20 Different Types of Pasta Sauces + Recipes

When it comes to pasta sauce types, there’s way more than just marinara and Alfredo. This article will teach how to make and master each kind of pasta sauce. You’ll come back to these delicious pasta sauces time and time again. Some of these sauces have been passed down through the years by generations of Italians.

Table of Contents

Types of Pasta Sauces – Complete List and Recipes

Marinara Sauce

Chances are that when someone says pasta sauce, you’re thinking marinara. Marinara is a tomato-based sauce seasoned with classic Italian flavors like oregano, basil, and garlic. It’s a versatile sauce and can be used to make beef lasagna or chicken parmesan. You can also serve marinara with meatballs or just for dunking cheese sticks.

Making marinara from scratch is a rewarding experience but can be time-consuming. If you want a quick fix, make sure you’re buying the best marinara sauce brands out there.

Sauce Recipe

 Ingredients:

  • 28-ounces can of whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • Salt

Instructions:

  • Combine the tomatoes, halved onion, olive oil, garlic cloves, oregano, and red pepper flakes in a medium saucepan.
  • Bring the pasta sauce to a simmer over medium heat, then lower the heat and cook for about 45 minutes, or until oil droplets float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, and use a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes against the side of the saucepan to make a smooth paste.  
  • Remove the pan from the heat and discard the halved onion. Smash the garlic cloves against the side of the pan with a fork, then stir smashed garlic into the sauce. Do the same with any crushed onion pieces you might find.

Add salt before serving warm sauce. Marinara sauce stays fresh, covered and refrigerated, for up to 4 days. 

Amatriciana Pasta Sauce

Amatriciana pasta sauce is a traditional Italian pasta sauce. It contains cured pork cheek, tomatoes, pecorino cheese, and onions. It is one of the most popular sauces in modern-day Italian and Roman cuisines.

Sauce Recipe

 Ingredients:

  • 1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 pound pancetta, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
  • 6 fresh basil leaves
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
  • Grated aged pecorino cheese 

Directions:

  • Puree the tomatoes to a creamy consistency in a food processor.
  • Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. When hot, add the pancetta and sauté 5 to 8 minutes, until golden brown.
  • Add the garlic and red chili flakes and sauté for 1 minute. Add the pureed tomatoes, fresh basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir well. Cook until the sauce darkens and thickens.
  • Serve with a sprinkling of fresh parsley and cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

 

 

RED Sauce

Red sauce is slightly different than marinara. That said, the sauces have similar ingredients. Red sauce is thicker than pasta sauce and has a smooth and spreadable texture. You can make this sauce at home or buy a jar to use with pasta recipes.

Sauce Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 6-ounces can tomato paste
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Salt to taste
  • Ground black pepper
  • ½ tablespoon dried basil
  • ½ tablespoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Mix the tomato paste, water, and olive oil. 
  • Add dry ingredients like minced garlic, oregano, basil, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
  • Mix ingredients well and refrigerate the sauce for several hours to let flavors blend. You won’t need to cook this sauce, just drizzle it on your pasta. 

Fruitti Di Mare

Frutti di mare pasta sauce is the perfect pasta sauce for anyone who loves seafood. It is rich, smooth, and delicious. The next time you’re craving something easy to fix and based on seafood, you know what you should make! We’ve shared our favorite recipe below.

Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1/2 pound calamari
  • 1/2 pound small shrimp
  • 16 littleneck clams
  • 16 mussels
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil
  • 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pound cooked spaghetti

Instructions:

  • In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat.
  • Add garlic and cook until soft and golden.
  • Add tomatoes and their juices, white wine, and calamari.
  • Reduce heat and cook until calamari is tender. Increase heat before adding shrimp, mussels, and clams to the saucepan.
  • Cook until clam and mussel shells open.
  • Discard any unopened shells.
  • Stir in basil and parsley and continue cooking for two more minutes.
  • Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Alfredo Sauce

Alfredo sauce is one of the tastiest sauces out there. It contains butter, heavy cream, and cheese. Homemade Alfredo sauce is very easy to make and takes less than twenty minutes. 

You’ll commonly see Alfredo sauce served with fettuccine, but that’s just the start. You can use this sauce in baked pasta, appetizers, and more.

