Different Types of Italian Sauces

In addition to delicious pizza sauce or pasta sauce, Italy is the home to many types of sauces. Many sauces are considered Italian, such as Alfredo sauce and vodka sauce which did not originate in Italy. Less well-known and more authentic sauces such as puttanesca and carbonaracan be found in most authentic Italian restaurants.

Poured over your ravioli, gnocchi, penne or linguine, pasta sauce is the perfect flavouredsauce to enhance the taste of a dish. At restaurants, there is a mix of dishes complete with exquisite sauces. Italians have developed pasta sauce and pizza sauceto accompany everything from pasta, pizza and chicken.

The word pesto means pounded in Italian, describing the way to make aflavourfulpasta sauce. Pesto sauce requires a few ingredients and to make a basic recipe such as fresh basil and parsley, garlic, salt and pepper, Parmesan cheese and olive oil. Adding pine nuts is a nice touch but not necessary. The sauce is made by crushing fresh herbs in olive oil, then adding Parmesan cheese to taste. Pesto sauce is said to have originated in Italy, although similar sauces were also recorded in ancient Persia. It can also be made with a food processor.

Marinara sauce is a basic, vegetarian tomato sauce. The sauce is made by mixing crushed or diced tomatoes with onions and olive oil. It also includes typical Italian spices such as basil, oregano and parsley, salt and pepper. There are many varieties of marinara sauce. To make a complex sauce, red wine, garlic or Parmesan cheese is added.

Puttanesca is a tomato sauce made with crushed anchovies, capers, black or Kalamata olives, garlic and red pepper. The sauce is not usually served with cheese.

The two ingredients in carbonara sauce are pancetta, an Italian version of bacon and eggs. The pancetta is cooked with garlic and parsley. Cooked spaghetti or anyother type of pasta is then added to the mixture. Eggs are added last and cooked over a medium heat but not scrambled. An authentic carbonara sauce does not use cream.

Bolognese sauce is essentially a marinara sauce with ground beef added to it. This sauce is extremely popular in Europe and the America. Originally, bolognese sauce did not include tomatoes and used pork, beef, veal, carrots and milk.

Italy is home to many types of delicious sauces. Whether enjoying it over pasta, pizza or meat, Italian sauces are a great way to add flavour to any dish.