half instead, I recommend tempering it first before adding (similar to my recipes for Greek yogurt buffalo chicken dip and creamy hamburger potato soup ). Then, just warm the sauce through on the lowest heat setting, rather than simmering it as called for in the recipe. Because the sauce won't have time to reduce through simmering, just add enough half and half to get the consistency you are looking for. I don't recommend making pink pasta sauce with milk, it's just not creamy enough to get the job done (in my personal opinion!).

Pink Pasta (20 Minute Pink Pasta Sauce)

Name: Pink Pasta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 12 ounces (340 g) pasta, any shape (recommendation: tagliatelle); 1 cup (156 g) finely chopped onion (from about 1 small onion); 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste, plus more to salt pasta water; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste; 3 tablespoons (50 g) tomato paste; 1 cup (237 ml) tomato sauce; 1 cup (237 ml) heavy whipping cream; 1/2 cup (14 g) finely-shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving; 5 - 6 fresh basil leaves (optional)

Pink Pasta

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This creamy pink pasta sauce is a more indulgent version of pasta with tomato sauce. It's easy to make in only about 20 minutes!

Author: Kate
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: main course, entree
Method: stove top
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

12 ounces (340 g) pasta, any shape (recommendation: tagliatelle)
1 cup (156 g) finely chopped onion (from about 1 small onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste, plus more to salt pasta water
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
3 tablespoons (50 g) tomato paste
1 cup (237 ml) tomato sauce
1 cup (237 ml) heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup (14 g) finely-shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
5 - 6 fresh basil leaves (optional)

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Instructions

Set a large pot of water over high heat to boil. When the water begins to boil, add a large pinch of salt and the pasta to the water. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. While waiting for the water to boil, and while the pasta cooks, proceed with the following steps (see note 1 re: timing for the pasta).
Heat the tablespoon of oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the finely chopped onion, kosher salt and black pepper. Cook the onion for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened.
Add the minced garlic to the pan with the onion. Continue to cook and stir for 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the tomato paste to the sauté pan; stir and cook for an additional 30 seconds - 1 minute, just long enough for the tomato paste to full incorporate into the onions and garlic.
Pour the tomato sauce and heavy cream into the sauté pan, stir to combine. Turn the heat up to bring the sauce to a simmer. Simmer the sauce for 6 - 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened. If needed, turn the heat back down to maintain the simmer. Taste the sauce and add more salt and/or pepper if needed.
When the pasta is finished cooking, drain it well. Add the drained pasta to the sauté pan with the finished sauce. Use tongs to toss the pasta together with the sauce.
Add the finely shredded Parmesan cheese and gently toss the pasta with the tongs again to incorporate the cheese.
If desired, tear the fresh basil leaves into small pieces and sprinkle over the pasta. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese (optional).

Notes

To finish the pasta and sauce around the same time, check how long your pasta needs to cook and time accordingly; for pastas that take about 8 minutes, starting it around when you add the tomato sauce and heavy cream to the pan works well for me. If needed, you can always start the pasta cooking a little later in the process, since the sauce will keep well on the stove on the lowest heat setting while the pasta finishes cooking (just stir the sauce occasionally).

A sauté pan has a wide, flat bottom and straight sides that are about 3 - 5 inches tall. This pan is a good option for this recipe because it contains the sauce well and gives enough room to easily mix in the cooked pasta with the sauce at the end. If you don't have a sauté pan, you can use a large saucepan.

Kosher salt is coarse grained; if you want to substitute fine grain salt, start with only 1/4 teaspoon. Then taste the finished sauce, and add more if desired.

The nutrition information below is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator, and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, health, or nutritional advice. The nutrition counts of your dish will vary based on the brands and exact amounts of ingredients used. See our full nutrition disclosure policy.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
Calories: 483
Sugar: 8.3 g
Sodium: 438 mg
Fat: 17.1 g
Saturated Fat: 8 g
Carbohydrates: 72.7 g
Fiber: 5.1 g
Protein: 14 g
Cholesterol: 44 mg

Find it online: https://nibbleanddine.com/creamy-tomato-pasta/