Italian Pink Sauce Pasta Recipe

Name: Italian Pink Sauce Pasta Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: italian
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 shallot, minced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 3/4 cup heavy cream; 1/2 to 1 cup of pasta water; 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese; 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 3 ounce prosciutto package; 8 ounce dry bucatini pasta (half of a full package); 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced for serving

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

This Italian Pink Sauce Pasta Recipe with crispy prosciutto is creamy and delicious. It is so simple to make in only 30 minutes and full of flavor!

two large bowls of pasta tossed in pink sauce topped with crispy prosciutto and parsley

I am literally drooling just looking at this photo because I LOVE this recipe. I am a total pasta girl and always will be. Bucatini is a current favorite pasta for me, and I don't think that is going to change anytime soon.

This pasta is decadent, creamy, and gorgeous all at the same time. I remember the first time I had pink sauce. I was about ten years old and my older brother drove me into Charlotte to a restaurant called Charlies. They served pink sauce over tortellini, which is my ultimate favorite pasta. I remember just falling in actual LOVE with the dish. If love creamy pink sauce, make sure to make my 4 Cheese Pasta too!

Want more protein for dinner? Try pairing this recipe with my Chicken Wrapped in Prosciutto or Crusted Chicken Romano recipes!

Jump to:

Why You Will Love This Recipe
The Ingredients
Substitutions & Variations:
How to Make This Pink Sauce Pasta Recipe:
Expert Tips:
Recipe FAQs:
More Recipes You Will Love:
Recipe

Why You Will Love This Recipe

It's pasta..must I go on?
This recipe has pink sauce, which in my eyes is the perfect combo of a red sauce and alfredo mixed together
The recipe is ready in 30 minutes
This dish is topped with crispy prosciutto for a nice salty kick

If you love pasta as much as I do, try my Creamy Tortellini Soup, Italian Manicotti & Lasagna al forno recipes.

The Ingredients

Shallot, Olive Oil & Garlic- For delicious flavor in our sauce

Heavy Cream- To add creaminess

Tomato Paste- For our tomato flavor and keep a thickness to our sauce

Pasta Water- 100% crucial to create the perfect sauce. This sauce is especially thick, and the pasta water comes in at the end like Superman to create the best texture

Parmigiano Reggiano- My personal favorite cheese and creates a nutty Italian flavor

Bucatini- A glorious pasta that has a hole running through it. It is such a step up from spaghetti and really great for this recipe

Prosciutto- It crisps up and makes for a salty little crunch in our pasta

Parsley, Red Pepper flakes and Salt and Pepper- Seasonings to really enhance the dish

large bowl of bucatini in pink sauce topped in prosciutto bites

Substitutions & Variations:

Vegetarian? Leave out the prosciutto.

Don't like any spice? Feel free to leave out the red pepper flakes.

How to Make This Pink Sauce Pasta Recipe:

Watch the full recipe video and be sure to Subscribe. It's free and I post new recipes every week:

Here are the Step by Step Instructions of this Italian Pink Sauce and Prosciutto Pasta.

Step 1: Bake the Prosciutto

Preheat the oven to 375. Layer prosciutto on a cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until nice and crispy. Allow the prosciutto to cool on a paper towel. Cut or crumble into smaller bite size pieces and set aside.

Step 2: Boil the Pasta

In a large saucepan, boil the water for the pasta. I like to add a touch of olive oil and salt to my pasta water to help the noodles to not stick together. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package and drain, saving 1 cup of the pasta water. *IT IS IMPORTANT TO SAVE THE PASTA WATER*

Step 3: Make the Pink Sauce

First, heat a large skillet or dutch oven to medium/low heat and add in the olive oil.

Add the shallot and a pinch of salt and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Don't let it burn, we just want it to soften.

Next, add in the garlic and allow it to cook for 30 seconds. Then, spoon in the tomato paste and stir.

Turn the heat down to low and add in the cream. Allow the cream to warm up over low heat for about 3 to 4 minutes and sprinkle in red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

Add in the cheese and stir.

Next, slowly add in a little bit of pasta water, until you get a slightly thicker version of the texture you want. *I only used about ½ cup, but I wanted you to save a little extra in case you need it. We are going to toss our pasta in, which will add a bit more water.

Step 4: Serve and Enjoy

Toss in the pasta and prosciutto pieces.

Lastly, top with parsley and enjoy!

Expert Tips:

Saving pasta water will absolutely change your Italian cooking. I've found that you can make a come back from almost any chunky or separating sauce by just adding in a ladle or two of pasta water.

Watch the shallot really well when cooking. You want a translucency on these with no browning. Turn heat down if the edges start to brown.

Serve this meal right away and reserve some pasta water just in case the sauce starts to over thicken. Pour in a little bit and you are back to perfection!

Recipe FAQs:

Can I prep this ahead of time:

No, this sauce is not one that you want to sit for a long time. It needs to be served immediately after cooking, so that it does not separate. If you are looking for a sauce to simmer on the stovetop, try my quick marinara.

What is Italian Pink Sauce made of?

Italian pink sauce is basically a mix of red sauce and creamy alfredo. This recipe uses tomato paste to get the acidity of the tomatoes and heavy cream to give us the pink color. It's one of my favorite creamy sauces and it's ready in less than 30 minutes! No all day simmering required.

More Recipes You Will Love:

Recipe