Healthy White Wine Sauce

Published on February 10, 2021 Updated on March 13, 2024 in Main Courses, Recipes, Sauces, Dressings, Condiments

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A few simple ingredients like dry white wine, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice make this easy white wine sauce both healthy, vegan, and on your plate in five minutes. Just don’t drink all of the main ingredient while you are at it 😉

I’ve always been a big pasta fan, especially with homemade sauce. What I love about this easy white wine sauce is that it doesn’t make it too heavy, and it really brings a refreshing flavor to the dish. You can also use any pasta you want! I’ve made this with chickpea pasta, whole wheat noodles, regular pasta, and even black bean noodles.

If you want some other good pasta ideas, check out my pantry-friendly butternut squash pasta sauce, my healthy turkey bolognese, and my cauliflower alfredo sauce!

Ingredients for Easy White Wine Sauce:

White wine – For this recipe, you want a crisp, dry wine such as sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, or pinot grigio.
Olive oil – Be sure to use a high quality olive oil for the best flavor. I like O Olive Oil and California Olive Ranch.
Garlic – Fresh garlic adds the bulk of the flavor here and really makes this sauce stand out so don’t substitute for garlic powder or pre-minced garlic.
Lemon juice – The acidity of the lemon balances out the other flavors to really make this sauce well-rounded and pleasing to the palate.
Herbs/spices- I recommend a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little heat and a sprinkle of fresh parsley for color. Be sure to salt to taste.

What’s the Best Wine for White Wine Sauce?

The best wine to use for a white wine sauce is one that you would also enjoy drinking. When cooking with wine, it’s best to use a wine that you like the taste of, as its flavors will be pronounced in the sauce. Be sure to use a dry white wine, as you don’t want your pasta to taste sweet. Some commonly used varieties for white wine sauce include Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Grigio. You can also experiment with other types of white wine to find one that complements your sauce’s other ingredients. Just keep in mind that cooking with wine can amplify its flavors, so it’s best to use a wine that’s not too overpowering.

Is White Wine Sauce Alcoholic?

Yes, white wine sauce typically contains alcohol. The wine is reduced and simmered with other ingredients to create a sauce, but the alcohol content does not completely evaporate and is still present in the sauce.

What’s The Best Pasta to Serve with White Wine Sauce?

A light pasta with delicate flavor and texture, such as angel hair or linguine, pairs well with this white wine sauce. These types of pasta do not overpower the sauce and allow its flavor to shine. Feel free to use whole wheat pasta, gluten free pasta, or chickpea pasta. Any type of pasta is delicious with this sauce.

Tips for the Perfect White Wine Sauce!

If you are trying to make your sauce go further, add more wine, or maybe even some veggie broth, not oil. I tried this a few different ways and any more oil than what I put below really just made it too olive oil-y tasting.
Make sure you let it simmer for a while! This not only helps reduce the sauce, making it a little thicker for you, it cooks off the alcohol of the wine.
Use a dry white wine for this, no rieslings or moscato. I recommend a sauvignon blanc or a pinot grigio.

And that is really it! If you have a question I didn’t answer don’t hesitate to reach out – I’d love to help! You can do so by leaving a comment below or shooting me a DM over on Instagram.

In addition to the listed ingredients, you will need:

a medium sized sauce pan
something to mix with