This recipe is an original that was given to me by a family member. It’s known simply as “pink sauce” by all who have had the pleasure of enjoying it. But don’t let the blah name fool you, it is pure creamy deliciousness and the simple ingredients will surprise you. You can use this sauce to top off several combinations and it turns out different every time, which is fun. I will start with the original recipe and fill you in on what has since come to our plates throughout the years. I have also made a vegan cream that I will include at the bottom as well.
Sauce Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
½ sweet onion chopped
1 pint heavy whipping cream (see vegan cashew cream recipe below)
I do all the following ingredients to taste, measurements are just approximant. I adjust the spiciness depending on the diners (i.e. kids = less spice).
2-4 tablespoons ketchup
1-2 tablespoons chili sauce
½ tablespoon garlic powder
½ tablespoon chili powder
Couple dashes of crushed red pepper
Couple dashes of ground cinnamon
Other Ingredients:
Cooked noodles of your choice
Optional Ingredients:
Brussels sprouts
Red or Orange Bell Peppers
Bacon
Steps:
- In a large deep sided pan sauté onions in the butter.
- I usually include chicken for my 3 men, but that can easily be omitted. If I do, I cut 2 chicken breasts into chunks while the onions are sautéing and then add the chunks to cook until browned and mostly cooked through.
- Pour cream directly over chicken in pan and add spices/seasonings and stir together. Taste test several times.
- Once cream is heated through and chicken is cooked serve over pasta. We started off using penne noodles and have since discovered that gnocchi noodles (white or wheat) are amazingly delish.
- If using a noodle rather then gnocchi we like to add the noodles into the pan to soak up the goodness of the sauce for about 10 minutes before we serve. If doing it with gnocchi we top it off with the chicken and sauce.
Now for the optional ingredients:
I sauté the brussel sprouts and red peppers with the onions or in a separate pan, again, depending on the diners likes. The bacon can either be cooked with the butter and then removed and crumbled while sautéing the veggies in the bacon grease (super healthy, yes I know) or you can do the bacon separately and then crumble on top of each dish. So many options, hope I’m not getting to confusing here. I usually make this as a build your own pasta kind of a dish since there are so many yummy ways to do it.
Vegan Cream Ingredients:
2 cups Cashews
Water
Steps:
- Place cashews in a fine colander and rinse under cold water for one minute. Transfer cashews to a sealable container and add just enough water to cover the nuts completely, approximately 2 ½ – 3 cups. Refrigerate overnight.
- Strain cashews. Transfer the cashews to the bowl of a food processor and add enough water to cover the cashews by one inch. Process for a minimum of 5 minutes until the liquid is smooth and creamy. For a thicker cream, use half the amount of water.
Depending on the quality of your food processor, you may need to strain the cashew cream through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth to remove any sediment from the liquid.
Phew. That was a lot to take in. Send me a message if you have any questions. 
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