Looking to change up your pasta sauce game? Try this easy Pink Sauce Pasta made with just a few simple ingredients, ready in just 20 minutes. Perfect for a side dish or add chicken for a main meal. Either way, you’ll be making this pink sauce pasta on repeat!
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Technically, the sauce is more orange-ish because it uses tomato paste, which is such a deep red. It’s considered a “pink sauce” because it’s made with a combination of red tomato sauce with white cream and parmesan cheese. The red and white mixes to make it pink.
Whatever you call it- it’s delicious! And super easy. Serve this creamy pasta along side Beef Tenderloin, Hasselback Chicken Cordon Blue, or Sheet Pan Garlic Butter Salmon with a Simple Side Salad.
Sauté chicken breast in the pan before making the sauce or make a batch of Air Fryer Chicken while the sauce is cooking for a balanced and quick weeknight dinner everyone is sure to love!
How cute are these little heart shaped pasta!? I couldn’t get over them! I made this pasta for Valentine’s Day, so I thought hearts would be absolutely perfect!
The heart pasta came from Aldi in their specialty seasonal aisle, but Barilla came out with heart pasta this year, as well. You can find it HERE on Amazon if you wanted to grab it.
This easy sauce is such a hit even my extremely picky 6 year old loved it!
What You Need
Find the full, printable recipe with exact measurements at the bottom of this post. Read on for more details and tips!
On the recipe card below, click “print recipe” and from there you can print out the page or screenshot it to save to your phone’s photo album.
Pin this recipe to save to Pinterest so you can make it later! You can Pin It from the recipe card below. Just click the “Pin Recipe” button. If you’d like to follow me on Pinterest , my page is Steph Gigliotti.
- Large Pasta Pot to cook your pasta
- Large skillet or Dutch Oven- I have THIS SET and love them
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded- shredding the parmesan cheese yourself from a block will taste much better and melt easier.
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes– to taste, I just use a dash because I’m not a huge fan of heat, but just a touch gives it great flavor without being overwhelming. Chili crisp would be great ion this dish!
- Seasonings– dried basil, salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning
- 1 cup reserved pasta water– you’ll want this to thin the sauce and make it creamier.
- 16 ounces pasta– any pasta works!
How To Make It
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water for the sauce.
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste, mixing it with the oil and garlic.
Slowly whisk in the heavy cream until fully incorporated, then pour in the chicken broth. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and seasonings.
Gradually add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water, stirring to combine.
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, stirring until well coated. If needed, add more pasta water to reach your desired consistency.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese before serving.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Take a picture and tag me @StephGigliotti on social media and #StephRealLife. I would absolutely love to see your finished dish! Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comment section.
Tips
- If you prefer a deeper tomato flavor, add an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce; for a creamier sauce, increase the heavy cream by 1/2 cup.
- Cream cheese or mascarpone can also make the sauce extra creamy.
- A tablespoon of butter at the end gives the sauce a glossy finish and extra richness. or add a drizzle of good-quality olive oil.
- Customize your sauce by sautéing an onion or shallot at the beginning with the garlic. Add in mushrooms, spinach or sun dried tomatoes.
- Protein: Add cooked shrimp, chicken, or sausage for a heartier dish.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Add a splash of water, milk, or broth to the pasta when reheating to bring the sauce back to it’s original glory.
Can I Use Milk?
Can I use milk instead of cream? Heavy cream works best because it won’t curdle. You can use half and half, but be careful not to overheat it, as it can separate. You can substitute milk, temper it first by mixing it with a little warm sauce before adding it to the pan. Whole or 2% milk is best.
More Pasta Favorites
- Slow Cooker Boursin Chicken Pasta
- Ravioli Casserole
- Cheesesteak Pasta
- Meatball Casserole
- Stuffed Shells
- Sheet Pan Lasagna
- Skillet Chicken Broccoli Lasagna
- American Goulash
- Slow Cooker Beef Ragu
- Hamburger Helper Beef Stroganoff
- Baked Ziti
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Pink Sauce Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp dried basil
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 16 ounces pasta
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water for the sauce.
- In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste, mixing it with the oil and garlic.
- Slowly whisk in the heavy cream until fully incorporated, then pour in the chicken broth. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and seasonings.
- Gradually add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water, stirring to combine.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, stirring until well coated. If needed, add more pasta water to reach your desired consistency.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese before serving.
