Pink Sauce Pasta – Home Cooking

Step 1: Cook the Pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt. Add 3 cups of penne pasta and cook until al dente, or about 90% done. Strain the pasta and set it aside.

Step 2: Prepare the Tomato Puree

Make two small slits at the bottom of 8 tomatoes. Place them in a pot of boiling water and blanch until the skin starts to peel. Remove the tomatoes from the water, peel off the skin, chop them roughly, and grind them into a smooth puree. Keep the puree aside.

Step 3: Sauté the Aromatics and Vegetables

In a wide pan, melt 75 gms of butter and add 1 tbsp of oil. Add 10 finely chopped garlic cloves and sauté until fragrant. Add 1 finely chopped large onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Then, add 1 cup of chopped green capsicum, 1 cup of chopped red capsicum, and 1 cup of boiled sweet corn. Sauté for another 2-3 minutes.

Step 4: Season and Thicken

Add 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp red chilli flakes, and 2 tsp of Italian seasoning to the vegetables. Mix well. Add 2 tbsp of maida (all-purpose flour) and cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat the vegetables.

Step 5: Create the Pink Sauce

Gradually pour in 1 cup of milk, stirring continuously to avoid lumps and create a creamy sauce. Once the sauce thickens, add the prepared tomato puree and mix well. The sauce will turn a nice pink color.

Step 6: Add Cheese and Final Flavorings

Stir in 1 tbsp of tomato ketchup and 1 tsp of paprika powder (both optional). Add 4 cheese slices and stir until they melt completely and the sauce becomes rich and creamy. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more milk to adjust the consistency.

Step 7: Combine and Finish

Add the cooked penne pasta to the pan with the pink sauce. Mix gently until all the pasta is well-coated. Finally, add a handful of fresh basil leaves and give it a final mix.

Step 8: Serve

Serve the delicious vegetable pink sauce pasta hot. You can garnish with extra basil leaves and a sprinkle of red chilli flakes.

• Cook the pasta until it is al dente (about 90% cooked) as it will continue to cook in the sauce.

• Making slits at the bottom of the tomatoes before blanching helps the skin to peel off easily.

• If the sauce becomes too thick after adding the pasta, you can dilute it with a little warm milk to achieve the desired consistency.

• Serve the pasta immediately while it's hot and creamy.

• You can use any type of pasta instead of penne.

• Feel free to add other vegetables like broccoli, mushrooms, or zucchini.

• If you don't have Italian seasoning, you can use dried oregano instead.

• For a spicier version, increase the amount of red chilli flakes or add some chopped green chillies.