This Silky Creamy Rosé Pasta with Spinach is a luxurious dinner that feels like a restaurant meal but is easily made in your own kitchen. It features a rich, velvety pink sauce made from smooth tomato passata and heavy cream, infused with garlic and a hint of red pepper heat.
With tender wilted spinach and a savory coating of Pecorino Romano cheese, this comforting dish is perfect for a special date night or a cozy family dinner.
Recipe Details
- Flavor Profile: A perfect balance of acidity from the tomatoes and richness from the cream, with a savory, salty kick from the Pecorino and a subtle spice from red pepper flakes.
- Texture: The sauce is exceptionally smooth and coats the pasta thicky, while the spinach adds a soft, tender bite.
- Time: 15 minutes prep, 25 minutes cook time.
- Difficulty: Easy. It involves making a simple simmered sauce and boiling pasta.
What You’ll Need
To make this recipe, you will need a large skillet or deep frying pan to build the sauce and a large pot for boiling the pasta. A cheese grater is essential for the Pecorino Romano. The ingredients rely on high-quality tomato passata and heavy cream to create that signature “rosé” color and texture.
Ingredient Notes
- Passata – This is uncooked tomato puree that has been strained of seeds and skins. It is smoother than crushed tomatoes and provides the silky base for this sauce.
- Heavy Cream – Essential for transforming the red tomato base into a luscious pink sauce. It adds richness and cuts the acidity.
- Pecorino Romano – A hard, salty Italian sheep’s milk cheese. It adds a sharper, more savory flavor than Parmesan.
- Spinach – You need a full box of fresh spinach. It wilts down significantly in the sauce, adding nutrition and color.
- Garlic & Onion – A generous amount of garlic (6 cloves!) and a yellow onion build the aromatic foundation.
- Red Pepper Flakes – These add a gentle heat that warms up the creamy sauce without making it overly spicy.
- Sugar – A teaspoon of sugar neutralizes the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Pasta – A 450-500g box of your favorite shape. Short shapes like penne or rigatoni hold the sauce well, but long noodles work too.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Cheese – If you cannot find Pecorino Romano, Parmesan cheese is a great substitute, though slightly less salty.
- Protein – Grilled chicken strips or shrimp would pair beautifully with this sauce if you want to add meat.
- Vegetables – Mushrooms or zucchini can be sautéed with the onions for extra veggie volume.
How to Make Silky Creamy Rosé Pasta with Spinach
- Prep: Prepare ingredients by dicing the onion, mincing the garlic, and grating the Pecorino Romano.
- Sauté Aromatics: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, until they are soft and lightly golden. Add in the minced garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
- Simmer Tomato Base: Pour in the passata and the 1/3 cup of water, then season with salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir well, cover the skillet, and simmer on medium/medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes. This concentrates the tomato flavor.
- Cook Pasta: While the sauce simmers, cook your pasta in a pot of boiling salted water according to the package instructions until tender but firm. Don’t forget to reserve about 1/4 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Add Cream: Once the tomato base is ready, stir in the heavy cream and simmer uncovered on medium heat for about 5 minutes to let it thicken slightly and turn a beautiful pink color.
- Wilt Spinach: Add in the box of spinach and the reserved pasta water to the skillet. Stir gently, then cover with a lid and cook for 3-5 minutes on medium heat, until the spinach wilts completely.
- Combine: Add the cooked pasta along with the grated Pecorino Romano to the sauce. Toss everything together until the pasta is evenly coated with the creamy rosé sauce and simmer together for 1 minute.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh basil, a crack of black pepper, and additional Pecorino Romano.
Pro Tip: Reserving the pasta water is key! The starch in that water helps emulsify the cream and cheese into the tomato base, ensuring the sauce clings to the noodles rather than sliding off.
Recipe Tips
- Grate Your Own Cheese: Pre-grated cheese often contains anti-caking agents that can make a creamy sauce grainy. Grating a block of Pecorino yourself ensures a smooth melt.
