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pasta cream sauces

post #1 of 10
7/30/09 at 6:24pm
Thread Starter 
I'd like to make a pasta dish with an asiago cream sauce. Would it be better to make a sauce with a roux or by reducing heavy cream? I notice most recipes use heavy cream. Are there any benefits or pitfalls to either method and which should produce the best results?
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post #2 of 10
7/30/09 at 7:01pm
I would always use heavy cream. It will bring a nice rich flavor to your sauce. I have used a blond roux in the past to thicken ................Good luck..........Bill
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post #3 of 10
7/31/09 at 4:46am
Bechamel or cream sauce holds up better for banquet or volume service and is cheaper to produce in volume. Heavy cream yields a richer, finer product and is more in keeping with the traditional. I use a combo of both (bechamel mixed with heavy cream):chef:
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post #4 of 10
7/31/09 at 7:11am
Chef Ed, When you use a combo of both, do you still reduce the cream down the way you would if it were just cream alone? Or do you let the bechamel do some of that?
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post #5 of 10
7/31/09 at 8:30am
You may say that I reduce it slightly because I heat the cream before I add to the bechamel,l Since some steam is emitted from cream while it is getting hot it could be called reduced.:chef:
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post #6 of 10
10/7/09 at 1:20pm
Personally, I prefer the roux (it has far fewer calories). Take a look at my alfredo sauce recipe to see the basic method that I use...
Homemade Alfredo Sauce Recipe

-Damon from amazing-easy-recipes.com
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post #7 of 10
10/7/09 at 2:13pm
Heavy cream, Asiago, and Mascarpone, with your seasoning and herbs of choice, will make a nice, rich, thick, creamy sauce. Also, consider using a little of the rind for a little more of the sharp flavor of the Asiago in the sauce.

It won't need much reduction with the Mascarpone.
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post #8 of 10
10/7/09 at 2:21pm
For immediate service, such as at home or in most restaurants I prefer no roux, not needed for thickening as a reduction of heavy cream will do.
For banquets or when making a batch of sauce that I will use over a longer period of time I use a little blond roux to stabilize, adjusting my reduction for the thickening aspect.
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post #9 of 10
10/7/09 at 7:11pm
For a cheese/cream sauce I start my pasta water in my pasta pot. While this is going I heat my cream until it turns frothy, then turn the heat off. I then combine some butter and 1/2 of the cheese. Once the pasta is done I remove/drain from the pot and place in the cheese/cream sauce. Once all the pasta is added I add the last 1/2 of the cheese, toss and serve immediately.


I usually use 2 pints cream, 3 cups cheese (total) and 1/2 stick butter to 1.5lbs of pasta. You can use garlic, lemon zest, parsley, nutmeg, roasted red pepper to top, chicken, shrimp...whatever you like.

dan
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post #10 of 10
10/8/09 at 3:16am
Nice, I'm stealing that...

Me too, though. heat a bit of cream and add your very fine cheese. when it's just melted, add your cooked pasta.

Little secret to making it taste better: don't skimp on the cheese quality.

Sometimes I'll use a cheese reserved for a cheese tasting. The quality of the cheese makes the sauce.
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