Say goodbye to store-bought pasta sauces and say hello to this easy, homemade spicy blush sauce. Ready in under an hour, this recipe creates a rich, creamy sauce that tastes like it simmered all day. We'll show you how to make this family-friendly favorite that is truly versatile and can be used on pasta, chicken, or as a base for lasagna.
What You Will Need:
- 2-28 ounce cans of whole tomatoes including liquid
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- 2 tablespoon of butter
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
- ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup of half-and-half or heavy cream
- ½ cup of basil leaves
What is Blush Sauce
Blush sauce and rose sauce are essentially the same thing! They both refer to a tomato-based sauce with a touch of cream, giving it a pinkish or "blush" color. It's often used as a more descriptive and appealing name for a classic tomato cream sauce.
Tomatoes
I like that this recipe uses canned whole tomatoes. You can purchase quality canned tomatoes at most grocery stores. I have not used fresh tomatoes with this recipe but I am sure they would work great! The canned tomatoes just have to be poured into a bowl with all the juice and crushed with your hands or another utensil. It will make the recipe go a little quicker and they taste great.
The Spicy Part
My wife and I tend to like a little spice in our food. The crushed red pepper flakes are completely optional though! I feel that recipes are just starting points to make them as you like. The spice is completely optional. We have made this spicy blush sauce recipe and have left the spice out and it is still delicious.
Cooking the Onions and Garlic
Place the onions, sea salt, pepper, olive oil, and butter into a large skillet over a medium heat. Cook the onions until they are soft. About 10 minutes or so. Next, add the garlic and crushed red pepper (if you are using it) and cook until the garlic smell becomes strong.
Adding the Tomatoes, Cream, & Basil
Next add the crushed tomatoes from the bowl and cook for about another 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Then add the cream and simmer for about 10 more minutes. Lastly, add the basil and simmer for about 5 more minutes. Adding the basil before serving will maximize the basil flavor. The basil flavor will become lost if added earlier. At this point you can pick out the crushed garlic if you want to.
Variations of the Sauce
You can serve this over pasta with grated cheese. Serve it over chicken is another option! I have used this as a base for lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, and most other red sauce recipes. My family loves it and I hope that yours will too!
The video above gives you a rundown of how to make the sauce. Use the blush sauce with our fresh pasta recipe or serve it with my cheesy meatballs.
There are other great sauces and dressings on my site! Click here to try them!
FAQ's:
Blush sauce and rose sauce are essentially the same thing! They both refer to a tomato-based sauce with a touch of cream, giving it a pinkish or "blush" color. It's often used as a more descriptive and appealing name for a classic tomato cream sauce.
Yes, absolutely! This sauce is great for meal prep. You can make it a day or two in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you're ready to use it, just gently reheat it on the stove over low to medium heat.
This versatile sauce pairs well with a variety of pasta shapes. We love it with thick, tubular pasta like penne or rigatoni, which can hold the creamy sauce in its ridges. It's also delicious with long pasta like fettuccine or spaghetti.
The crushed red pepper flakes are completely optional! If you prefer a milder sauce, you can simply leave them out. The recipe will still be rich, creamy, and delicious without the extra heat.
Yes, you can freeze this sauce. To do so, let it cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. It will keep for up to 3 months. When you're ready to use it, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat it gently on the stove. You may need to give it a good whisk to recombine the sauce if it separates slightly during thawing.
Recipe
Easy Homemade Blush Sauce A Rich Tomato Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 - 28 ounce cans of whole tomatoes including liquid
- 1 teaspoon each of sea salt and cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
- ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 1 cup of half-and-half or cream
- ½ cup of basil leaves
Method
- Open cans of tomatoes and pour into a large bowl. Crush tomatoes into small chunks with your hands or another utensil.
- Place butter, oil, sea salt, pepper, and onion in a large skillet and cook onion over medium heat until soft.
- Add garlic and red pepper flakes to the same pan and cook until fragrant.
- Pour in crushed tomatoes from the large bowl into the same skillet. Stir to combine and simmer for about 15 minutes over medium heat.
- Add cream, stir to combine well, then simmer over medium heat for another 10 minutes.
- Stir in basil and simmer for another 5 minutes over medium heat.
- Find crushed garlic in sauce pieces and discard. (optional)
- Serve with pasta and grated cheese!
Nutrition
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Key Takeaways
- Make a homemade blush sauce recipe in under an hour using canned tomatoes, cream, and spices.
- This sauce is versatile; serve it on pasta, chicken, or as a base for lasagna.
- Crushed red pepper flakes add spice but are optional; customize the sauce to your taste.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze for up to three months.
- Blush sauce pairs excellently with various pasta shapes, especially thick, tubular options.
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