Shrimp Rose Pasta

Creamy rose sauce meets succulent spicy shrimps in this Shrimp Rose Pasta!

This Shrimp Rose Pasta boasts a luscious blend of creamy rose sauce, succulent shrimp, and perfectly cooked pasta. Quick, easy, and irresistibly delicious, this is a staple in my weekly rotation!

Rose Pasta is just a fancy name for pasta in a tomato-based cream sauce. It’s the perfect hybrid between tomato-based sauces and creamy sauces. I love cream-based pastas, like Alfredo, but I’d find myself struggling to finish the plate halfway through from the richness of it. The tomatoes cut through that richness perfectly, while losing none of the creaminess, so I’ve been enjoying many plates of this Rose Pasta!

Why you will Love Shrimp Rose Pasta

• Rich and Creamy Sauce: The rose sauce, combining tomato and cream, creates a luxurious and velvety texture.
• Quick and Easy: Perfect for those busy days, this dish comes together swiftly, making it ideal for a weeknight dinner.
• Versatile Dish: It’s a versatile recipe that can be easily customised with your choice of protein or additional veggies.
• Comfort Food with a Twist: It combines the comfort of pasta with a unique and delicious twist, making it a crowd-pleaser.

How to Make Perfect Rose Pasta Sauce

Rose pasta sauce (or pink sauce) is quite simply a combination of tomato pasta sauce and cream.

In this recipe, I made a simple tomato pasta sauce from scratch with canned chopped tomatoes. You can also use tomato passata for a smoother consistency.

Allow the tomatoes to reduce and cook off the raw tomato taste before adding the cream. This should take some 15 to 20 minutes, and the tomato sauce should also turn a slightly darker shade. Gradually add water if if the sauce is drying up too quickly.

“Can I shortcut this even further?” YES! Use ready-made tomato-based pasta sauce! With Tomato Pasta Sauce, you skip the tomato cook-off time.

The heavy cream is added after to turn the red sauce into a pretty pink shade. A great alternative to heavy cream is coconut cream.

When adding the pasta, it may not toss through easily with the thick pasta sauce. Simply add some pasta water to loosen the sauce. Always keep some of the pasta water on the side. That starchy, seasoned water is perfect to not only add flavour, but to thin out sauces without making it watery!

Key Ingredients for Shrimp Rose Pasta

Shrimps

• Shrimp: Peeled and deveined. This is my protein for choice, but you can easily replace with your favourite proteins such as sliced chicken. You can also use bacon, or pancetta, there is no need to season these further. Want a meat-free option? Use mushrooms!

• Salt and Pepper: Season to taste.

• Chilli Flakes or Gochugaru: This adds a kick to the sauce.

Rose Pasta

• Pasta: Use your favourite pasta variety. Penne or fettuccine works well. 2 servings is approximately 200-250g (1 cup).
• Canned Tomates or Tomato Passata: In this recipe I used canned tomatoes since that’s what I always have in my pantry. Tomato Passata will yield a smoother sauce.

OR

• Tomato Pasta Sauce: Alternatively, use ready-made tomato pasta sauce. Any will work, but I always prefer to make my own!

• Heavy Cream: For that rich and creamy consistency!

• Garlic: Enhance the flavour with 2-3 cloves of minced garlic. I also added onions, but this is optional.

• Parmesan Cheese: Grated Parmesan adds a savory, umami depth of flavour.

• Butter: For richness and flavour!

Optional: Aromatic Herbs

While optional, I love adding dried herbs to further boost the flavour of the sauce. I used dried rosemary, but feel free to use any dried herbs you have on hand. If you do not have any herbs, you can still get a good sauce – but the herbs level it up to ~restaurant~ level deliciousness.

*Recipe last updated on 2 February 2024. It’s updated for simplicity and lesser ingredients, to get you a luscious Shrimp Rose Pasta quicker!

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• Marry Me Chicken Pasta | Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
• Cheesy Rabokki | Ramen and Tteokbokki
• Spicy Buttered Prawn Pasta

Shrimp Rose Pasta

Recipe by Sha

5.0 from 2 votes

Course: Recipes

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

• 200g or 2 servings Pasta of choice, cooked to al dente

• 3-4 tbsps pasta water

• Seasoned Shrimps

• 8-10 shrimps, peeled and deveined

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

• 1 tsp chili flakes

• 1 tbsp oil

• 1 tbsp butter

• Rose Sauce

• 1/2 onion, chopped

• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tsp dried rosemary (optional)

• 400g (or 1 can) chopped tomatoes or tomato passata*

• 1 cup water, with additional on the side*

• 100ml heavy cream

• 2 tbsps parmesan cheese, with more to serve

• salt and pepper, to taste

• A handful of chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions

• Coat peeled prawns with salt, pepper and chilli flakes.
• To a pan, add oil and melt butter. Add the shrimps and allow to cook on one side for 1-2 minutes, before flipping over the other side to cook through. Remove from the pan.
• To same pan, add more butter or oil only if needed, but there should be enough leftover from the shrimps. Saute chopped onions, garlic and dried rosemary, if using. Scrape the bottom of the pan as you’re sauteeing to lift off the leftover shrimpy flavours.
• Add the canned tomatoes or tomato passata, water and salt and pepper to season. Stir to combine and allow this to come to a boil. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce slightly deepens in colour. If the sauce is becoming dry too soon, add water bit by bit until the desired consistency.
  
  Alternatively, if using ready-made pasta sauce, allow the sauce to come up to a boil, and immediately move to the next step.
• Pour in heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.
• Add in the cooked pasta, the shrimps and a couple tablespoons of pasta water to loosen the sauce and stir the pasta easier.
• Garnish with chopped parsley, more parmesan, and serve!

Notes

• *If using ready-made tomato pasta sauce, there is no need to add water.

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