When someone mentions “pasta sauce“, do you automatically think of a red tomato base sauce? I think most people would! Now, although tomato based sauces are total classics, they are definitely not your only option. If you are unfamiliar with a red sauces counterpart, I would love to introduce you to this parmesan garlic white sauce…
If you are thinking alfredo sauce, you are close, but a white sauce is its own beautiful creation. Although they are similar, an alfredo sauce is made with quite a bit of heavy cream, while a white sauce is made by combining a roux (butter and flour) with milk and parmesan creating a light, but incredibly flavorful sauce that you can use over pasta, as a white pizza sauce or as a garlic bread dip. It’s creamy, luscious and comes together in just a few minutes.
Let’s get it started…
This recipe will make about 1 cup of parmesan garlic white sauce, which is perfect for a pasta dinner for two or enough to sauce a 14 inch pizza with a little leftover for dipping sauce. It is easily doubled or triple though, if you need more.
Begin by gathering 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of all purpose flour, 2 pasted cloves of garlic, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, a pinch of black pepper, 2/3 cup of whole milk and 1/3 cup of grated parmesan.
Start by adding 1 tablespoon of butter into a small sauce pan and place it over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in 1 tablespoon of all purpose flour and cook the mixture for about 30 seconds, whisking continuously.
If the mixture begins to darken, reduce the heat immediately. You just want the flour to gently cook, so keep it moving to prevent browning.
Next, whisk in 2/3 cup of whole milk and add the pasted garlic, salt and black pepper. Cook for about 60 seconds or so, continuing to whisk until the mixture begins to thicken slightly.
As soon as the mixture begins to thicken, whisk in 1/3 cup of grated parmesan and remove the saucepan from the heat. Do not let the mixture boil at any point, because this can make the sauce split or curdle.
As soon as you transfer the sauce onto a heat proof surface, such as a wooden cutting board or a cold burner, give it a good whisk to ensure that the parmesan has been fully incorporated.
Now that your beautiful white sauce is ready, you can toss some cooked pasta in it or transfer it into a dish a use it as a bread dip (this is one of my favorite ways to enjoy this sauce!). You can also allow it to cool off for a few minutes and then add it to some pizza dough and top it was some shredded mozzarella, fontina or parmesan and maybe some shredded chicken and make one incredible white pizza.
Parmesan Garlic White Suace
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 tablespoon of all purpose flour
- 2 cloves of garlic, pasted
- 1/8 teaspoon of salt
- a pinch of black pepper
- 2/3 cup of whole milk
- 1/3 cup of parmesan, grated
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter into a small sauce pan and place over medium heat
- Once the butter has melted, whisk in 1 tablespoon of all purpose flour and cook, whisking continuously, for about 30 seconds
- Slowly whisk in 2/3 cup of whole milk
- Add 2 pasted cloves of garlic and a pinch of salt and black pepper
- Cook over medium heat for another 60 seconds or so, whisking continuously until the sauce begins to thicken a bit
- Add 1/3 cup of grated parmesan and remove the sauce pan from the heat
- Whisk the sauce until the parmesan has been fully incorporated
- Add to cooked pasta or allow the sauce to cool a bit and use as a white pizza sauce
