This Italian Pink Sauce is a rich and creamy pasta sauce. Using both store bought and homemade ingredients means its easy to make but the result is not your basic marinara sauce, and is extra delicious.
I think the right sauce makes the dish. It can elevate the flavors and sometimes it is the star of the show. This rose sauce will make any pasta special. If you would like to try some other delicious sauces, try my Basil Alfredo Sauce which is great over pasta. And my Lemon Chive Sauce or Cajun Sauce are so good over seafood.
How to make Italian Pink Sauce
Step 1: Gather ingredients.
Step 2: Cook pasta of choice, save about ¼ cup of starchy water if needed to thin the sauce.
Step 3: Heat butter in skillet over low-medium heat and stir in garlic and seasonings.
Step 4: Stir in tomatoes, paste sugar. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes.
Step 5: Turn heat to the lowest range. Slowly pour in cream a little at a time and stir to combine. Turn off heat and stir in cheese. Stir in reserved pasta water to thin sauce, if needed.
Step 6: Stir in basil or parsley and serve with pasta of choice.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Tomato sauce- use crushed tomatoes or marinara.
- Heavy cream- half and half or whole milk can be used but the sauce will be much thinner.
- White wine- This is optional for the recipe. Some people like the little tang it gives the sauce. You could also use 2 tablespoons vodka.
- Seasonings- If you like a touch of spiciness, add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Pasta- We serve the creamy tomato sauce over Lobster ravioli. The sauce paired beautifully with the light seafood flavor. Because it is a richer blush sauce, a heartier pasta would be best. Try some penne, bowties or fettuccine. These pastas hold onto the sauce very well.
Recipe Testing Notes
- Different brands of tomatoes may be more acidic than others. Personally, I prefer San Marzano tomatoes. I usually taste the tomatoes before adding to any sauce and that gives me an idea of where I'm starting with. ( It usually means adding a bit more sugar.)
- Another way to avoid curdling the sauce is to add about ¼ cup of the cooked tomato sauce to the cream. Stir it well and then slowly add to the skillet.
- During recipe testing, I did find that my sauce got a bit too thick. So that reserved pasta water came in handy to slightly thin it out. If you forget to save some pasta water, use a bit of salt in a ¼ - ½ cup water and slowly stir it in sauce.
What should I do if my pink sauce curdles?
If by some chance, your sauce does curdle (separate), make sure the flame is off the pan and the pan is off the hot burner. If the separation isn't very bad, you may be able to save it by whisking the sauce very well and it may come together again. Try warming a bit of heavy cream in a small saucepan and add that to the sauce. Taste the sauce and hopefully those tips will work.
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Here are MORE Sauce Recipes you will love:
Italian Pink Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American-Italian
Description
Italian Pink Sauce, aka salsa rosa, is so rich and creamy and tastes like a fancy restaurant pasta sauce. Using both store bought and homemade ingredients means its easy to make but the result is an extra delicious pasta sauce.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 teaspoons garlic paste (or minced cloves or dried garlic powder)
- 16 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (basil, oregano, thyme)
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons white wine or vodka, optional
- choice of cooked pasta *
- chopped basil for garnish
Instructions
- Cook pasta of choice, save about ¼ cup of starchy water if needed to thin the sauce.*
- Heat butter in large skillet over low-medium heat.
- Add garlic and seasonings. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes, paste and sugar. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Lower heat, stir in cream very slowly to avoid curdling.
- Turn off heat. Stir in cheese. Stir in wine or vodka, if using.
- Garnish with chopped basil or parsley.
Notes
*Recommended pasta-ravioli, penne, ziti, bowties or fettuccine
*Taste the tomatoes and the sauce and adjust with seasonings and sugar as you prefer.
*If you forget to save some pasta water and need to thin out the sauce, use a bit of very lightly salted water. Or you can add a small amount of chicken broth if you some.
*Refrigerate leftovers and use within 3 days. Reheat on very low on the stovetop.
*Freeze leftover sauce is trickier and may or may not come out perfectly. Sometimes freezing dairy causes it to separate. You can defrost it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat slowly on the stove, whisking well. Try adding some warm cream to thin if necessary. Taste before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 286
- Sugar: 9.5g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 22g
- Carbohydrates: 15.3g
- Cholesterol: 64mg
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