Pink sauce pasta deserves the hype.
How to Make Pink Sauce Pasta
Sauté shallot and crush tomatoes: Sauté shallot in butter and oil over medium heat. Add garlic and dry spices and cook for 1 minute. Deglaze with white wine (optional). With clean hands, crush the whole tomatoes right into the pot then pour in the rest of the juice from the can. Turn heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
Blend sauce and add cheese: Use a hand immersion blender to purée the sauce, or transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour back in pot over low heat. Add heavy cream and stir to combine. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and mix until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
Serve: Add cooked pasta and toss to coat. If sauce is too thick, add a little pasta water to thin. Serve this creamy tomato pasta sauce recipe with fresh basil and parmesan cheese on top.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions
Make Ahead Instructions: Make the pink sauce ahead of time and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.Freezing instructions: For best results, make the sauce just until adding the cream, cheese, and pasta. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then rewarm in saucepan. Stir cream, cheese, and pasta.
Pink Sauce Pasta
Serves 5- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 Tablespoon butter
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper , or more to taste
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (58g) , optional
- 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, San Marzano brand
- 1 pound rigatoni*
- 1 1/4 cup heavy cream (300g)
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese* (100g)
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves (24), chopped, for serving
Optional wine deglaze: Add white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Crush Tomatoes: Use (clean) hands to crush the whole tomatoes right into the pot, and add the rest of the juice from the can. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
Cook rigatoni in salted boiling water, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, and drain cooked pasta (don’t rinse).
Blend Sauce: Use a blender or hand immersion blender to purée the sauce until smooth. Return to pot over low heat.
Finish: Add heavy cream until combined. Add parmesan cheese then stir until melted and smooth. Taste and add additional seasonings if needed. Add cooked pasta and toss to coat. Add some pasta water as needed, to thin the sauce.
Notes
Yield: Approximately 7–8 cups. Serving Size: About 1.5 cups (~340g).Pasta: Use any bite-size pasta, like penne, fusilli, farfalle, or medium shells.
Cheese: Avoid pre-shredded cheese and use high-quality fresh parmesan cheese that you shred yourself (it will melt better and taste better). Allow cheese to come to room temperature before adding to the sauce.
Gluten-Free: Use your favorite gluten free bite size pasta.
Make Ahead Instructions: Make the pink sauce ahead of time and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing instructions: For best results, make the sauce just until adding the cream, cheese, and pasta. Freeze for up to 2 months.
