This easy rose sauce with spaghetti is a simple, vegetarian tomato-cream sauce packed with flavour. Made from sieved tomatoes (passata) and light single cream, this Italian “pink” sauce is silky, quick to prepare and popular with pasta lovers. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal, and can be kept vegetarian or boosted with prawns or chicken for added protein.
Table of Contents
Pasta is a go-to for many weekly meal plans because it’s affordable, fast and satisfying. This rose sauce differs from a classic cream sauce: using tomato passata as the base, then thinning and enriching it with single cream gives a lighter texture with pronounced tomato flavour. When cream is added to a tomato sauce it softens the acidity and creates the characteristic pink hue that gives the sauce its “rose” name. Finish with lots of black pepper and fresh parsley for brightness.
Why This Rose Pasta Sauce Recipe Works
- Ready in about 30 minutes—no hours of slow simmering required.
- Uses single cream for a lighter finish that still feels indulgent.
- Flexible: keep it vegetarian, or add cooked prawns, chicken or crispy pancetta for extra protein.
Ingredients needed
- Tomato passata (sieved tomatoes) — use chopped tomatoes if you prefer a chunkier texture.
- Single cream — lighter than double/heavy cream and lets the tomato flavour come through.
- Onion and garlic — the base aromatics that build depth.
- Italian seasoning or a blend of dried oregano, basil and thyme.
- Grana Padano or Parmesan, freshly grated.
- Fresh parsley for finishing.
- Your choice of pasta — spaghetti, penne or filled pasta like tortellini all work well.
Quantities are listed in the recipe card below.
Step By Step Instructions
1 & 2
- Heat olive oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Gently sauté the diced onion and minced garlic until soft and translucent, then stir in the Italian seasoning. Properly softened onions are important because they will not continue to cook once the tomatoes are added.
- Add the tomato passata (or chopped tomatoes), season with salt and pepper, and bring to a gentle simmer. Let it simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to reduce and concentrate the flavours.
3 & 4
- Pour the single cream into the tomato sauce and stir until fully combined and the colour turns a warm pink.
- Stir in the grated cheese until melted. Taste and adjust seasoning—an optional squeeze of lemon can brighten the sauce if desired.
5 & 6
- Stir through chopped fresh parsley and add more black pepper to taste.
- Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce until well coated and serve with extra grated cheese.
Recipe: FAQ
Not usually. If you gently sauté the onions until they’re sweet and soft, and then add cream, that combination will reduce the tomatoes’ acidity without extra sugar.
A splash more cream and a squeeze of lemon both help mellow an overly salty sauce. Adding unsalted cooked pasta and stirring it through can also balance the seasoning.
Yes. Penne and tortellini are common pairings, but spaghetti, rigatoni or any pasta you prefer will work well with this creamy tomato sauce.
Ways to serve rose pasta sauce
This versatile sauce can be used in many dishes:
- Italian-style chicken in tomato sauce — bake chicken with mozzarella and serve it over the rose sauce.
- One-pan lasagna — substitute a rose cream sauce for a heavier ragu to lighten the dish.
- Baked tortellini — use a cheese tortellini, mix with this sauce and bake until bubbling for a quick comfort meal.
- Spicy variation — add red chili flakes to the sauce while it simmers for heat.
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed or cast-iron pan
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Whisk for smoothing the sauce
- Microplane or fine grater for the cheese and garlic
Storage
- Freezer: The sauce can be frozen on its own for about one month. Reheat gently to avoid splitting the cream.
- Fridge: Cooked pasta and sauce will keep for up to three days when refrigerated in an airtight container.
Top tips
- Sweat the onions slowly until very soft to develop sweetness and depth—this reduces the need for added sugar.
- Simmer the tomato base uncovered for a short time to concentrate flavours and slightly thicken the sauce before adding cream.
- If the sauce becomes too thin after adding cream, simmer gently on low heat to reduce, stirring often.
- Finish with plenty of cracked black pepper and fresh parsley for contrast and freshness.
Easy Rose Pasta Sauce – Italian Pink Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 500 ml tomato passata
- 200 ml single cream
- 25 g Parmesan or Grana Padano, grated
- ½ bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- 500 g spaghetti, cooked according to package instructions
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Gently sauté the onions and garlic until softened, then add the Italian seasoning.
- When the onions are soft and translucent, add the tomato passata (or chopped tomatoes), season with salt and pepper, and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in the single cream and stir to combine, letting the sauce take on a warm pink colour.
- Add the grated cheese and stir until it melts into the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning; a squeeze of lemon is optional to brighten the flavours.
- Stir through the chopped parsley and additional black pepper if desired.
- Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce until evenly coated and serve with extra grated cheese.
Notes
Simmer the tomato base uncovered to concentrate flavours and thicken slightly before adding the cream.
Nutrition
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Carbohydrates: 111 g
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Protein: 22 g
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Fat: 23 g
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Saturated Fat: 12 g
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