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 pasta, just gently re-heat the sauce in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Then mix it together with freshly-cooked pasta and Parmesan 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 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.

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 (easy 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) dried pasta, any shape (recommendation: rigatoni); 1 cup (156 g) finely chopped onion (from about 1 small onion or 1/2 large onion); 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon olive oil; salt and pepper, to taste (plus salt for pasta water); 1/4 cup (67 g) tomato paste; 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) tomato sauce; 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) heavy whipping cream; 1/2 cup (14 g) finely-shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

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: entree
Method: stove top
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

12 ounces (340 g) dried pasta, any shape (recommendation: rigatoni)
1 cup (156 g) finely chopped onion (from about 1 small onion or 1/2 large onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste (plus salt for pasta water)
1/4 cup (67 g) tomato paste
1 1/2 cups (355 ml) tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups (355 ml) heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup (14 g) finely-shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

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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 package directions. Meanwhile, proceed with the following steps (see note 1 re: timing for the pasta).
Heat the tablespoon of oil in a sauté pan or large saucepan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and salt and pepper to taste. Cook the onion for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened.
Add the minced garlic to the pan. Cook and stir for 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the tomato paste. Stir and cook for another minute.
Pour the tomato sauce and heavy cream into the pan and stir to combine. Simmer the sauce for 6 - 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened. If needed, turn the heat 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 pan with the sauce and stir to combine.
Add the finely shredded Parmesan cheese and gently stir to combine. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese (optional).

Notes

If the sauce is finished before the pasta is done, 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, use a large saucepan.
If the sauce seems too thick after adding in the pasta, you can stir in a few spoonfuls of the pasta cooking water. If the sauce seems too thin, let the pasta sit for a few minutes; the sauce continues to thicken as it cools.

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: 526
Sugar: 5 g
Sodium: 449 mg
Fat: 22.5 g
Saturated Fat: 11.4 g
Carbohydrates: 69 g
Fiber: 4.2 g
Protein: 13.8 g
Cholesterol: 64 mg

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