A creamy and delicious light tomato sauce that is so easy to make but tastes like restaurant quality. Before making this I had to do some extensive googling to find out the difference between a Blush Sauce and a Vodka Sauce. It turns out, there isn’t much of a difference. They both use some type of alcohol, tomatoes, cream, onion, garlic, and parmesan cheese.
The alcohol in both sauces acts as an binder which helps the fat stick to the acidic tomato sauce. It also creates the most delicious aroma in your house. I highly recommend the addition of the alcohol. 60% cooks out, and it absolutely will not get you drunk. This blush sauce recipe is a hit in our house! You can use this sauce on spaghetti, tortellini, penne, or speciality shape pasta like I did here.
I have made this dish two ways. One was just a simple sauce for penne, and one is bit more jazzed up and includes mini mozzarella balls and heart shaped pasta. I made the heart shaped pasta for my valentine’s day meal, but I use the penne pasta the other 364 days of the year.
Pink Sauce doesn’t have any vodka in the sauce and is more cream based while Vodka Pasta is more tomato based. While they are both made from some of the same ingredients, I hope you take the time to try them both and choose your favorite!
How to Make a Blush Sauce
- melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. once it starts to sizzle add the onion and garlic.
- once the garlic and onion are starting to brown, add the tomato sauce and white wine and then cook for 5-7 minutes(uncovered) stirring frequently.
- add the tomato paste and hot honey, and stir until incorporated. cover the pan slightly and cook on a low heat for 20 minutes.
- add the half and half and grated parmesan. mix and taste. add some black pepper or a touch of salt if needed.
What is Blush Sauce?
Blush Sauce, also called Rose sauce, is a pasta sauce made with alcohol, butter, tomatoes, cream, onion, garlic, and parmesan cheese.
I actually set out to make a vodka sauce today, but I only had tequila and white wine in the house, so this is how I ended up making this recipe. I can literally drink this sauce. It is delicious! Also, I used canned tomato sauce, because I knew it would save me the step of blending my sauce, but you can use canned whole tomatoes if that is all you have. You will just have to put this sauce in blender afterwards.
Ingredients to make blush sauce on heart shaped pasta with mini mozzarella balls
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 Vidalia Onion diced
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 28 oz Tomato Sauce smooth, no chunks
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1/3 cup White Wine dry(or tequila)
- 1 cup Half and Half
- 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Mini Fresh Mozzarella Balls
- 1 tsp Hot Honey (optional)
Are There Any Jarred Vodka Sauces Actually Worth Buying?
FAQ
Is vodka sauce a blush sauce?
What is another name for vodka sauce?
Are pink sauce and vodka sauce the same?
What is blush sauce made of?
What is the difference between Vodka sauce and blush sauce?
Let’s get cooking! Italian pasta dishes often feature creamy tomato-based sauces such as blush sauce and vodka sauce. While both sauces share a similar base, vodka sauce stands out due to the addition of vodka, which not only provides a unique flavor but also contributes to its smooth texture.
What is vodka blush sauce?
Vodka blush sauce is a creamy tomato-based pasta sauce flavored with vodka. This is my own variation which can be prepared with either cashew cream or soy cream. Sweet red pepper was included for flavor. For the photo, I used torchiette pasta rather than the traditional penne pasta.
Can you drink blush sauce?
Blush Sauce, also called Rose sauce, is a pasta sauce made with alcohol, butter, tomatoes, cream, onion, garlic, and parmesan cheese. I actually set out to make a vodka sauce today, but I only had tequila and white wine in the house, so this is how I ended up making this recipe. I can literally drink this sauce. It is delicious!