The initial sauce serves as a base for the others. Some cream sauce recipes call for flour, corn starch or even cream cheese, as a thickening agent. This is a matter of preference but is not necessary. If heavy cream that is not ultra pasteurized is available – and it can sometimes be found in a whole foods market or specialty dairy – it will thicken better than a standard, ultra pasteurized product.
Basic Cream (Alfredo) Sauce
Ingredients:
1 clove fresh minced garlic
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated romano cheese
Directions:
1. In a saucepan combine butter, heavy cream
2. Simmer this until all is melted, and mixed well. Simmer this for 5 minutes on low.
3. Add the cheeses and garlic.
4. Whisk quickly heating throughout.
5. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste
One variation is to make a Creamy Semi-Pesto. The term “pesto” comes from the Italian verb “pestare,” which means to pound or to crush. It is a regional specialty of Liguria. We call this a Semi-Pesto because, while the key ingredient is fresh basil, it is finely chopped and not pounded. It is recommended to use this sauce over a lighter pasta shape, such as farfalle. The Semi-Pesto works well in cold pasta salads, too, or can be used as a sandwich spread in lieu of mayonnaise.
Creamy Semi-Pesto
Ingredients:
Cream Sauce Base as above
20 fresh basic leaves (approximately)
Directions:
1. Make the cream sauce using the recipe above.
2. When the base sauce is nearly finished, finely chop the basil leaves.
3. Add leaves to the base sauce and serve over pasta.
By simply adding nutmeg and cinnamon to the base cream sauce, a slightly sweet sauce is achieved without the use of sugar. This sauce accompanies filled pastas best, like a cheese tortellini. It is the ideal topping for pumpkin or butternut squash ravioli, which are more readily available in the fall. Pumpkin and squash ravioli are popular in the Lombardy region of Italy, where the city of Mantua (or Mantova) is known for its pumpkin tortelli. The sauce enhances the flavors of the spices used in those pasta fillings.
Nutmeg-Cinnamon Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
Cream Sauce Base as above
1/4 tablespoon of nutmeg (to taste)
1/4 tablespoon of cinnamon (to taste)
Directions:
1. Make the cream sauce using the recipe above.
2. When the base sauce is nearly finished, stir in the spices.
3. Add the spices gradually and taste occasionally until the desired strength is achieved
3. Serve over pasta.
Annabella Gualdoni - Annabella Gualdoni is a lawyer by education but works an educator and real estate professional. She has bought, sold, and renovated ...
