Italian Pasta Sauces

If you’re thinking of cooking pasta for the family, nothing is more delicious than pairing excellent Italian pasta with a traditional sauce.

In fact, we often find ourselves undecided about which sauce to choose. We must admit that there are as many varieties of sauces as there are types of pasta, making it difficult to make a good selection and please everyone at home.

Types of Pasta Sauces There are always the most recurrent and common sauces we can prepare, which are also the most flavorful and perfect for our pasta dishes. Let’s take a look at the 3 most popular Italian pasta sauces and how to prepare them:

Bolognese Sauce Ingredients

• 250g minced beef
• 40g butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 1 celery stalk (chopped)
• 1 carrot (chopped)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Bolognese Sauce

1. Start by heating the butter and olive oil in a pot.
2. Add the chopped onion, celery, carrot, and minced beef. Stir with a wooden spoon and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cook over low heat for a few minutes until the vegetables are cooked and the meat starts to brown.
4. In a separate cup, mix the tomato paste with a little water, then pour it into the pot.
5. Cover the pot and let the sauce simmer over low heat for 1.5 hours. Check the cooking occasionally and add hot water if it starts to dry out.
6. Once the sauce has thickened, it is ready to be used.

Napolitana Sauce Ingredients

• 4 cloves of garlic (chopped)
• 500g whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 25g celery
• 1 carrot
• 1 bay leaf
• Fresh basil leaves
• Rosemary
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 100ml red wine
• 50ml extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. Heat a drizzle of oil in a pot and sauté the chopped garlic until golden brown. Set aside.
2. In the same pot, sauté the onion, celery, and carrot until they become soft. Add the reserved garlic.
3. Crush the tomatoes and add them to the pot. Season with salt and pepper, and pour in the red wine.
4. Let it cook over moderate heat for about 30 minutes, adding a little rosemary and a bay leaf. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
5. To balance the acidity, you can add a teaspoon of sugar. When the sauce reaches the desired consistency, add the basil leaves and it’s ready to be served.

Pesto Genovese Ingredients

• A bunch of fresh basil
• 2 tbsp grated cheese (Parmesan or Pecorino)
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• Salt to taste
• Olive oil

How to Make Pesto Genovese

1. Start by crushing the garlic cloves and basil leaves in a mortar until you obtain a smooth paste. Alternatively, you can use a blender to process the ingredients.
2. Add the grated cheese and mix well. Gradually add the olive oil to achieve a thick, creamy consistency.
3. When serving, you can add a little pasta cooking water if the sauce is too thick, mixing well.
4. It’s now ready to be used on our delicious pasta dishes!

Enjoy these homemade sauces with your favorite pasta for a truly authentic Italian culinary experience.