An unforgettable buttery cream sauce with sweet tangy orange and fresh basil. This Orange Basil Cream Sauce works so well with pasta, fish, or chicken.
It’ll definitely be a house favorite.
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Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask. The comments can be easily found using the orange circle on the lower left, then Join the discussion!
The sauce calls for alcohol, what else can I use?
The different ingredients will give different layers of complimentary flavors.
But, if for any reason you don’t want to cook with alcohol, I’d suggest substituting more orange juice or even apple juice for the Cointreau or Grand Marnier, and use broth instead of the dry white wine.
Making these swaps will change the flavor of the sauce, broth will be saltier and more savory than wine. And, depending on what type of broth you use, you’ll impart different flavors.
Chicken broth will taste different than vegetable broth, or so on.
And, although these changes are different, you may get flavors you will like more, if say, for instance you don’t like the flavor of alcohol, you may be happier with broth.
So, don’t be afraid to experiment a bit with a recipe.
Dry white wine
If you are going to cook with the alcohol in this recipe, please do choose a wine that you would drink. Something yummy.
My favorite white wine is Sauvignon blanc. And it works well in this dish!
Sauvignon blanc is often called grassy or crisp, which is because it typically has low levels of sugar and high acidity. Those flavors of grassy and crisp will go very well with the orange and basil of this sauce.
A dry Chardonnay with its buttery flavors will also work well in this recipe.
And, again, as with other flavors, if you have a favorite, that’s probably what you’ll like the most in any recipe.
Want a sauce that’s lighter in calories?
You can lighten this sauce by using whole milk or half & half instead of heavy cream.
Yes, you lose a lot of the calories, but you will also lose some of the creamy, rich, thickness.
It’s still a yummy sauce, just maybe not quite as amazing.
Recipe notes
This is a thin sauce; it uses only heat, heavy cream, and butter to thicken it.
It works perfectly over freshly cooked pasta, because the pasta will absorb some of the sauce and thicken it.
If you’d like the sauce to be thicker from the start (my husband likes a thicker sauce), use a little cornstarch or potato starch to thicken it.
Cornstarch to thicken
Start with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of cold water and stir until smooth paste forms. This is your slurry.
It’s important to make the slurry with cold water, and then add the slurry to the simmering sauce; otherwise, the cornstarch will not blend into the sauce well.
Whisk the slurry into the hot, simmering sauce, towards the end of cooking.
Potato Starch to thicken
Potato starch will work in a similar fashion as cornstarch. Mix equal parts, I’d start with 1 tablespoon each, water and cornstarch into a slurry.
Whisk the slurry in with the hot sauce, continuously until thickened, taking care not to boil if you’re using the potato starch. The large starch granules in potato starch can cause finished sauces to appear grainy, and it tends to thin out after prolonged cooking.
For best results, add potato starch late in the cooking process, and take the sauce off of the heat as soon as it thickens.
Useful kitchen tools
Small saucepan (I recently bought this one and you’ll see it in the pictures)
Citrus squeezer (this is my favorite one)
Silicone whisk
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It tasted amazing! Poured it over some chicken coated with flour and added pasta. Came out perfect! Thanks for sharing. ~ Lori & Rick on Facebook
Recipe
Orange Basil Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided use
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 ¼ cups freshly squeezed orange juice
- ¼ cup Cointreau or Grand Marnier
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- Additional fresh basil and orange zest for garnish
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the garlic and the basil and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute; do not brown.
- Add orange juice, Cointreau, and white wine. Bring to a boil, and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer until reduced by half, about 15 minutes.
- Add the cream, and simmer for 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
- Garnish with additional fresh basil and orange zest
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
This Orange Basil Cream Sauce sounds fantastic! Can’t wait to try it!
I had a pasta years ago in a restaurant in Miami that was very similar. I can imagine how good your dish was.
Definitely Delicious! Followed the recipe to the tee. Gradma mini bottle was a great decision ($4). I can’t believe there is only one review. Maybe its too complicated for some. I did use 1/2 Tbl corn starch to give a little thickness. Only used 1Tbl butter to saute garlic and basil. Used the r3Tbl at the end. Left most of the basil to toss at the end as well to prevent it getting to dark. Have shared this qith 2 others already. Made with broiled wild caught Corvina (fake grouper $6/lb). Will do again!
Forgot to give the 5 star rating….see review above.
Philip, I love sauces – they really make the meal. I have a couple others I think you’d love. If you’re a fan of blue cheese, this one is a must: https://lifecurrentsblog.com/blue-cheese-spinach-walnut-sauce/ And this Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce is so good!: https://lifecurrentsblog.com/garlic-parmesan-cream-sauce/ Enjoy! And I’m so glad you loved the Orange Basil Cream Sauce Recipe.
Thanks for this terrific recipe. First had this at a fabulous restaurant in Flower Mound, TX about 25 years ago. Served over red snapper and linguini.
I am looking for a cream based sauce/gravy with pineapple to go with ham…do you have any suggestions?
Patricia, I’m not familiar with a pineapple gravy like this. But, you could totally use my Orange Basil Cream Sauce as a starting point. Replace the OJ with pineapple juice. And, if the sauce you’re looking for is chunky with pineapple make sure you use only canned pineapple. Due to the canning process it has different enzymes which won’t make the cream curdle. Fresh pineapple will make the cream curdle.
Otherwise, I might try just a simple white sauce with canned pineapple and see if that gets you close to the recipe you have in mind.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you try it. I’d love to hear how it goes!
Would this be ok to make the night before and then cook with the following evening?
Daisy, I haven’t tested making it the night before and reheating it. My guess would be that it’s best fresh, but I don’t think it would be bad if made ahead of time. Just gently reheat it on the stove over low heat. You could even split the work in half. Do up through step two. Then, the next night, rewarm it, and add the cream proceeding to step 3.
Let me know if you try it. I’d love to hear how it goes.