Creamy Tuscan Sauce for Anything
Creamy Tuscan sauce is a versatile and easy Italian cream sauce that is perfect for anything – pasta, vegetables, fish, seafood or chicken! This flavorful sauce can really “dress-up” your weeknight dinner in about 20-minutes! Two types of cheese – Ricotta, Pecorino, plus heavy cream, seasonings, roasted red bell peppers and spinach.
Ingredients for creamy Tuscan sauce
- Olive oil – I recommend using a high-quality extra virgin olive oil
- Garlic – a few cloves of fresh minced garlic
- Onion – white or yellow onion finely diced
- Seasonings – I use Herbs de Provence, but you can use a dried Italian seasoning blend instead
- Sun dried tomatoes or roasted red bell peppers – you can use the jarred version of either of these (this recipe uses roasted red bell peppers)
- Heavy cream
- Cheese – I recommend using freshly grated Pecorino Romano, but you can use grated Parmesan as a substitute
- Ricotta cheese – this is what makes this super creamy
- Mushrooms – get sliced button mushrooms or portobello mushrooms. If you don’t like mushrooms, then omit them
- Spinach – fresh baby spinach leaves or you can use fresh basil leaves
- Lemon juice – a squeeze of fresh lemon juice brightens the Tuscan sauce
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to make a Tuscan sauce for fish, seafood, pasta or chicken
- Saute onions, bell pepper, garlic and mushrooms in a little olive oil over medium heat
- Season with a little Herb de Provence, salt and pepper
- Add cheese and heavy cream and cook for a few minutes
- Finish the creamy Tuscan sauce with a little fresh lemon juice and serve
Craving Tuscan Shrimp? Just nestle a few peeled and deveined Gulf shrimp into the sauce and cook for 5 minutes!
Recipe tips
- Make sure the heavy cream and Ricotta cheese are not super cold when you add them or they’ll curdle
- Add as much spinach leaves as you like
Serving suggestions
- Drizzle warm sauce over your favorite pasta or use this sauce for easy creamy Tuscan chicken or Tuscan salmon.
- Add shrimp or scallops to the sauce and create your own Tuscan Shrimp recipe or Tuscan scallop recipe.
- Serve over steamed broccoli, asparagus or roasted Brussels sprouts.
- Use as a sauce for baked salmon, cod or haddock
Storage and make ahead
Creamy Tuscan sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, simply warm the sauce in a saucepan on the stovetop or microwave it until it’s warmed throughout.
Related recipes
Creamy Tuscan Sauce
Cream-based garlic sauce with roasted red tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, and spinach. Perfect sauce for pasta, chicken, fish or shrimp!
Print
Rate
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 12 ounce jar roasted red peppers (See recipe notes below)
- 2 cloves fresh minced garlic (or 1 teaspoon jarred minced garlic)
- 1-2 handfuls fresh baby spinach leaves
- 1 pint mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup finely diced yellow or white onion
- 1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence (or Italian seasoning blend)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup Ricotta cheese
- 1 – 1½ cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese (or Parmesan)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Prep: Get the cream out of the fridge; measure one cup and let it sit at room temperatureMeasure out the ricotta cheese; set asideGrate 1 – 1½ cups Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese; set asideDice onions, mince garlic, clean and slice mushrooms, drain roasted red peppers and cut into small to medium size pieces; cut lemon in half; set all this aside1 12 ounce jar roasted red peppers, 2 cloves fresh minced garlic (or 1 teaspoon jarred minced garlic), 1 pint mushrooms, sliced, 1 cup finely diced yellow or white onion, 1 cup heavy cream, ¼ cup Ricotta cheese, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 – 1½ cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- In a large skillet, heat oil on medium heat and add diced onion and mushrooms; saute 3-4 minutes then add garlic, roasted red peppers and sliced mushrooms; add seasoning, saute for another 5 minutes or so, until the moisture from the peppers and mushrooms has reduced a little2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence (or Italian seasoning blend)
- Turn heat to low and add heavy cream and grated cheese and stir until the cheese is melted; add ricotta cheese and cook until well combined; season with salt and pepper1 cup heavy cream, ¼ cup Ricotta cheese, 1 – 1½ cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese , salt and pepper
- Add spinach leaves, stir and cook for 1 minutes; drizzle lemon juice into sauce, stir and serve1-2 handfuls fresh baby spinach leaves, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Notes
Yield: This makes about 2 cups of sauce
You can substitute jarred sun dried tomatoes if you like; just drain them first, then slice them into smaller pieces
Spinach leaves – start by adding one handful; if you want more, then add a little more
Nutrition Estimate
Serving: 4servingsCalories: 972kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 40gFat: 82gSaturated Fat: 45gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 228mgSodium: 994mgPotassium: 1200mgFiber: 5gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 3686IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 1025mgIron: 5mg
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