- Don’t Rush the Simmer: Letting the tomato passata simmer for the full 15-20 minutes removes the raw tomato taste and sweetens the sauce naturally.
- Spinach Volume: It will look like a lot of spinach when you first add it to the pan, but don’t worry it shrinks down dramatically once covered and steamed.
FAQs
- Can I use milk instead of cream? Heavy cream is recommended for the stability and texture of this sauce. Milk may curdle when mixed with the acidic tomatoes and will result in a much thinner sauce.
- What is passata? Passata is uncooked tomato puree. If you can’t find a bottle labeled “passata,” look for “tomato puree” or “strained tomatoes” in the canned tomato aisle.
- How do I store leftovers? Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
Serving Suggestions
- Bread: A slice of crusty garlic bread is perfect for mopping up the extra sauce.
- Salad: A fresh green salad with a balsamic vinaigrette cuts through the richness of the cream.
- Protein: This makes a great side dish to grilled steak or baked salmon.
Make This Recipe in Advance
- Sauce: You can make the tomato base (up to adding the cream) a day in advance.
- Assembly: For the best texture, boil the pasta and finish the sauce with the cream, spinach, and cheese right before serving.
Silky Creamy Rosé Pasta with Spinach
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 Servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Silky Creamy Rosé Pasta with Spinach is a luxurious dinner that feels like a restaurant meal but is easily made in your own kitchen. It features a rich, velvety pink sauce made from smooth tomato passata and heavy cream, infused with garlic and a hint of red pepper heat. With tender wilted spinach and a savory coating of Pecorino Romano cheese, this comforting dish is perfect for a special date night or a cozy family dinner.
Ingredients
The Aromatics & Tomato Base
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 6 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust for heat)
- 1.5 cups Passata (strained tomato purée)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon sugar (to cut acidity)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
The Creamy Finish & Pasta
- 1.5 cups heavy cream
- 1 box (approx. 5 oz/150g) fresh spinach
- 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated
- 1 box (450–500g) dried pasta (penne, rigatoni, or fusilli)
- 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
- Fresh basil (for garnish)
Instructions
Sauté Aromatics
Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onions and sauté for 5 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 30–60 seconds until fragrant.
Simmer Tomato Base
Pour in the passata and 1/3 cup water. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer: Stir well, cover the skillet, and simmer on medium-low heat for 15–20 minutes. This step concentrates the flavor and removes the raw tomato taste.
Cook Pasta
While the sauce simmers, boil the pasta in salted water according to package directions. Crucial Step: Reserve 1/4 cup of starchy pasta water before draining. Drain the pasta.
Add Cream
Once the tomato base has simmered, stir in the heavy cream. Simmer uncovered on medium heat for 5 minutes to thicken slightly and turn that signature pink color.
Wilt Spinach
Add the fresh spinach and the reserved pasta water to the skillet. Stir gently, cover with a lid, and cook for 3–5 minutes until the spinach is completely wilted.
Combine
Add the cooked pasta and the grated Pecorino Romano to the sauce. Toss everything together for 1 minute until the cheese melts and the pasta is evenly coated in the silky sauce.
Serve
Garnish with fresh basil, cracked black pepper, and extra cheese.
Notes
What is Passata? Passata is uncooked tomato purée that has been strained of seeds and skins. It is much smoother than crushed tomatoes. If you can’t find it, look for “strained tomatoes” or “tomato purée” (not tomato paste!).
Grate Your Own Cheese: Pre-grated cheese contains anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly. For a silky sauce, grate a block of Pecorino yourself.
Don’t Rush the Simmer: Letting the passata simmer for the full 15–20 minutes is key to developing a deep, sweet tomato flavor before adding the cream.
Reserve the Water: The starchy pasta water helps emulsify the cream and cheese into the tomato base, ensuring the sauce clings to the noodles rather than sliding off.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner / Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of Recipe
- Calories: 580
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 62g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 14g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
Keywords: rose pasta sauce, pink sauce pasta, creamy tomato pasta, spinach pasta recipe, date night dinner, pecorino romano recipes, vegetarian pasta dinner
