Parma Rosa Sauce

This easy Parma Rosa Sauce is pink from a mixture of classic marinara and heavy cream, a luscious, delicious combination loaded with parmesan. It's a heavenly combination served over penne or any other pasta you love.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Cook Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings servings (1/2 cup each)

Calories 152kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

penne pasta or other pasta
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced (see note 1)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes undrained
1 teaspoon granulated sugar (see note 2)
1/2 cup heavy cream (see note 3)
1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated, plus more, for serving (see note 4)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain well.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat olive oil until shimmering. Stir in garlic, basil, and oregano until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, sugar (if using), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until flavors have blended, about 10 minutes.
Stir in heavy cream and parmesan until smooth. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 1 to 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Serve with pasta.

Notes

Garlic: Substitute 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder for the fresh, and add in Step 2.
Sugar: This is an optional sauce ingredient; I prefer just 1 teaspoon to balance out the acidity in the canned tomatoes. Sweeten to taste or feel free to omit.
Heavy cream: For the richest results, choose heavy cream. Light cream or half and half also work, but will give you a slightly less decadent texture due to the lower fat content.
Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated parmesan melts better than the grated Parmesan from the shaker, but the green can kind also works well in this creamy pasta sauce.
Yield: This recipe makes about 5 cups (1 quart) sauce. It's enough for at least 2 pounds of pasta.
Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition