Creamy Tuscan Garlic Sauce (Print version)
Velvety Italian sauce with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and Parmesan. Ready in 25 minutes.
# Ingredient List:
→ 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, 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
# How To Make It:
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 add heavy cream. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.
05 - Add grated Parmesan cheese and Italian herbs. Stir continuously until cheese is completely melted and sauce begins to thicken, approximately 3–4 minutes.
06 - Add chopped spinach and cook until just wilted, about 1–2 minutes.
07 - Season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Serve immediately over pasta, chicken, shrimp, or vegetables.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It transforms plain pasta or grilled protein into restaurant quality dinner in under 30 minutes
- The sun-dried tomatoes add this incredible depth that makes people think you simmered it all day
02 -
- The sauce thickens quickly as it cools, so remove it from heat when it still looks slightly thinner than you want
- Grate your own Parmesan instead of using pre shredded cheese, which contains anti caking agents that make the sauce grainy
03 -
- Pat your spinach completely dry before adding it, otherwise excess water will thin out your perfectly creamy sauce
- Room temperature cream incorporates more smoothly than cold cream straight from the fridge