Creamy Tuscan Garlic Sauce (Printer-friendly)
Velvety cream sauce with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach. Ideal for pasta and grilled proteins.
# What you'll need:
→ Dairy
01 - 1 cup heavy cream
02 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
→ Aromatics
04 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
→ Vegetables
06 - 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped
07 - 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, julienned, oil-packed and drained
→ Liquids
08 - 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
→ Seasonings
09 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
10 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
11 - Salt and black pepper to taste
# Method:
01 - Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and chopped shallot. Sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant and translucent.
02 - Stir in julienned sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1 minute to release flavors.
03 - Pour in broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 2 minutes.
04 - Lower heat and stir in heavy cream. Mix thoroughly and bring to a gentle simmer.
05 - Add grated Parmesan cheese and Italian herbs. Stir continuously until cheese melts and sauce begins to thicken, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
06 - Add chopped spinach and cook until just wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes.
07 - Season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Serve immediately over pasta, chicken, shrimp, or vegetables.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- This sauce comes together in under 30 minutes but tastes like it simmered all afternoon
- The combination of tangy sun-dried tomatoes and fresh spinach makes every bite interesting
- It transforms plain pasta or grilled chicken into something that feels restaurant worthy
02 -
- The sauce will thicken considerably as it stands off the heat, so keep that in mind when deciding if you need to thin it
- If your sauce looks grainy, it might be because the cheese was added too quickly or the heat was too high, whisk vigorously and it should come back together
03 -
- Grate your own Parmesan cheese instead of buying pre-grated, the anti-caking agents in the pre-shredded stuff can make your sauce grainy
- Warm your cream slightly before adding it to the hot pan to help prevent curdling