Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Close up of creamy sun dried tomato sauce on serving spoon.

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: pasta sauce

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 5

Total Time: 15

Servings: people

Calories: 380kcal

Author: Platings and Pairings

Make this 15-minute Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Sauce to instantly transform your pasta, chicken, or seafood into a gourmet meal! It’s luxurious and easy to make with cream, sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.

Print Recipe

Equipment

Large Skillet

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic minced
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, julienned and drained
½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more, to taste
Small handful fresh basil chopped finely
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in white wine (or chicken broth) and cook, whisking constantly, until incorporated, about 1 minute.
Stir in heavy cream, sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella, parmesan, oregano and red pepper flakes until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Notes

Tips and tricks

Sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan are already salty, so remember to taste the sauce before adding extra salt.
Is the sauce too thin? Allow it to simmer gently (uncovered) until it reduces and thickens. You can also stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of cold water) to help it thicken faster.
If you’re serving the sauce with pasta, remember to save some of the pasta cooking water. Adding a splash or two to the sauce helps it stick to every piece of pasta.

Variations

Sun-dried tomato pesto – For an extra burst of flavor, substitute the sun dried tomatoes with a generous scoop of sun dried tomato pesto. The pesto’s rich, aromatic depth will take the sauce to the next level.
Add veggies – Consider sautéing diced onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and spinach with the garlic for added texture and flavor.
Gluten-free – Use your favorite gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour.
Dairy-free – While I haven’t tested a non-dairy version of this recipe, it should still be flavorful with dairy-free butter, coconut cream instead of heavy cream, and nutritional yeast instead of cheese.

Storing and reheating

Allow the leftover sun dried tomato alfredo sauce to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
To reheat, add the cream sauce to a pan and heat over low to medium heat until heated through. It can also be reheated in the microwave.

Nutrition