Rosemary cream sauce is a richly smooth herb sauce made in one pot in just 15 minutes. Perfect for pairing with chicken, fish, and fresh vegetables to add a bit of creamy decadence to your meal.
Why this recipe works
You typically think of rosemary as a flavorful dried herb you add to roasted potatoes, marinades, seasoning rubs, and even the occasional cocktail garnish. However, this rosemary cream sauce takes the cake as one of the best ways to use up the bounty of fresh rosemary in your garden.
It pairs well with a variety of different dishes from meats like roasted chicken, beef, and salmon to fresh vegetables and pasta plus it’s quick enough to throw together with 7 ingredients and 15 minutes of your time.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
CORNSTARCH – This is what helps thicken the sauce.
CHEESE – I always recommend finely grating your parmesan straight from the block instead of using the pre-grated variety as those contain cellulose, an anti-caking agent that prevents the cheese from melting as well. However, finely grated parmesan cheese from the store will do the trick just fine in a pinch.
How to Make Rosemary Cream Sauce
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and rosemary and saute for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add heavy cream and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, whisking constantly.
- Whisk in parmesan cheese and garlic salt.
- Reduce heat to low. Add cornstarch and whisk over low heat until thickened.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Store rosemary cream sauce in an air-tight jar or container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat stirring often.
Yes, absolutely. You can prepare the rosemary cream sauce a day in advance to save you some time in the kitchen. Store it with a sealed lid in the refrigerator and reheat it over medium-low heat, stirring often. Add a splash of heavy cream or water to loosen it back up if needed when reheating.Â
Yes, you can freeze this sauce. However, do note that sometimes cream-based sauces can split when frozen. It should reheat nicely though provided that you thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it slowly in a saucepan. If freezing, be sure to leave adequate space at the top of the jar or container for the sauce to expand.
Serving Suggestions
Rosemary cream sauce is excellent over fish, fresh vegetables, rice, or pasta. It can also be served over other meats like chicken and steak. Enjoy!
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Rosemary Cream Sauce
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 ½ Tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Before You Begin
- This sauce is excellent over fish and/or fresh vegetables. Can also be served over other meats like chicken and steak.
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container or mason jar in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- While using cornstarch is not a necessary step as you can simply continue to simmer the sauce until the cream cooks down and thickens, you will lose volume. Using cornstarch thickens it quickly and allows you to keep the volume.
Instructions
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and rosemary and saute for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add heavy cream and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, whisking constantly.
- Whisk in parmesan cheese and garlic salt.
- Reduce heat to low. Add cornstarch and whisk over low heat until thickened.
Nutrition
Chef Antoine Davis
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R says
Very easy to make and good with chicken
Corey says
This stuff is amazing. Easy to make too! I did add more garlic and lots of coarse fresh ground black pepper and a little onion salt. Definitely gonna double the recipe next time 🤤 . Update…doubled recipe the second time around and didn’t add cornstarch and added more parm. UH-mazing
Sheryl says
This was great on pan-fried pork chops! I tweaked the recipe: put the garlic through a press and used roasted garlic powder instead of garlic salt. I served the chops on rice with a side of peas with mushrooms and shallots and the sauce on the side. It was a big hit… such a hit, I made it again with fresh grilled tilapia. For the fish, I again put the garlic through a press and used roasted garlic powder instead of garlic salt. Then added a tablespoon of small well-drained capers instead of the Parmesan for saltiness. Substituted arrowroot for cornstarch; it gives a nice silky texture to the sauce for fish. I omitted the rosemary and used the same amount of tarragon at then end to retain it’s flavor. A light squirt of lemon juice on the fish before pouring on the sauce and it was AMAZING! This is a really great sauce and will be using it again and again.
Rachel says
WAY too much salt. Start with 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic salt andbgonfeom there. Otherwise it would have been great. I agree with some others that yhe corn starch is unnecessary. I also added fresh lemon juice which was delicious.
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Rachel. I apologize, there was a typo in the recipe ingredients. You are correct that it should have been 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt and I have corrected the recipe. Again I apologize. As for the cornstarch, that’s true that (as another commenter mentioned) you could skip the cornstarch and just continue to cook the cream down, but that will reduce the amount you end up with. That’s why we suggest cornstarch for thickening instead.
Gavin says
This recipe will get you part of the way.
Omit the corn starch and just simmer the cream a bit longer. Cream will thicken by itself perfectly fine if you simmer it. Whisk constantly.
Use garlic powder instead of garlic salt. Freshly grated Parm has more than enough salt for this dish.