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Pasta con Salsa Caruso (Uruguayan Pasta with Caruso Sauce)

6 June, 2017 by Tara 15 Comments

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A recipe for Pasta con Salsa Caruso (Uruguayan Pasta with Caruso Sauce). This thick, creamy sauce is packed with sliced mushrooms, ham, and Parmesan cheese and perfect for pairing with your favorite pasta.

Pasta con Salsa Caruso (Uruguayan Pasta with Caruso Sauce) on a white plate.

Salsa Caruso is a classic pasta sauce from Uruguay influenced by Italian flavors. The milk and cream base has a generous amount of beef bouillon mixed right in to give the sauce an almost gravy-like quality. It also includes sliced mushrooms, ham, and Parmesan cheese. 

The sauce is generally paired with capellettis (cappelletti) and other stuffed pastas. I used tortellini, but it can be tossed with any shape that will hold up well such as shells.

I found conflicting reports on the sauce’s origin. It was either developed in 1915 as a way to impress the Italian opera singer, Enrico Caruso, while he was visiting Montevideo (the capital of Uruguay) or in 1950 by the Montevideo restaurant, Mario y Alberto, as a tribute to the late Neapolitan tenor.

Either way, this sauce has left quite the impression and La Asociación Uruguaya de Gastronomía (Uruguayan Association of Gastronomy) declared the dish an Uruguayan cultural heritage.

Aerial view of Pasta con Salsa Caruso on two white plates next to mushrooms, ham, and tortellini.

Claire took one bite of the coated tortellini and immediately said “yum.” Now in the interest of full disclosure, she has also said yum to ice chips and hand sanitizer in the past week. We are still working on her critiquing skills. At least this time I definitely agree with her and there wasn’t a single piece leftover.

Some recipes also include walnuts, diced onions, or even red peppers. For extra richness, you can use 2 cups of cream instead of 1 cup milk/1 cup cream.

The Príncipe de Nápoles (Prince of Naples) version includes grated mozzarella or gruyere and is baked gratin-style.

Looking for more sauces to pair with pasta?

Try my

  • Šalša (Croatian Tomato Sauce) 
  • Garlic Butter Sauce for Pasta 
  • Ndundari con Salsa di Pomodoro e Basilico (Pasta Dumplings with Tomato and Basil Sauce)

Side view of Pasta con Salsa Caruso (Uruguayan Pasta with Caruso Sauce) on two white plates.

Pasta con Salsa Caruso (Uruguayan Pasta with Caruso Sauce) Recipe

Adapted from The Spruce and Las Salsas de la Vida

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5 from 5 votes

Pasta con Salsa Caruso (Uruguayan Pasta with Caruso Sauce)

A recipe for Pasta con Salsa Caruso (Uruguayan Pasta with Caruso Sauce). This thick, creamy sauce is packed with sliced mushrooms, ham, and Parmesan cheese and perfect for pairing with your favorite pasta.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Uruguayan
Keyword cheese, cream, ham, mushroom, pasta, sauce, South America, Uruguay, Uruguayan
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 -6 Servings

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup button mushrooms thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon beef bouillon
  • 3 1/2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2/3 cup diced smoked ham
  • Salt, black pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg to taste
  • 1 pound pasta cooked until al dente according to package directions
  • Freshly chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

  • In a wide pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and most of the water has evaporated.
  • Stir in the flour until incorporated and it begins to turn golden. Slowly whisk in the milk, then the cream and beef bouillon. Continue to whisk until the sauce begins to thicken.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and ham. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Serve immediately with cooked pasta and freshly chopped parsley for garnish.
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Filed Under: Meat, Pasta and Rice, Pork, South American Tagged With: ham, meat, mushroom, parmesan, sauce, south america, south american, uruguay, Uruguayan

Previous Post: « Encharcada (Portuguese Soaked Eggs) and Culina Europe
Next Post: Swedish Meatballs and More Than Meatballs Cookbook Review »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Elizabeth

    6 June, 2017 at 1:27 am

    Haha, Claire made me chuckle. 🙂 This looks absolutely fantastic! I love everything in this recipe…tortellini, mushrooms, cream, smoked ham, parmesan… I mean, what’s not to love?

    Reply
  2. Dannii

    6 June, 2017 at 11:42 am

    This just looos so creamy and comforting. A must of a cool evening like tonight. All pasta sauces should have mushrooms in in my opinion.

    Reply
  3. Stephanie

    6 June, 2017 at 11:08 am

    WOW… I love that this creamy sauce has a gravy feel to it, that’s an extra bonus, SIGN me up, I think I’m going to try this later this week, it’s calling to me! Thanks for sharing- you just made my dinner planning that much easier!

    Reply
  4. Luci's Morsels

    6 June, 2017 at 11:29 am

    This looks amazing! I love how simple this is so make and that creamy sauce looks to die for! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  5. Emily @ Recipes to Nourish

    6 June, 2017 at 12:32 pm

    This looks so good! My husband would love this meal, so yummy with that silky cream sauce and the mushrooms and ham.

    Reply
  6. Patty

    6 June, 2017 at 12:43 pm

    Absolutely love your recipe, the sauce looks wonderfully tasty!

    Reply
  7. Steve Yoder

    30 March, 2019 at 5:19 pm

    This is one of the better-tasting recipes for this sauce. Closest version to one of my wife’s favorite dishes at Pesto Brothers in Flagtsaff. The ingredient list here does not include nutmeg (but is mentioned in directions). Nutmeg is what makes this. I use about 1/4 tsp.

    Reply
    • Tara

      30 March, 2019 at 9:28 pm

      Hi Steve! Thanks! So glad you enjoyed it. This is a favorite for us. The nutmeg is listed next to the salt and pepper to taste. About 1/4 teaspoon was perfect for us as well.

      Reply
  8. irina

    17 February, 2021 at 6:43 pm

    5 stars
    Our family is a pasta lover, but we have never tried any Uruguayan dish. This internationally recognized pasta meal is what I am going to cook next. I am excited. 🙂

    Reply
  9. Danielle

    17 February, 2021 at 7:02 pm

    5 stars
    This is my family’s new favorite dinner! Even my 1 year old loved it, and he’s known to be picky :).

    Reply
  10. Jo

    17 February, 2021 at 7:05 pm

    5 stars
    I just made this pasta, and it was a huge success! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  11. veenaazmanov

    17 February, 2021 at 8:29 pm

    5 stars
    This Pasta is a super Happy Meal. All the delicious combinations of meats and mushrooms takes this dish to another level. My family to love it for Dinner.

    Reply
  12. Andrea Virginia

    30 March, 2021 at 8:15 am

    5 stars
    Ola, sou Uruguaia, e realmente este prato é maravilhoso, prático, e deixa qualquer jantar com um ar sofisticado, no ha como no impressionar com esta receita. Feliz em saber que tem agradado e conquistado o paladar de todos vcs, bjks

    Reply
    • Tara

      30 March, 2021 at 10:38 am

      Muito obrigada Andrea!

      Reply
  13. allison

    27 June, 2022 at 12:39 pm

    Yes! This is a staple in Uruguay and kids especially love it. My kids had it for lunch at school in Montevideo and always with Gnocchi. BTW, it is considered good luck to have gnocchis on the 29th of the month. The kids still love it even though they are now grown. Love your international vibe!

    Reply

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