Italian Pink Sauce Pasta

5 from 3 votes

This Italian pink sauce pasta is made with simple ingredients and is a delicious and fresh creamy tomato sauce. It's the perfect balance of acidity from the tomatoes and creaminess of half & half. It's also the perfect base for grilled chicken, meatballs, or mushrooms.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 412kcal

Author: Olivia & Annie

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ white onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1, 28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes
¾ teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
16 oz penne noodles
¾ cup cottage cheese OR half & half
½ cup fresh grated parmesan + more to taste
½ cup fresh basil

Instructions

Place a large skillet on the stove over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onion. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes, until the onions are slightly softened.
Add the minced garlic, San Marzano tomatoes, and salt. Use a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes into smaller pieces. Turn the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes, up to 30 minutes if time permits.
While the sauce is simmering, fill a large pot with water and season generously with salt. Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the water the pasta was cooked in in case you want to thin the sauce at all.
When the sauce has simmered for at least 10 minutes, use a blender or an immersion blender to blend the sauce to a smooth consistency. If you use a blender, make sure the cap of the blender lid is off to let hot steam escape or else the top of the blender may fly off from the steam when you blend.
The next step will differ depending on if you are using cottage cheese or half & half.
If you are adding cottage cheese: Add the cottage cheese to the blender with the blended sauce and blend until smooth. Once the sauce is blended, add it back into the pan if you used a blender and add the parmesan and basil. Stir until combined.
If you are adding half & half: Once the sauce is blended, add it back into the pan if you used a blender and slowly add the half and half, parmesan, and basil. Stir until combined.
Add the pasta to the sauce and if it is too thick for your liking, add a small amount of pasta water at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. Serve hot with more basil and Parmesan on top if desired.

Notes

Feel free to swap the half & half for heavy cream.
Make this recipe gluten-free with the use of gluten-free pasta. We recommend Jovial noodles or Banza pasta.
Make this recipe dairy-free and vegan by omitting the parmesan cheese and substituting the half & half for plain unsweetened non-dairy creamer.

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