This Pink Sauce Pasta has penne smothered in a creamy tomato sauce with Parmesan and mozzarella cheese! This easy 30 minute meal will be a HUGE favorite in your house!
Combine the tomato sauce, half and half, chicken broth, chicken bouillon, honey, hot sauce, and seasonings and set aside. Measure out additional ingredients before beginning.
Begin boiling salted pasta water for the pasta. Once a boil is reached, cook to al dente according to package instructions. (Set a timer to avoid overcooking.) Drain once cooked and reserve ½ cup pasta water. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
Add the combined tomato sauce mixture in splashes, stirring continuously. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let it simmer gently, uncovered, while the pasta cooks.
Gradually sprinkle in the Parmesan and mozzarella cheese over low heat until combined.
Add the drained pasta and stir to combine. Add a splash of pasta water if you prefer to thin out the sauce slightly. Excess pasta water can be helpful for reheating leftovers as well (see notes).
Vegetable broth can be used instead of chicken broth to make this meatless.
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This does reheat well.
Reheating this pasta in a makeshift double boiler on the stove top is the best way to restore it to its original form.
Another reheating tip: I like to reserve and store some of the pasta water (about 1/2 cup), and add small splashes of it to the pasta while it reheats, it helps "loosen" up the noodles/sauce and restores it back to its original consistency. You don't have to use the entire reserved amount.
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving. There are 4 servings in this recipe.