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This recipe for Tomato Cream Sauce is a decadent yet simple pasta sauce that you can throw together for a fancy meal, any day of the week.
I love to find ways of making my pasta dishes just that little bit more special and I think I’ve now found the ultimate pasta sauce.
This pasta sauce doesn’t just have cream in it, it has pancetta and vermouth to make this the most deliciously rich and tasty cream sauce of your life! This will become one of your favorite weeknight pasta sauces to dish up to your family. Guaranteed!
Why This Recipe Works
- Salty pancetta brings all of the flavors together, giving a smokey flavor that can’t be beat!
- Cream adds an extra layer of richness to the sauce without making it too rich.
- Adding vermouth elevates the sauce to another level of richness and gives silkiness to the sauce.
What Goes with Tomato Cream Sauce?
This dish is so versatile you can eat it with your favorite pasta, or over chicken, add a side of delicious Homemade Garlic bread and you have a weeknight feast all the family will love. The choice is yours!
What Cream Is Best
When cooking with cream, use a cream with a high-fat content as it thickens without the need for a lot of thickening agents.
Heavy cream, whipping cream, double cream in the UK, and thickened cream in Australia are all good options.
The Best Tomatoes For The Job
You should always use the best quality tomatoes you can find. It really does make a difference to the taste of your sauce.
San Marzano tomatoes are a high-quality tomato with a sweet flavor and little acidity. Legally, and to be called a San Marzano, this tomato has to be grown in the Sarno Valley in Italy and there will be a DOP symbol on the can.
This recipe calls for crushed tomatoes, but I use whole canned tomatoes that I crush myself. These can be put through a food mill, crushed, blended, or pureed in a food processor before using.
How to Make Tomato Cream Sauce
- Fry the pancetta until brown and crispy.
- Add onion and garlic, cook until fragrant.
- Add vermouth. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in tomatoes until combined. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the cream, parmesan cheese, and parsley. Simmer.
- Taste for seasoning. Serve and enjoy.
Step by Step Instructions
Cook pancetta on medium-high heat until brown and crispy.
Remove any excess grease from the pan, leaving about a teaspoon. Cook onion until translucent. Add garlic, cook until fragrant.
Add the vermouth to the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir until combined. Lower the heat and let simmer for a further five minutes.
Stir in the cream, parmesan cheese and parsley.
Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve and enjoy!
Removing Bitterness from Tomato Sauce
Baking soda neutralizes acidity. To fix a bitter sauce, add 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda to the sauce at intervals (tasting between) until the acidity lowers.
Alternatively, you can add a 1/2 tablespoon of sugar at a time until the bitterness neutralizes.
Erren’s Top Tips
- This recipe can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to two days.
- If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, they can be substituted for dried. Dried parsley can be bland and tasteless so I suggest using oregano in its place.
- Baking soda neutralizes acidity. To save bitter tomato sauce, add a pinch of baking soda at a time (tasting in between) until the acidity disappears.
My sauce is too thin, what can I do?
Simmer your sauce uncovered on a low heat for as long as it takes to thicken.
Can I freeze Tomato Cream Sauce?
The sauce can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to four months. However, the sauce won’t look as fantastic as it did fresh, but it will still taste good.
How do I store Tomato Cream Sauce?
Leftover sauce can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days in the refrigerator.
Other Creamy Dishes You’ll Love
Did you make this?
Recipe
Tomato Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 slices pancetta (or bacon)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- ¼ cup vermouth
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- flat leaf parsley (chopped)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the pancetta into one-inch strips. Place into a thin layer in a large pan and heat to medium-high. Cook until brown and crispy.
- Remove any excess grease from the pan (leaving about a teaspoon). Add the onion and cook until translucent and add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about another minute).
- Raise the heat to high, add the vermouth to the pan and cook until some of the alcohol has cooked off (3-4 minutes).
- Add the tomatos and stir until combined. Lower the leat to low and Let simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cream, parmesan cheese, and parsley.
- Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve and enjoy.
Tips
- This recipe can be made ahead and refrigerated for two days.
- If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, they can be substituted for dried. Dried parsley has next to no flavor so I suggest using oregano in its place.
- Baking soda neutralizes acidity. To save bitter tomato sauce, add a pinch of baking soda at a time (tasting in between) until the acidity disappears.
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