Pink Sauce Pasta (20 Minute Recipe)
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Creamy, dreamy, and ready in just 20 minutes, this Italian pink sauce pasta blends rich tomato and cream into the perfect weeknight dinner. It’s a fast, flavorful recipe that tastes like it came from your favorite Italian trattoria!
If you’re looking for more easy weeknight pasta dinners, try my recipes for cheese sauce for pasta and tomato paste pasta sauce.
Quick Look: Pink Sauce Pasta
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Servings: 8 people
- Dietary Info: Vegetarian (if made without Parmigiano cheese); can be made Gluten Free & Dairy Free with substitutions
- Method: Stovetop
- Technique: Sauté the onion and garlic, and cook the pasta. Add tomato purée and paste to the aromatics, then add the remaining ingredients. Toss with the pasta and serve.
- Flavor & Texture: This pink sauce pasta has a beautiful rosy sauce that’s creamy and has an incredible tomato flavor with hints of cheese and basil.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Italian pink sauce—also known as salsa rosa, rosa sauce, or Parma Rosa—is a creamy tomato sauce made with tomato purée and heavy cream. It’s perfect for coating your favorite al dente pasta with rich, velvety flavor.
My recipe uses simple, high-quality ingredients and an easy, authentic method that delivers rich flavor in every bite—no shortcuts, no jarred sauces. It’s quick enough for a weeknight, yet elegant enough to serve to guests. This is pink sauce, the Italian way!
Serve with my red cabbage salad, no knead Italian focaccia, and a slice of chocolate tiramisu for a light and refreshing dinner!
Made With Amore,
” We loved this pink sauce! Super easy to make and the flavor was 100! My four kids all wanted seconds.”
– KELLIE
Table of Contents
Simple Ingredients
With only a few simple ingredients and little time, you can have this restaurant-style recipe ready in no time at all.
- Penne Pasta (or Pasta of Choice): Penne is perfect for catching the creamy sauce in its ridges, but feel free to use rigatoni, fusilli, or spaghetti—whatever you love!
- Tomato Purée: Forms the tomato base of the sauce—smooth, slightly sweet, and vibrant in color. You can also use my homemade marinara sauce.
- Tomato Paste: Intensifies the tomato flavor and helps give the sauce that beautiful pink hue when combined with cream.
- Heavy Cream: Like in my nduja pasta sauce recipe, this is the key to getting a luscious, silky texture, and it blends with tomato for the signature pink color.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- Add Protein: Add baked chicken thighs, grilled red rock shrimp, or pancetta for protein.
- Add Veggies: Stir in spinach, mushrooms, or oven-roasted zucchini and yellow squash for extra veggies.
- Spicy Version: Spice it up with red pepper flakes or Calabrian chili paste.
- Dairy Free Version: Swap the heavy cream for coconut cream, and garnish with dairy free Parmesan.
How to Make Pink Sauce Pasta
Making pink pasta sauce is an easy go-to dinner recipe. For a printable version, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes, or until onions are soft and translucent, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Pour in tomato purée and tomato paste. Stir well to combine. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente.
- Pour in the cream and stir to combine.
- Add the parmigiano cheese and fresh basil to the tomato sauce. Stir to combine.
- Let the sauce bubble for a few minutes on low heat. Turn off the heat and remove the pan from the stovetop.
- Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water and drain the pasta. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the reserved pasta water.
- Stir until well combined.
- Serve with extra parmigiano cheese, red pepper flakes (if desired), and fresh basil leaves. Mangia! (Eat!)
Pink Sauce Pasta FAQs
For this recipe, I love using a short pasta variety like penne, but you can try elbow macaroni, rigatoni, or shells. It also works perfectly well with long pasta or even ravioli! To read more about what pasta shapes go well with what sauces, see the chart in this post: Cheap vs. Expensive Pasta (Why Pasta Quality Matters!).
Using the right tomato purée is key to achieving the best sauce. I recommend using a good quality brand that uses tomatoes picked at the peak of ripeness.
