Introducing our delightful Blush Sauce Pasta! This dish features a luscious blush sauce that combines tomato-based marinara sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and cream. It has a savory, slightly tangy, delicately sweet, and creamy taste that is both comforting and flavorful. Served with fusilli pasta to deliver as much sauce in every bite as possible.
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🍅 What Is Blush Sauce?
Blush sauce, also called pink or rosa sauce, is a pasta sauce that combines tomato-based marinara sauce with creamy white sauce. It's made by sautéing onions and garlic, adding tomato sauce, cream, and other ingredients like Parmesan or spices.
Blush sauce is known for its pink, almost sunset color and rich and creamy texture with a subtle tanginess from the tomato component. It's similar to spicy vodka pasta sauce.
The tomato component provides a subtle acidity and sweetness, while the cream adds richness and smoothness to the sauce. The combination results in a savory, slightly tangy, and creamy taste that is both comforting and flavorful.
It pairs well with a variety of pasta types, such as penne, rigatoni, or fettuccine and goes well with chicken and seafood.
For more comforting pasta recipes, check out our butternut squash pasta and creamy chicken alfredo.
🍝 Our Creamy Blush Sauce Pasta
Our blush sauce recipe is super easy to make and by using the ready-made tomato marinara sauce, you're saving on cooking time. We're enhancing the flavor with extra sauteed onions, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, which add extra umami and sweetness. The cream mellows down the acidity of tomatoes and creates that gorgeous blush color.
The sauce is perfect for pasta on its own and works well with chicken, shrimp, bacon, mushrooms, and spinach. Chickpeas can be added for a plant-based protein extra.
We love using fusilli pasta as its shape is great for holding onto that blush cream sauce in between the spirals.
🛒 Ingredients
Onions, garlic - regular yellow onion is used, however it can be swapped with shallots or red onion; fresh garlic is best but if not available, a teaspoon of garlic powder can be used.
Tomato sauce - we used store-bought tomato basil marinara sauce; if you’re using unseasoned, unflavored tomato sauce (also known as passata), you may want to season it more and add dried or fresh basil. In addition, it would benefit from slightly longer cooking time.
Sun-dried tomato - chopped, whole or strips in oil, it doesn’t matter as the sauce is pureed; these add depth of flavor, umami and sweetness.
Cream - we used heavy cream, it contains more fat so it is slightly thicker and richer than half-n-half however, in this sauce they can be interchanged in equal amounts. Both will give you that creamy texture.
Seasoning - salt and a little chili.
Pasta water - make sure to reserve a little pasta water after cooking; it has some of the starch from pasta and is a great liquid to add to the sauce.
🔪 How To Make A Blush Sauce
Find the full recipe ingredients, steps and nutritional information below. Here are step-by-step pics to guide you along.
Step 1. Over medium-high heat (7 out of 10 on induction), heat a tablespoon and a half of olive oil in a medium skillet/frying pan. Add the sliced onions and half a teaspoon of salt. Saute for 3-4 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.
Step 2. Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, and saute for another minute. Then add the tomato sauce and chili and stir through. Add ¼ cup of pasta cooking water or plain water. Cook, stirring a few times, for 2 minutes.
Step 3. Transfer the sauce to a bowl or a jug and puree the sauce using an immersion stick blender for a smooth consistency. You can leave the sauce chunky if you like.
Step 4. Return the sauce to the pan and stir in the cream. Heat through and it's ready to use! Stir through the pasta or top the bowls when serving.
💡Ways To Use Creamy Tomato Sauce
- Toss through cooked pasta with or without added protein or vegetables.
- Serve as a sauce over grilled chicken or fish.
- Throw in some shrimp and frozen peas and serve over pasta, rice or quinoa.
- Toss through pasta and thawed out frozen spinach, transfer to a casserole dish, top with cheese and bake for a comforting dinner.
- Throw in a can of white beans, baby peas and mushrooms for a vegetarian stew.
📖 Recipe
Blush Sauce Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 onion small, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 garlic cloves minced or diced
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes strips
- 1 cup marinara sauce we love tomato with basil in it
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- ¼ cup water or water from cooking pasta or water
- ½ cup cream heavy cream or half and half
- 14 oz fusilli pasta about 400 g
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Optional garnish: fresh basil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil or use a kettle to boil water. Add pasta, plenty of water (about 2 liters) and a teaspoon of salt. Cook until just al dente; see recommended time on the packet but do taste the pasta for your preferred texture.
- Drain the pasta, but make sure to reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water to add to the sauce.
- While the pasta is cooking, start preparing the ingredients for the sauce.
- Over medium-high heat (7 out of 10 on induction), heat a tablespoon and a half of olive oil in a medium skillet/frying pan. Add the sliced onions and half a teaspoon of salt. Saute for 3-4 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, and saute for another minute. Then add the tomato sauce and chili and stir through. Add ¼ cup of pasta cooking water or plain water. Cook, stirring a few times, for 2 minutes.
- Transfer the sauce to a bowl or a jug and puree the sauce using an immersion stick blender for a smooth consistency. You can leave the sauce chunky if you like.
- Return the sauce to the pan and stir in the cream. Heat through and it's ready to use! Stir through the pasta or top the bowls when serving.
Notes
- For a dairy-free version, try this recipe with coconut cream or dairy-free cream alternative.
- Storage and Reheating: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Nutritional info above is for pasta with sauce.
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