SAUCE RECIPE

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

  • Add the butter and heavy cream to a large skillet.
  • Simmer over medium-low heat for 2 minutes.
  • Whisk in the Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, and pepper for one minute.
  • Whisk in the Parmesan cheese until it’s fully melted.
  • Serve immediately.

Pesto Sauce

Pesto sauce is a combination of fresh herbs, pine nuts, olive oil, and Parmesan. It’s most commonly made with basil, but you’ll find many recipes that use parsley or baby spinach. 

Occasionally other nuts and seeds such as walnuts or sunflower seeds may take the place of the pine nuts.

This sauce tastes fresh and is delicious served with pasta or used as a spread on sandwiches. And if you don’t have enough fresh basil in your garden to make your own, you can try store-bought pesto brands.  

Sauce Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

  • Place the fresh basil leaves and pine nuts into a food processor and pulse several times.
  • Add the garlic and grated Parmesan cheese and pulse several times more. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the food processor.
  • Slowly pour extra virgin olive oil in a steady stream. Adding the olive oil while the processor is running will help it emulsify and prevent the olive oil from separating.
  • Add salt and black pepper to taste.
  • Toss with pasta for a quick meal, dollop over baked potatoes, or spread onto toasted slices of bread or crackers.

Vodka Sauce

This Italian-American sauce is a blend of tomato paste, cream, and a bit of vodka. The vodka helps draw out the tomato flavors that we might not otherwise taste. Once the sauce simmers, you won’t be able to detect the harshness of vodka.

Creamy vodka sauce is a great option when you want something different than a traditional marinara but don’t want the richness of a traditional Alfredo.

Sauce Recipe

 Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup vodka
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 Cup Whole milk and Heavy Cream (Half and Half)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
  • 2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
  • 16 oz. penne pasta
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

  • Heat extra virgin olive oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan. 
  • Add garlic and chopped onions and garlic and cook until soft.
  • Add ground red pepper flakes and cook for a minute.
  • Stir in vodka and tomatoes and vodka and continue cooking the mixture for up to 7 minutes.
  • Stir in the tomato paste, salt, balsamic vinegar, salt, and black pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low and simmer until reduced by half, stirring occasionally.
  • Transfer tomato mixture to a food processor, add fresh basil, and purée until smooth.
  • Return mixture to the pan and stir in whole milk and heavy cream. You want a sweet and creamy consistency. Start with a cup of half and half, and add more if needed.
  • Stir in Parmesan cheese and toss to combine.
  • Serve with pasta and an additional sprinkle of cheese.

Bechamel Pasta Sauce

Bechamel is the ultimate sauce when you are craving something creamy and mouth-watering. If you’ve run out of fresh cream, you can make béchamel sauce which is far more tasty and rich than cream.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1¼ cups milk, heated
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

  • Melt the butter in a saucepan.
  • Stir in the flour and cook for two minutes or until the paste bubbles.
  • Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the pasta sauce thickens.
  • Add salt and pepper, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.
  • Remove the saucepan from heat.
  • To cool this pasta sauce for later use, cover it with wax paper to prevent skin from forming.

Note: If you want to turn your béchamel sauce into a cheese sauce, stir in ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese during the last 2 minutes of cooking, along with a pinch of chili powder.

Truffle Cream Pasta Sauce (Tartufata Pasta Sauce)

Truffles are one of the most expensive mushroom types that you will find. However, pre-made truffle meals are much more affordable than organic truffles, and they make a key ingredient for numerous dishes, just like the truffle sauce for pasta!

Sauce Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 4 teaspoons black truffle oil
  • 4 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 4 teaspoons butter
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Combine truffle oil and heavy in a saucepan over high heat.
  • Stir in shredded Parmesan cheese, butter, salt, and pepper.
  • Cook until the pasta sauce has a creamy consistency without cheesy chunks.  
  • Serve immediately.

Bolognese

Bolognese is a meat-based pasta sauce originating in Bologna in northern Italy. This sauce has minced onion, celery and carrots, and meat of your choice. Some people also add wine and tomatoes to enhance the overall flavor and texture.

Serve Bolognese with any pasta of your choice, like penne, linguine, or pappardelle.

