This Italian pink pasta sauce recipe is creamy, sweet, and extremely delicious. A perfect dish for kids and grown-ups to enjoy all together in just 20 minutes. Ready to know how to make pink sauce?
If this pink sauce pasta recipe is already making you hungry wait until you try more of these Italian recipes: authentic amatriciana sauce, quick one-pot ricotta pasta, and pasta shell casserole. Furthermore, this lemon-infused chicken will pair perfectly with the pink sauce.
Why you’ll love this pink sauce
- Family-friendly– This pink sauce recipe meets the taste of all family members, especially the kids, who are so obsessed with any pasta dish. Also, it is perfect for any time of the year.
- Easy and quick to make– In just 20 minutes you will have a nutrient and tasty pink sauce pasta dish without spending a long time on the stove. Which means more time to spend on what you love. Again, it is incredibly easy to put together so no more takeaway food, I am sure your purse will thank you.
- Comfort food– This dish will fall into the category of comfort food: cheesy (not in a bad way), sweet, and creamy. Do I have to say more?
This delicious pasta recipe is made with just a fews simple ingredients by combining tomato sauce and burrata cheese. The result is a beautiful pink sauce that will drive crazy the little ones. The well-known Italian pink pasta sauce is made with double cream while in this recipe I swap it with the burrata cheese that once stirred with the sauce will be gooey and scrumptious. As it does not just pair perfectly with the tomatoes it gives a creamy and lighter flavor in comparison to the double cream.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
Oil– Use good extra-virgin olive oil for the sauce.
Garlic and onion– Use a mix of fresh garlic and onion to enrich the sauce.
Tomatoes– Use a combination of fresh tomatoes and a good tomato passata.
Herbs– Basil is a great choice to add to this sauce. It will give a nice peppery and sweet flavor.
Cheese– Use a good fresh Burrata cheese. The burrata cheese is an Italian cheese made with mozzarella and fresh cream. Also, add some Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for a slightly salty flavor.
Pasta– I use spaghetti but you can use any type of pasta you have in your cupboard.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTION*
*Note: this is just a quick introduction. Please read the recipe card for the full instructions.
To achieve a tasty Italian pink sauce recipe, there are two simple steps to take into account, the “soffritto” and the quality of the ingredients. The soffritto is an Italian word, meaning sauteed onion, garlic, and olive oil before adding any other ingredients. This way we will enhance the natural flavors of the ingredients.
Prepare the base
In a medium frying pan sauteed the olive oil, onion, and garlic until the onion is translucent.
Add the tomatoes
Once the onion is translucent add the tomatoes* and the salt on medium heat. Add the passata when the tomatoes are starting to get soft and let it simmer for a few minutes.
*Tip: to cut the time start by cooking the pasta after you have added the fresh tomatoes. Cook it until al dente in salted boiling water.
Stir the burrata cheese and serve
Stir the burrata cheese in the tomato sauce*, until is well combined and it has a pink color.
*Tip: combine the burrata with the sauce when it is still hot so that it will dissolve better and create a gooey effect.
Add the pasta into the sauce, mix it and serve immediately with some grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Enjoy!
VARIATION/SUGGESTIONS
Sauce– If you want to make the pink sauce spicier add to the sauteed a tiny bit of fresh red chilly or some chili pepper flakes. But keep in mind that in this case, it may not be kid-friendly as it will be spicy.
Pasta– As I said before any kind of pasta long or short will work wonderfully with it. Also, fresh pasta as the gnocchi works great with this pink sauce recipe.
Tomatoes– During the winter swap, the fresh tomatoes for baby datterini or Pachino tomatoes in cans.
Vegetables- If you want to add some vegetables to this pink sauce recipe, I would add some fried or baked eggplant/aubergine on top of the pasta to create a slightly richer taste.
Leftover- If you are lucky enough to have some leftovers I have a delicious dish idea for you: Preheat the oven to 200°C/392°F and mix in a casserole the pasta leftover with some mozzarella, some grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, basil leaves, and a knob of unsalted butter. Give it a good stir and bake it in the oven until the top is crispy and the mozzarella is stringy.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How to store the leftover?
Fridge- Store the leftover in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat the pasta into a medium frying pan on low heat and add little water to cream up the dish.
Freezer- Cool off the leftover in an airtight container, once cooled, in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost it in the fridge for 12 hours and then reheat the pink pasta sauce in a medium frying pan with a bit of water for a few minutes.
Can be made ahead?
Yes, of course. You can definitely make the tomato sauce in advance then reheat it with a bit of water until warm. Once is warm turn the heat off and add the burrata cheese.
MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
Pink sauce recipe
Equipment
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 Vegetable Knife
- 1 Medium non-stick frying pan
- 1 Wooden spoon or any large spoon
- 1 Medium tall pot for cooking the pasta
Ingredients
Pink sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 clove of garlic chopped
- 56 gr onion finely chopped
- 515 gr pachino tomatoes or baby datterini cut it on half
- 5 basil leaves
- 1 tsp Maldon salt
- 200 gr Tomatoes passata
- 300 gr Burrata cheese
- 40 gr grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Pasta
- 300 gr spaghetti pasta
- 1 hadfull coarse sea salt for cooking the pasta
- 160 ml pasta water
Instructions
- Add the olive oil, garlic, and diced onion to a medium frying pan on medium heat. Sautee the onion for 10 minutes or until is translucent .
- Once the onion is translucent add the tomatoes cut it in half, the salt, and give a good stir. Cook the tomatoes on medium heat until are starting to get soft, make sure to stir from time to time. Then crush them once are soft with a wooden spoon to create a sauce.
- Bring the water to boil, in a medium pot and add the salt and the pasta. Stir and cook the pasta al dente or according to the package instructions. Stir from time to time and once ready reserve some pasta water.
- While the pasta is cooking add the passata and the basil to the frying pan, give a good stir and cook it for 8 minutes. Remember to stir the sauce every now and then. Cut the burrata roughly, no need to be super precise as it will dissolve quickly.
- Turn off the heat once the sauce is ready and stir the burrata back into the frying pan. Combine the sauce until it has dissolved and it has a pink color.
- Add the drained pasta and add the water pasta into the sauce in the frying pan on medium heat. Stir and cook until it creates a nice and creamy sauce. Serve immediately with some grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Notes
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What a delicious sauce! I never thought to combine burrata into sauce. I can’t wait to make this again!
You had me at burrata, and I had to make it. Super delicious and so easy too. Everyone loves it, and it will be made again, and again.
Thank you for sharing.
I am so glad you liked it. Burrata cheese is so good, isn’t it?
As others mentioned, adding burrata is genius! We loved it.