This easy rose sauce with spaghetti is an easy vegetarian tomato cream sauce that is full of flavour. Made with tomatoes and mixed with cream, this Italian pink sauce is very popular with all pasta lovers.
When most people are doing their weekly meal plan pasta often factors in at least once a week. And for good reason. Plates of pasta are cheap, fast, easy, and full of flavour. You can check out some of my most popular pasta recipes- Creamy lemon chicken pasta, 30 minute sausage pasta, or One pot chorizo pasta.
But this rose pasta sauce is a little bit different than what you may be used to. It's made with tomato passata and thinned out with some single cream, making it lighter and fuller flavored than a traditional cream sauce.
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When mixing tomato sauce with cream it turns rose pink, therefore the name rose sauce or pink pasta sauce. It benefits greatly from having lots of black pepper and fresh parsley mixed in to the final sauce.
Why This Rose Pasta Sauce Recipe Works
- It's a homemade pasta sauce that is ready in 30 minutes- no long simmering time.
- You can use single cream in this pink sauce recipe meaning it is lighter than a traditional cream sauce.
- It's a great sauce for keeping vegetarian or for adding prawns or chicken to add some extra protein.
Ingredients needed
- tomato passata- which are sieved tomatoes so there are no chunks of tomatoes. You can use a tin of chopped tomatoes if you prefer a chunky sauce.
- single cream- you do not need to use double or heavy cream in this recipe. The higher the fat content of the cream the less tomato flavour you will have.
- onions and garlic- the flavour builders of any pasta sauce
- Italian seasoning- a blend of dried herbs that make it easy to add lots of flavour
- Grana padano or parmesan- they are interchangeable in this recipe.
- parsley- brings a fresh flavour
- pasta- I've used spaghetti, but you can use penne, tortellini or any other pasta that you love.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Step By Step Instructions
1 & 2
- In a heavy-bottomed pan heat some olive oil and gently saute the onions and garlic until softened. Add in the Italian seasoning. *It's really important that the onions are soft and translucent before adding any liquid. They won't continue cooking once the tomatoes have been added.
- Once the onions are soft and translucent, add in the tomato passata or the chopped tomatoes if you're using them. Season with salt, pepper and bring to a gentle simmer.
3 & 4
- Pour the cream into the tomato sauce and stir well.
- Add the grated cheese to the sauce and stir to melt. Taste again and adjust the seasoning. *A squeeze of lemon is optional, but can really brighten up the sauce.
5 & 6
- Stir in the fresh chopped parsley and Add some extra pepper if required.
- Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce and serve with extra cheese.
Recipe: FAQ
No. Often tomato sauce recipes will call for a pinch of sugar to help tone down the acidity of the tomatoes. But if you take the time to gently saute the onions and get them soft and sweet then you won't need the sugar. The cream also tones down the acidity in the tomatoes dramatically.
Overseasoning sauce is something that can happen very easily. A squeeze of lemon and some extra cream will tone down the saltiness.
Absolutely. It's often made with penne, but any type of pasta will work. It's amazing paired with a tortellini and turned into a pasta bake.
Ways to serve rose pasta sauce
This creamy tomato pasta sauce can be used in so many ways.
- Italian chicken in tomato sauce- Chicken breast baked with mozzarella and served over creamy tomato pasta.
- One pan easy lasagna - A great way to lighten up a usually heartier dish. Use a rose cream sauce instead of a usual ragu.
- Baked tortellini - A very quick and easy dinner. Use a cheese tortellini to keep it vegetarian.
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish.
Equipment
- cast iron pan
- whisk
- Microplane for grating the cheese and garlic
Storage
- Freezer- The sauce only can be frozen for about 1 month. Reheat it very gently so as not to split the cream in the sauce.
- Fridge- pasta and sauce for up to 3 days.
Top tips
Need help with meal planning? You can find our (Aldi ingredients only) weekly meal plans here! Sign up to receive them free every week or take our quick meal planning course and grab the blank meal planner and use all these recipes to create your own meal plans. Follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced *see notes
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 500 ml tomato passata
- 200 ml single cream
- 25 g parmesan grated
- ½ bunch fresh parsley chopped
- 500 g spaghetti cooked according to package instructions
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed pan heat the olive oil over medium heat and gently saute the onions and garlic until softened. Add in the Italian seasoning.
- Once the onions are soft and translucent, add in the tomato passata or the chopped tomatoes if you're using them. Season with salt, pepper and bring to a gentle simmer. Continue to simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Pour the cream into the tomato sauce and stir well.
- Add the grated cheese to the sauce and stir to melt. Taste again and adjust the seasoning. *A squeeze of lemon is optional, but can really brighten up the sauce.
- Stir in the fresh chopped parsley and Add some extra pepper if required.
- Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce and serve with extra cheese.
Rahul
Amazing recipe. Just made it tonight. It was quick and easy and delicious. Thank you!
Ramson
Absolutely loved this pasta. It was so quick and easy. A great weeknight solution.
Deborah Rainford
So happy you loved it. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and a rating. Its so appreciated!