Basic Types of Pasta Sauce

You can substitute other herbs for basil when making pesto.

Pasta is a one-dish meal that lends itself to endless variations. Most basic pasta sauces contain only a handful of ingredients. The healthiest and most flavorful sauces feature seasonal herbs and vegetables. Some sauces are fresh and raw, while others depend on hours of slow cooking to bring out deep, savory flavors.

Tomato Sauce

Tomato sauces vary widely, depending on the ingredients added. Most people have their own favorite recipe. Some include herbs like basil or oregano. Many cooks add chopped onions or garlic for extra flavor. Some summer tomato sauce recipes feature fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes at the peak; winter versions rely on canned tomatoes and long, slow cooking for authentic, home-cooked flavor.

Meat Sauce

Thrifty cooks make their basic meat sauce by simmering and removing a flavorful cut of meat; they serve the meat-specked sauce on pasta as a first course and the tender, tomato-infused meat as a second course. Other meat sauce variations include tomato-based sauces with ground beef, pork, veal or sausage.

Pesto

The Ligurians invented pesto sauce as a way to use their abundant and very fragrant local basil. Pesto Genoese, the classic version, consists of pine nuts, basil, olive oil and grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese. Purists insist that pesto must be made by hand, with a mortar and pestle. Food processors will produce an effortless, creamy version that may rapidly lose its vibrant green color. The heat from the drained pasta, along with a bit of reserved cooking water, warms this raw sauce.

Alfredo

Alfredo, a Roman restaurateur, provided this classic butter and cream sauce with its iconic name. Alfredo sauce consists of warmed cream and butter, accented with Parmesan cheese, black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. The standard Italian serving size for a bowl of pasta is approximately 2 to 3 oz. of pasta per person, which is appropriate for this rich, calorie-laden sauce.

Garlic and Oil

Garlic and oil is one the simplest and most flavorful pasta sauces. Some people briefly saute whole or chopped garlic cloves in olive oil, while others prefer a sharply-flavored raw garlic sauce. The quality of the olive oil is extremely important for this sauce. Additions to this sauce include crushed red pepper, grated pecorino cheese or chopped parsley.

References

• "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking"; Marcella Hazan; 1997
• "Italian Food"; Elizabeth David; 1996