Sauce Recipe: 

 Ingredients: 

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 finely chopped carrot, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoon tomato paste
  • Low sodium beef (or chicken) broth
  • Bay leaf
  • Whole milk
  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions: 

  • Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high flame. Add onion, celery, and carrot and cook until soft. Stir in beef and garlic, breaking up meat with a spoon. Cook until beef or chicken is no longer pink and lightly seared.
  • Add cooking wine, and bring mixture to a simmer. Cook until cooking wine is mostly reduced. Stir in tomatoes, stock, tomato paste, and bay leaf, and simmer for an hour.
  • Discard bay leaf, and gradually stir in milk. Cover with a lid and stir occasionally.
  • Season with salt and pepper before serving.

 

Puttanesca Sauce

If you want more flavor than a simple marinara sauce, try a puttanesca. This sauce has tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies, and red pepper flakes. It’s has a stronger flavor, so serve it over a pile of Cappellini with a few sautéed shrimp or boneless grilled chicken bites.

And don’t be afraid of adding anchovies to this recipe! Just like with Caesar dressing, the anchovies add a bit of saltiness and not a fishy flavor.

Sauce Recipe

 Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 6 anchovy fillets
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • One 35-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes
  • Pinch of sugar
  • 2 basil sprigs
  • 1/4 cup chopped olives
  • 1 tablespoons capers
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

  • Heat oil in a large saucepan.
  • Add garlic, anchovies, and red pepper. Cook these ingredients over moderate heat, stirring occasionally.
  • Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add canned tomatoes with their juices.
  • Stir in the basil, sugar, olives, and capers.
  • Season the pasta sauce with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
  • Simmer the sauce over medium-low heat until it thickens and reduces to three cups.
  • Discard the basil sprigs and garlic before serving.

Carbonara

A classic carbonara pasta saue contains bacon, egg yolks, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. This sauce has to be made fresh and right in the pan. You need to be very quick so that you don’t end up with scrambled eggs, but the result is creamy and satisfying.

Sauce Recipe:

 Ingredients:

  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 200g sliced pancetta, roughly chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 egg yolks (at room temperature)
  • 2 eggs (at room temperature)
  • 1/2 cup thickened cream
  • 75g parmesan cheese, finely grated

Instructions:

 Part 1:

  • Heat olive oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
  • Add pancetta and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the pancetta is crisp. Drain on a paper towel.

Part 2:

  • Whisk egg yolks, eggs, cream, and three-quarters of the Parmesan together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Add egg mixture and pancetta mixture to pasta—season with salt and pepper. Toss over low heat until well combined. Serve with remaining Parmesan.

Umbrian Ragu Sauce

Umbrian Ragu sauce is a pork-based sauce, perfect for anyone who loves meaty dishes. This sauce leaves you savoring every bite of your meal. Read on to learn how to make the perfect Umbria Ragu pasta sauce at home.

Sauce Recipe:

 Ingredient:

  • 1 Carrot
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 1 medium onion
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 pound sausage meat
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 3 ounces finely chopped prosciutto
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 ounces finely diced pancetta
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 1 Jar passata
  • 2 14-ounce cans of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Dash Red Pepper Flakes

Instructions:

  • Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, and cook the carrot, celery, and onion until tender.
  • Add the sausage meat, ground pork, pancetta, and chopped prosciutto and cook until the meat is no longer pink.
  • Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes until fragrant.
  • Add the wine and cook until it completely evaporates.
  • Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, parsley, basil, salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes, and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat and cook for an hour and a half until the sauce has thickened.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
  • Serve on pasta of choice!

Arrabbiata Sauce

Another must-try pasta sauce is arrabbiata. This sauce has a base of garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, and a generous dose of dried red peppers. You can use this sauce with pasta of any kind, including baked pasta or zoodles.

Sauce Recipe

 Ingredients: 

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or butter 
  • 3 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 small red or yellow onion
  • 6 large cloves of garlic
  • 2 cans of whole tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn or roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper

Instructions:

  • Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
  • Add red pepper flakes and sauté for two minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add onions and sauté for a few minutes or until softened and translucent.
  • Add garlic and sauté for two more minutes or until fragrant.
  • Add diced tomatoes and stir to combine.
  • Continue cooking the pasta sauce, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon until the sauce is thick.
  • Reduce heat to medium-high to maintain a steady simmer. And cook uncovered for about 30 minutes or until it has reached your desired consistency.
  • Stir in the basil, salt, and pepper.  
  • Serve immediately.

