Simple Rosé Sauce

Italian Rosé Sauce is a creamy and flavourful pasta sauce that combines elements of both tomato-based marinara sauce and creamy Alfredo sauce. Rosé Sauce is delicious with various pasta types, like penne or fettuccine and pairs well with chicken, shrimp, or vegetables, making it a versatile choice for a satisfying and indulgent pasta dish.

I believe you can never have enough pasta sauce recipes. From a fresh and vibrant Roma Tomato Passata to a slightly spicy nutty Baby Arugula Pesto, there are so many great ways to flavour your next pasta dinner.

Simple Rosé Sauce

Rose pasta sauce, also known as “pink sauce”, “salsa rosa”, or “sugo rosa,” gets its distinct pink colour from the combination of tomato sauce and heavy cream or milk. Like vodka sauce, its flavour is a harmonious balance between the tangy richness of tomato and the smoothness of cream (without the vodka).

This pink sauce pasta recipe delivers on both flavour and texture. Furthermore, the creamy rose sauce coats the cooked pasta perfectly and pairs well with many proteins. It also makes a satisfying and easy vegetarian family dinner in under 40 minutes cook time.

If you love fresh basil as much as I do, this is the dish for you. The velvety rich cream sauce and zesty tomato flavour of this pasta sauce is virtually irresistible to almost everyone, especially with a generous topping of grated Parmesan cheese.

Speaking of irresistible, the whole family will love this easy dinner recipe and you’ll love how quick and easy it is. It joins the ranks of Tuna Noodle Casserole and Marry Me Chicken Pasta as another comfort food dinner winner.

Ingredients for Rosé Sauce

The ingredients in this rosé pasta sauce are very similar to those in my vodka sauce recipe, without the vodka. Since there are very few ingredients, choosing quality products will yield best flavour results.

• Butter
• Onion
• Garlic
• Tomato Sauce
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Water
• Paprika
• Heavy Cream
• Pasta
• Fresh Basil
• Parmesan Cheese

This recipe begins with sautéing the onions and garlic in butter. However, you can always omit the butter and use olive oil or a mixture of the two. Feel free to use salted or unsalted butter and adjust the portion of added salt to your taste.

Similarly, I sometimes use a mixture of tomato sauce (or passata) and diced or crushed tomatoes. If you can find them, choose cans of San Marzano sauce or diced tomatoes over North American brands as they will have the best tomato flavour.

If you like a little extra tomato flavour, add up to 1 tablespoon of tomato paste to the sauce before you add the heavy cream.

The high percentage of milk fat in heavy cream is necessary to keep the acidic rosé sauce from curdling. It is still edible if it curdles, but it does not look very appetizing.

You can use water, vegetable broth, chicken broth (or chicken stock) in this recipe. If you use broth instead of water, adjust salt level as needed.

Feel free to adjust the spice level to your taste. If you prefer a spicier sauce, increase the amount of red pepper flakes or omit them if you or your family does not like spice.

Use only freshly ground black pepper and real Parmesan cheese, not the store-bought pre-ground, pre-grated products.

Basil brings true Italian flavour to this sauce and fresh basil is especially delicious in the sauce and as a garnish. However, if you have dried basil, you can use it in a pinch.

Finally, let’s talk about pasta. Though this is a recipe for rosé sauce, there are certain pasta shapes that are meant to go with a velvety creamy sauce.

Extruded tube varieties like penne, rigatoni, cavatappi, and campanelle trap the creamy pink sauce perfectly, especially if they have ridges. In general, thinner flat noodles, like fettuccine or linguine, are best paired with simple cream sauces.

How to Make Rosé Sauce

For this recipe, you do not need any special tools, other than a large saucepan or skillet with high sides, a large pot for boiling the pasta, and a pasta strainer. If you can sauté vegetables and boil pasta, this is the perfect recipe for you!

To begin, set a large pot of salted water on to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions and do a bite test to determine when the pasta is ready. It should be ‘al dente’ or stick ‘to the tooth’ but not chalky. Drain pasta, reserving the starchy water to use as needed.

While the pasta is cooking, heat butter and/or olive oil in a large saucepan or large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and sauté for a few minutes until soft and translucent. Next, add the minced garlic and paprika, cook and stir for a minute until fragrant.

To the aromatics, add the tomato sauce, water (or broth), salt, red pepper flakes, and freshly ground black pepper. Bring tomato mixture to a boil over medium, then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or until the liquid reduces and the tomato sauce has a bold, less acidic flavour.

Pour heavy cream and add a handful of fresh basil leaves (tear or chop the basil leaves just before adding to release their essential oils). Stir and simmer on low heat for another five minutes to infuse the flavours. Feel free to add chopped fresh spinach, broccoli or Swiss Chard to the simmering sauce.

If the sauce thickens too much add reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until the sauce reaches desired consistency.

Remove the sauce from the heat, add pasta and parmesan cheese then use tongs or a pasta fork to toss the pasta and sauce together gently. This evenly distributes the sauce and coats the pasta thoroughly.

Serve hot with extra Parmesan and garnish with extra fresh basil. Feel free to add crumbled and cooked Italian sausage, cooked chicken or shrimp to your pasta dinner.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.

Reheating: To reheat, gently warm the pasta in sauce in a saucepan over low heat. If the sauce thickens upon cooling, you can add a small amount of water or cream to achieve the desired consistency.

Hi! I’m Bernice Hill and I am the sole recipe developer, photographer, and writer at Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen. It is my pleasure to share easy to follow recipes that are delicious, nutritious, and approachable for the whole family.

If you make this Simple Rosé Sauce recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments section or in a recipe rating. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for my latest recipes. Also, if you do make this recipe, please share your photos and tag me on Instagram. I hope you like this recipe!