finishing a sauce with butter or cream?

[phoebe]

For some time now, I've found myself putting in a few tablespoons of cream to "finish" a tomato-based pasta sauce. It seems to bring the sauce together as well as tone down an overly acidic sauce. But often I've read where chefs finish pastas with the same amount of butter. What is the effect of doing that instead?
When do you all finish non-cream pasta sauces with cream or with butter?

[CrazyTATT]

Finishing a tomato based pasta with cream is making a rose(rose-aa, cant find my accent e), it results in a differnet product then finishing w/ butter. Butter will add gloss/sheen, and makes it more subtle on the pallate.

I tend to finish almost all sauces with butter, monte burre, just because personally I like the texture and body it adds. More acidic sauces I prefer cream, as you had mentioned, to cut the bite. Like a wine redux, or something of that ilk, butter or cream, I guess it depends on your taste. I always look for an excuse to slip in a lil ol fashioned butter though, so I'm a little biast I guess.

[cakerookie]

You can use sugar to tone down the acidity in tomatoe sauces. A good tomatoe paste will also enhance the richness and flavor.

[deltadoc]

If I am contemplating using cream in a sauce, I think about what the sauce would taste like if I added both butter and real buttermilk.

I'm sure I don't have to tell anyone on this forum where butter comes from, but some might be surprised that what is sold as "buttermilk" really isn't what's left after churning cream into butter.

doc