Carol's dreamy sun-dried tomato sauce

My girlfriend Carol makes this sauce and trust me when I tell you it's to-die-for. You'll be licking the bowl clean, soaking up every last drop of goodness with pasta and bread. Perhaps even lapping it with a spoon straight from the pot. Not that I'll ever admit to doing that. 

We like to make this for parties and special dinners. I've even frozen a bunch in containers and taken it to our grandparents for Christmas with a wrapped box of pastas and other Italian goodies. Try it, I promise you'll love it! Just know that it's definitely not light on the calories, so go easy. You've been warned.

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 pound of unsalted butter
• 4 chopped basil leaves (fresh)
• 5 chopped garlic cloves
• 1 small jar of sun-dried tomatoes, drained of oil and chopped (reserve oil)
• 1 cup of white wine
• Crushed red pepper (depending on how spicy you like your sauce - I sometimes skip this)
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1 jar of tomato basil sauce (I use Wegmans brand)



Directions:

1. Melt butter, and saute basil, garlic, sun dried tomatoes. Let these get hot for a few minutes.
2. Add the white wine and crushed red pepper to your taste. Bring to a simmer and let bubble.
3. Add heavy cream- cook a bit more until hot again.
4. Slowly stir in red sauce until a light pink color.
5. Cook for about 20 more minutes. Serve or let cool and freeze.


While the sauce is cooking, I like to cook up pasta to serve with it - penne or tortellini are our favorites. I also like to saute a few chicken breasts in the reserved sun-dried tomato oil, then add them into the sauce in the end. And to add in something healthy here, I throw in some asparagus. Sprinkle Parmesan on top. Voila - the best sun-dried tomato sauce you'll ever have!


This sauce freezes perfectly, and honestly tastes best the next day, or when frozen and reheated. We always double or triple the recipe, then freeze in old spreadable butter containers.