Updated Recipe: Fast & Easy Pink Pasta Sauce

One of the most popular recipes at CFO is Fast & Easy Pink Sauce from all the way back in 2007. It's just as good today, but I'm refreshing the recipe with some extra tips!

Fast & Easy Pink Sauce
Makes approximately 4 servings

2 cups jarred marinara sauce
1 cup half and half (or use 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

In a medium saucepan, combine the marinara sauce and half and half over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Turn off the stove and stir in the cheese. Serve over ravioli or other pasta, and top with more cheese to taste.

Tips:

• If you want to thin the sauce more, save some of the pasta cooking water and use that.

• If you like your sauce with more tomato flavor, cut back on the half and half or milk.

• This is really good with some browned Italian sausage (pictured above). Just remove the sausage from the casing (if you have links), then brown the sausage over medium heat, breaking it up as it cooks. For extra deliciousness, add 1/2 cup white wine to the sausage and stir for 3 to 5 minutes to scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan and evaporate the alcohol. Then add the sauce and proceed with the recipe.

• To make this a one pot dish, don't turn off the heat when you stir in the cheese. Add lots of shredded kale or spinach and stir until the greens wilt to your preferred texture. Turn off the heat and add the pasta, then serve with cheese.