Don’t use a brand that uses a lot of citric acids to preserve freshness, or it can make the sauce acidic. (If you end up with a sauce that is a little acidic, add a teaspoon of sugar.)
Some brands I recommend include Bianco DiNapoli Organic Whole Peeled Tomatoes, Cento Italian Style, Dellalo San Marzano, or Muir Glen Organic.
If you purée your own whole tomatoes for this recipe, make sure to blend the tomatoes until they’re smooth before using them.
Adding a little tomato paste to the sauce intensifies the rich tomato flavor. The concentrated, bold tomato flavor makes this sauce extra tasty! The addition of heavy cream can slightly hide the sensational tomato taste and the tomato paste helps bring it back.
In the US, this pink sauce pasta can also be called Vodka Sauce or Pink Marinara Sauce. In Italy, it’s often called Sugo Rosa, and in France it’s known as Rosé Sauce. In Spanish speaking countries like Columbia, it’s called Salsa Rosada.
Yes, the sauce can be made 3-4 days ahead and kept in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready to serve, heat on the stove and add freshly cooked pasta.
Leftovers can be warmed up covered in the microwave. Add 1-2 tablespoons of milk or hot pasta water to loosen up the pasta if needed.
Serving Suggestions
The pink sauce pasta recipe makes an easy side dish for Italian Stuffed Chicken Thighs or Salmon Piccata. Serve with a pear gorgonzola salad and ciabatta bread for a delicious meal!
Don’t forget dessert! Try this with some favorites like Italian Apple Cake, Authentic Italian Tiramisu, or Lemon Bars with Shortbread Crust!
My Pro Tips
Expert Tips
- Use high-quality tomato purée and cream for the best flavor and creamy texture—no watery sauce!
- Cook the tomato paste until it deepens in color to enhance its sweetness and richness.
- Add cream slowly and stir continuously for a smooth, emulsified sauce. Also, avoid having the heat too high, or it may cause the sauce to split.
- Use freshly grated Parmigiano for a more flavorful finish and better texture; pre-grated cheese doesn’t melt as well.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
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20-Minute Pink Sauce Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne pasta, or preferred shape
- salt, for pasta water
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 1 28-ounce can tomato puree
- ½ tablespoon tomato paste
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, freshly grated; plus more for serving
- ½ cup fresh basil, torn; plus more for garnish
- red pepper flakes for serving, optional
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Pour in tomato purée and tomato paste. Stir well to combine. Add salt and bring to a soft boil, then lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente.
- Add cream, parmigiano cheese, and fresh basil to the creamy tomato sauce. Stir to combine. Let bubble for a few minutes on low heat. Turn off the heat. Take the pan off the stovetop.
- Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the reserved pasta water. Stir until well combined.
- Serve with extra parmigiano cheese, red pepper flakes (if deserved), and a few fresh basil leaves. Mangia! (Eat!)
Notes
- Use high-quality tomato purée and cream for the best flavor and creamy texture—no watery sauce!
- Cook the tomato paste until it deepens in color to enhance its sweetness and richness.
- Add cream slowly and stir continuously for a smooth, emulsified sauce. Also, avoid having the heat too high, or it may cause the sauce to split.
- Use freshly grated Parmigiano for a more flavorful finish and better texture; pre-grated cheese doesn’t melt as well.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is my youngest daughter’s favorite new way to have pasta! It is absolutely delicious!
YAY! It’s always a win-win when the kids love it. Here’s to many more yummy recipes.
I just made this sauce and it’s absolutely amazing!! I will definitely make it again.
Yay! SO easy and delicious. I am happy you love.
Absolutely delicious! Thank you! My picky eaters loved this over seafood ravioli! Easy recipe, will definitely make again!
Yum! I love the combination with the seafood ravioli. Great combo!
This recipe is so simple to make and so delicious. Crowd pleaser for sure! This is requested frequently in my house.
Happy you and the family love it so much!