Blush Sauce

This pretty pink blush sauce recipe is a riff on classic vodka sauce. It combines bright tomato paste, rich cream and white wine to make a thick, flavorful sauce for penne .

The wine adds a fruity aroma, while the half-and-half cream smooths out the punchy tomatoes for a sauce that’s both decadent and quite simple to make. Depending on whether it’s Wednesday dinner with the family or a weekend date night, this pasta dish will pair well with cozy garlic breadsticks or a more refined lemon-pesto garden salad.

Ingredients for Blush Sauce

• Pasta: Penne is the traditional style of pasta served with a blush pasta sauce, but you’re welcome to use your favorite pasta shape.
• Butter: Cooking your aromatics in rich butter adds that much more to their flavor.
• Onion: A sliced onion contributes savory allium notes.
• Thyme and basil: You can use 2 tablespoons of each fresh herb, or 2 teaspoons if you’re using dried herbs.
• Half-and-half: Using half-and-half instead of heavy cream lightens the sauce just a bit.
• White wine: Use a dry white wine you enjoy, or if you’d prefer not to use alcohol, use reduced-sodium chicken broth instead.
• Tomato paste: A bit of tomato paste adds concentrated tomato flavor and thickening power. Tomato paste in a tube prevents waste, but if you have an open can and need to use it up, we have some recipes to make with just a little tomato paste.
• Flour: All-purpose flour makes this sauce extra-thick.
• Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese: A sprinkle of this special Parmesan cheese finishes each serving with a flourish.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the pasta

In a 6-quart stockpot, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, and return it to the pot.

Editor’s Tip: Cooking pasta in well-salted water makes for better-tasting pasta. Also, if you undercook the pasta just slightly, you can stir it into the sauce for the last minute of cooking and let it finish there, absorbing a little sauce for an extra boost of flavor.

Step 2: Start the sauce

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Saute the onion until it’s lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the herbs and salt, then cook and stir for one minute. Add 1 cup of the cream, the wine and tomato paste, then cook and stir until blended.

Step 3: Finish the sauce

In a small dish, whisk the flour and the remaining 1/2 cup of cream until smooth. Gradually stir the cream mixture into the sauce. Bring the pan to a boil, then cook and stir until thickened, about two minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup of the cheese.

Step 4: Combine the pasta and sauce

Stir the sauce into the pasta, and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top before serving.

Blush Sauce Variations

• Make it pink and green: Stir in a few handfuls of baby spinach during the last two minutes of cooking, so the spinach gently wilts.
• Amplify the flavor: Instead of using butter, gently render and crisp up some pancetta, then cook the onions in its fat. Add a minced clove of garlic after the onion has softened.
• Warm it up: When adding in the herbs, also add 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper for some gentle heat.

How to Store Blush Sauce

Leftover blush sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days.

Can you freeze blush sauce?

Freeze blush sauce (without the pasta) in an airtight container or zip-lock freezer bag for up to six months. Thaw the sauce in the refrigerator overnight, then gently reheat it and toss it with pasta.

Blush Sauce Tips

Do I need the flour to thicken the sauce?

The recipe as written does make a thick sauce. So how do you make blush sauce without the flour? If you prefer a thinner sauce, omit the flour and add the cream all at once, then simmer the sauce to thicken it a bit.

What’s the difference between fresh and dried herbs?

This recipe calls for a generous amount of thyme and basil, for a very herb-forward flavor. If you don’t love either of those flavors, feel free to reduce them by half. Fresh herbs will have a brighter flavor, and dried herbs will be more muted.

Is Parmesan cheese different from Parmigiano-Reggiano?

There are differences between Parmigiano-Reggiano and Parmesan. Real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese will have a distinctive mark with its name directly on the rind. This means it was produced to exacting specifications by Italian law in a particular region of Italy and will have a distinctive flavor and texture. If a cheese is just called “Parmesan,” it could be produced anywhere and is made in the style of the famous Italian cheese. It may or may not have similar flavor and texture and be of the same quality.