Sometimes, when making pasta or preparing pizza with different sauces, people hesitate between choosing the classic tomato sauce or the rich white sauce. That’s exactly why I suggest the Blush Sauce Recipe sauce recipe — It falls right in between, giving you the best of both worlds. It’s called that because the heavy cream turns the red tomatoes into a light pink color. It’s super easy to make on a busy night, but it tastes just like what you’d order at a fancy Italian restaurant, giving you that creamy texture with a little kick from red pepper. It’s cozy, totally easy, and definitely worth making at home.
Ingredients
Yields: 4 Servings
- 12 oz crushed tomatoes (Canned are fine)
- ½ cup vegetable stock or chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ to 1 teaspoon brown sugar, if needed
- Parmesan Cheese & Fresh Basil, for topping
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Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Heat a large pan over medium heat and add olive oil, then toss in the chopped onion and stir until it becomes translucent. This usually takes between 5 to 7 minutes. If you notice it browning too quickly, turn the heat down a bit.
Step 2: Add the chopped garlic and cook it for just 30 seconds so it doesn’t burn, then pour in the vegetable or chicken broth. Let it simmer gently for about 5 minutes to blend the flavors.
Step 3: Stir the crushed tomatoes with the red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and let it come to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Let it cook for 5 minutes. Taste a spoonful – If the tomatoes are too tangy or sharp, this is the moment to add a little brown sugar.
Step 4: Pour in the heavy cream and dried basil. Keep cooking on low heat and let it simmer gently for another 5 minutes. You’ll notice the sauce instantly turning into that famous pink color.
Step 5: Give it one last taste. Does it need more salt or not? If you’ve cooked the pasta, put it straight into the pan and stir to coat it with the sauce. Serve it hot with plenty of Parmesan cheese on top.
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Why You’ll Love this Recipe
You are going to enjoy this blush sauce recipe because it’s honest, good food without a lot of fuss. It’s thick and creamy, clinging perfectly to pasta shapes like penne or rigatoni. It’s great for a family dinner since it looks a little fancy, but really, you’re just using one pot and ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
I also suggest that you can easily tweak it. If you want to avoid dairy, you can use cashew cream instead. It would be awesome with some garlic bread to mop up the dish in the end.
Tell me how your result turned out! Did you make it spicy or mild? Leave a comment below.
Blush Sauce Recipe
Looking for easy vegetarian dinner recipes? This creamy blush sauce is strictly meat-free and made without alcohol, yet packed with rich flavor. It is the perfect meatless pasta dish that feels indulgent and satisfying. Add this healthy-ish comfort food to your meatless Monday rotation for a meal the whole family will devour.
Ingredients
- 12 oz crushed tomatoes (Canned are fine)
- ½ cup vegetable stock or chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ to 1 teaspoon brown sugar, if needed
- Parmesan Cheese & Fresh Basil, for topping
Instructions
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and add olive oil, then toss in the chopped onion and stir until it becomes translucent. This usually takes between 5 to 7 minutes. If you notice it browning too quickly, turn the heat down a bit.
- Add the chopped garlic and cook it for just 30 seconds so it doesn’t burn, then pour in the vegetable or chicken broth. Let it simmer gently for about 5 minutes to blend the flavors.
- Stir the crushed tomatoes with the red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and let it come to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Let it cook for 5 minutes. Taste a spoonful – If the tomatoes are too tangy or sharp, this is the moment to add a little brown sugar.
- Pour in the heavy cream and dried basil. Keep cooking on low heat and let it simmer gently for another 5 minutes. You’ll notice the sauce instantly turning into that famous pink color.
- Give it one last taste. Does it need more salt or not? If you’ve cooked the pasta, put it straight into the pan and stir to coat it with the sauce. Serve it hot with plenty of Parmesan cheese on top.
Notes
- For Sauce – If you want a lighter sauce, you can use half-and-half, although the texture will be a bit thinner.
- Storage – Keep any leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezing – You can freeze this sauce for up to two months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight and gently reheat it on the stove; don’t boil it quickly because that could cause the cream to separate.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per ServingCalories 188Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 8gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 35mgSodium 535mgCarbohydrates 12gFiber 2gSugar 7gProtein 3g
Just a heads up—the calorie count and nutritional info here are just estimates! The actual numbers might vary a bit depending on the brands and ingredients you use.