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This creamy white wine sauce is easy to make in just 15 minutes with butter, garlic, and Parmesan. The French-inspired sauce works for pasta, chicken, and seafood dishes!
Here’s one of my kitchen staples: this go-to white wine sauce for pasta, chicken, or fish! Adding wine to a sauce makes it taste like it’s from a fancy restaurant, but it’s easy to make at home in just 15 minutes. The flavor is tangy from the wine and savory from the Parmesan cheese, and the first time I tried a bite I literally melted on the inside.
My favorite way to serve this sauce is with pasta, but it’s also great with pan seared chicken or baked salmon! I like to add a green vegetable like sauteed broccolini or roasted asparagus to make into a meal.
Why This Wine Sauce Works
When you cook with wine, you add complex flavors that would otherwise take hours to develop (and I’m all about time saving hacks!). The alcohol cooks off during the simmering, and it leaves behind fruity flavors that brighten the dish.
This sauce is so tasty because it hits several flavor notes at once: butter adds richness, wine brings brightness, the cream makes a silky texture, and the Parmesan brings cheesy depth. I can’t wait for you to try it!
Choosing the Right Wine for Cooking
Why cook with wine? Italian and French style recipes often call for white wine in the ingredient list. It’s used to de-glaze the pan or add a complex, acidic flavor to dishes. It adds incredible complexity to risotto or pan sauces like this white wine sauce!
What wine to use for cooking? Use any dry white wine here. You’ll want a crisp white wine that doesn’t have any hint of sweetness. Make sure to avoid cooking wine, since it has a bitter flavor. Types of white wine that are great for cooking are:
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Grigio
- Pinot Gris
Key Ingredients You’ll Need
Here is the short list of ingredients you’ll need:
- Garlic and Shallot: These aromatics are key to the flavors. The key is sautéing them just until fragrant, about 1 minute, without letting them brown.
- Butter: I use real salted butter, which gets cooked with a little flour to make a a quick roux that thickens the sauce.
- White Wine: This deglazes the pan and adds that tangy brightness. Make sure to let it simmer for 3-4 minutes to cook off the alcohol flavor.
- Heavy Cream: This creates the creamy texture. If you want a lighter sauce, you can substitute whole milk or half and half. For non-dairy, try cashew cream.
- Parmesan Cheese: Freshly shredded Parmesan adds savory depth. I like grating my own cheese, since pre-shredded cheese can have anti-caking agents that make your sauce grainy.
Tip: Did you know dry vermouth (the kind in a classic Martini) doubles as a cooking wine? Its crisp, dry flavor is versatile and works as a substitute for white wine in cooking!
How to Make Perfect White Wine Sauce
If you’re ready to get started, jump right to the recipe for quantities and instructions! Otherwise, here’s an outline of how to make this white wine sauce:
- Start by melting butter over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and chopped shallot, stirring constantly for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir it into the butter mixture. This is called a roux, which will thicken your sauce. Cook it for 1 minute.
- Pour in the white wine and cream, then bring everything to a gentle simmer for 3-4 minutes so the flavors concentrate and the sauce thickens.
- Whisk in the Parmesan cheese and salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Delicious Ways to Serve It
This white wine sauce recipe makes enough for 8 ounces of pasta (4 modest servings). You can also serve it in many other ways. Here are some ideas:
- Serve it with long or short-cut pasta (spaghetti, bucatini, penne, or rigatoni) with fresh herbs like finely chopped parsley, basil, thyme or oregano.
- If serving the pasta as a main, add a side cannellini beans, white beans or arugula salad.
- Drizzle over salmon or chicken, like baked salmon or baked chicken.
- Add sauteed shrimp to make a shrimp pasta.
- Drizzle it over vegetables like roasted broccoli or roasted asparagus.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This white wine sauce is best served fresh, but you can refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The sauce will become very thick in the fridge.
To reheat, warm it gently over low heat, whisking in a splash of cream or milk (I would avoid microwaving it).
I don’t recommend freezing this sauce because cream-based sauces usually become grainy when thawed.
Dietary Notes
This white wine sauce is vegetarian. For gluten-free, use gluten-free flour. For dairy free, try vegan butter and cashew cream, or make my Vegan Alfredo Sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
When simmered for 5 minutes, about 15% of the alcohol burns off. Keep this in mind if you’re pregnant, alcohol-sensitive, or cooking for kids.
The best options are dry vermouth, vegetable broth, or chicken broth. See Best Substitute for White Wine in Cooking.
While you can technically use red wine, it will create a different sauce with a pinkish color. Red wine sauces pair better with beef or mushroom dishes rather than the lighter proteins this white wine sauce complements.
Any pasta works well! Long noodles like spaghetti or linguine are great, or short cuts like penne or rigatoni capture the sauce in their ridges.
Easy White Wine Sauce
This white wine sauce is easy to make and full of tangy, savory flavor from dry wine and Parmesan. Serve as a sauce for pasta, chicken or fish.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 13 minutes
- Yield: About 1 cup, enough for 8 ounces pasta 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 shallot (¼ cup finely chopped)
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon flour (or gluten-free flour)
- ½ cup white wine
- ½ cup heavy cream (or milk)
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Mince the garlic. Finely chop the shallot.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium low heat. Add the garlic and shallot and saute for 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant but not browned. Add the flour and cook 1 more minute.
- Add white wine and cream and cook on a low simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the Parmesan cheese and salt and whisk until it melts. Taste and adjust salt if needed. If desired, serve with 8 ounces pasta of any shape.
Notes
Leftover storage notes: This white wine sauce is best served fresh, but you can refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The sauce will become very thick in the fridge. To reheat, warm it gently over low heat, whisking in a splash of cream or milk (I would avoid microwaving it). Avoid freezing since cream-based sauces usually become grainy when thawed.
More Pasta Sauce Recipes
- 15 Homemade Pasta Sauce Recipes
- Marinara Sauce
- Tomato Cream Sauce
- Tomato Basil Sauce
- Basil Pesto
- Vegan Alfredo Sauce
I found this dip horrid, yet edible. My distinguished rating shall be 2 stars.
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy it!
can you make a freeze into portions?
We haven’t tried it!
Fantastic white wine recipe, I use it all the time. Try having a metric conversion link in your recipe list.
DELICIOUS!!! I just made this sauce and added wide egg noodles and ground beef to it. OMG… yum!! I added lemon zest from 1 lemon and lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon to mine & my family thoroughly enjoyed it. I will definitely be keeping this as my go-to sauce!
Thank you for making it!
This was delicious and exceeded my expectations. However, not easy on an electric stove. A lot of adjustments in terms of time and temperature. Doable but nerve racking 😵💫