Clam Sauce

Clam sauce is a classic Italian sauce with the addition of clams. This difference adds brininess and extra flavor to a basic pasta sauce. To appreciate the flavor of this sauce, serve it over your favorite type of pasta.

Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 chopped onion
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 6.5-ounce cans minced clams
  • ½ cup butter
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons dry white wine

Instructions:

  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet.
  • Sauté the chopped onion and garlic in olive oil until the onions are light brown.
  • Add clams, butter, wine, salt, and pepper.
  • Simmer the mixture for 25-minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Spoon the clam sauce over pasta and serve. 

Brown Butter Sauce

Everyone loves basic buttered pasta once in a while, but you can easily improve this recipe by transforming plain butter into a brown butter sauce. All you have to do is brown the butter. This helps enhance the flavor. You can also add additional seasonings, like black pepper, oregano, and sage.

Toss this easy-to-fix sauce with any pasta, produce, and proteins you like. 

Sauce Recipe

 Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 6 fresh sage leaves or 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Marsala Sauce

 Classic Marsala sauce makes the perfect partner for pasta, steaks, or chicken. It’s full of the rich flavors of garlic, shallots, mushrooms, and Marsala wine.

Sauce Recipe

 Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 banana shallot
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 150g button mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 150ml Marsala
  • 500ml beef or vegetable stock

Instructions:

  • Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan.
  • Toss in the shallots, garlic, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt.
  • Simmer over low heat until the mushrooms are soft and stir in the flour.
  • Cook for one more minute to get rid of the raw flour taste.
  • Pour in the Marsala wine and stock.
  • Simmer until reduced by two-thirds.

Taste for seasoning, and serve traditionally with pasta or steak. 

Fresh Herb Sauce

This fresh green sauce is a light alternative to heavy sauces and goes well with Italian-style pasta and roast turkey or chicken.

Sauce Recipe

 Ingredients:

  • 85g watercress
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 50g parsley
  • 50g walnut
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 150ml olive oil

Instructions:

  • Place the watercress, walnuts, parsley in a blender and pulse until finely chopped.
  • Add the oil, sugar, and lemon juice, and season well.
  • Blend for a minute until everything combines into a thick green sauce.

 Vegan Tomato Pasta Sauce

If you are searching for a quick fix for dinner, the vegan tomato sauce is what you should make. This pasta sauce basically cooks itself, and we are not kidding. See for yourself how simple the sauce recipe is!

Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 4 chopped plum tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 1 cup vegetable stock or water
  • 3 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1-1¼ teaspoons sea salt
  • Salt and pepper
  • ½ teaspoon hot chili powder or flakes

Instructions:

  • Fry garlic in olive oil and add squashed tomatoes to it.
  • Add chill flakes, salt, pepper, and a cup of water, and let the sauce cook for up to 45-minutes.
  • At the end of the cooking time, add sugar and basil to the sauce.
  • If you want your sauce to have a smooth consistency, you can blend it before mixing it with pasta.

Pomodoro Pasta Sauce

Pomodoro pasta sauce is one of the simpler pasta sauces that are great for quick-fix dinners. And it’s not just simple but delicious, too!

Sauce Recipe 

 Ingredients:

  • 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon sugar
  • Kosher salt

Instructions:

  • Pulse tomatoes in a blender to form a coarse purée.
  • Heat oil in a medium-sized pan over medium-high heat.
  • Add garlic and cook for two minutes
  • Add tomato purée and sugar and season with salt.
  • Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, 10-15 minutes.

Salsa di Noci

Salsa di Noci pasta sauce is commonly known as the walnut sauce. It is a delicious sauce that you can easily make at home. It is the most understated Italian pasta sauce there is. Serve it with pasta or light gnocchi for a super simple comfort food meal!

Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup parmesan freshly grated
  • 1.5 cups walnuts
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 1 slice white bread
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions:

  • Remove the crusts and place the bread in a bowl with the milk.
  • Put other ingredients in a food processor, add the milk and bread.  
  • Blend everything until thick and smooth. If the pasta sauce is too thick, you may add a little more milk.
  • Serve with extra topped walnuts or almonds if desired.

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