Pasta comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors, but if you use the same few sauces over and over, your Italian dinners will soon get boring. To shake things up, we asked experts about which lesser-known pasta sauces will add some zest to your noodles.
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00:00Pasta comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. But if you use the same few sauces over and over,
00:06your Italian dinners will soon get boring. To shake things up,
00:09we asked experts about which lesser-known pasta sauces will add some zest to your noodles.
00:15You'll thank me later.
00:16The list of essential Italian pasta sauces can't be complete without mentioning Amatriciana,
00:21one of the quintessential Roman pasta dishes. Like many other pasta sauces,
00:25Amatriciana's origin is vague, though it most likely hails from Amatrice,
00:29a small town in the province of Rienti Lazio. There are many theories about its origin,
00:33but the most popular says that it's an extension of the white gricia.
00:36Gricia is one of the simplest combinations, initially made by local shepherds who tossed
00:40pasta in rendered guanciale, or pork jowl, and grated cheese. In Amatrice,
00:45the sauce was adapted with the addition of tomatoes to create the contemporary
00:48version we know today. Sophie Manchili, a tour guide and book author who leads
00:52food tours in Rome, says you can't go wrong with canned peeled tomatoes,
00:55guanciale, and pecorino. She adds,
00:57"...no olive oil because of the fat released from the guanciale, and definitely no onions or garlic."
01:02Manchili shares that this is what she craves the most when traveling,
01:05even calling it the epitome of Roman comfort food. Amatriciana is typically served with spaghetti.
01:10However, sometimes spaghetti noodles are swapped with bucatini,
01:14the slightly thicker and chewier variety with a hollowed center.
01:17There you go. There's a hole in there to where that pasta sauce will go down into there
01:22and really be delicious."
01:25Burro a salvia combines butter and fresh sage leaves. While most Italian pasta sauces are
01:30simply assembled with a few high-quality ingredients cooked very quickly, it hardly
01:34gets more minimal than this combination. This is a dish you'll usually find in northern regions,
01:38where butter is more traditional. Besides this basic version, you'll sometimes see it
01:42topped with grated cheese. The sauce is assembled by frying butter in a pan until it's lightly
01:46browned, then adding sage leaves to infuse the sauce with a distinctive herbal aroma.
01:50The combination of buttery, caramel-like notes and the earthy sage herbaceousness create a
01:55beautifully balanced and comforting sauce. Tegna Oteri, a writer and the person behind Feast Travel,
02:00explains that this sauce is best with plump or filled pastas such as gnocchi or ravioli.
02:05Any filled pasta would be great in this combination, but it's also commonly
02:08partnered with gnudi, plump dumplings usually made with ricotta and spinach.
02:12Burro e alici combines dairy and fish, which is not something you will commonly
02:16see in traditional Italian cuisine. However, as Sophie Manchili explains, it's one of the
02:21rare exceptions that seems to work, even describing the combination as heaven for anchovy fans.
02:28Anchovies.
02:30What?
02:31Anchovies!
02:33The name of this simple sauce translates as butter and anchovies, and it immediately reveals its main
02:38ingredients. Because it's so simple, Manchili warns that finding the best ingredients is essential.
02:43The sauce starts by mashing anchovies. As they are incredibly soft and tender,
02:47they can be easily mashed with a knife to make a somewhat thick and homogeneous paste. However,
02:51some skip that step and add the anchovies straight into the pan with melted butter.
02:55Optionally, the sauce can be infused with some lemon zest, herbs, or capers,
02:59but it's always finished with a ladle of pasta water to create a glossy, smooth sauce.
03:03As Manchili explains, the sweetness of the butter along with the pasta cooking water
03:07makes it super creamy, and the saltiness of the anchovies gives it that extra touch
03:11that pairs perfectly with the butter. She adds that, because it only calls for two ingredients,
03:15burro e alici is one of the easiest pasta sauces to whip up at home. The sauce usually
03:20accompanies spaghetti, as the buttery sauce is ideal for coating thin and chewy pasta strands.
03:25Pesto is an Italian sauce that is distinguished for its thick consistency. Unlike most sauces
03:30that are assembled in a pan, this version is made with a mortar and pestle for a distinctive
03:34texture. Even its name, which comes from the Italian word pestare, which means to pound,
03:38reflects this unique method. Though Italy features numerous pesto varieties,
03:42Katie Clark, the founder of Untold Italy, reports that Pesto Genovese, made with fresh,
03:47local basil, pine nuts, olive oil, and Parmesan, is the best representative of the group.
03:52Pesto Genovese is considered the ultimate classic pesto. It was named after the city of Genoa,
03:57where it first originated, and where you'll still find the best versions made with local
04:00ingredients and a precise recipe. Besides the protected local basil that is distinguished
04:05for its delicate aroma, it incorporates extra virgin olive oil, pine nuts, parmigiano-reggiano,
04:10pecorino, fresh garlic, and a pinch of salt. The result is a zesty sauce brimming with freshness
04:15that can dress up various pasta shapes, though you'll commonly see it paired with local trinette
04:20or twisted trofia. However, pesto should not only be reserved for pasta. You'll often see
04:24it on top of pizza, inside sandwiches, or used as a dressing on crunchy bruschetta.
04:29There are various jarred versions, but nothing compares to the freshly pounded pesto,
04:33especially with fine, local ingredients. Other regional pesto sauces are worth exploring,
04:37but this version from Genoa is a must-try.
04:40Carbonara is a pasta sauce that belongs to the Holy Trinity of classic Roman sauces,
04:44along with Amatriciana and Cacio e Pepe. Furthermore, Danielo Terry believes it
04:49belongs to the list of essential Italian pasta sauces and claims it as a personal favorite.
04:53Carbonara is simple and unpretentious, but requires the finest ingredients to show off
04:58its best qualities. Carbonara starts with guanciale, which is fried until perfectly
05:02rendered and crispy. On the side, egg yolks are mixed with grated pecorino cheese to create
05:06a thick, homogeneous sauce. Once the pasta is cooked, it's first tossed with guanciale
05:11and then topped with the egg mixture and pasta water.
05:13I mean, like, you know, next time maybe take the yolks out."
05:17The dish is stirred to encourage emulsification,
05:19which creates a smooth sauce specked with crunchy guanciale bits.
05:23The incredibly creamy sauce often leads people to believe that it's cream-based,
05:26but anyone who knows Italian pasta will tell you that there's no cream in Carbonara. For her part,
05:31Oteri says the secret to the best version is to use fresh eggs. Carbonara is usually
05:35served with spaghetti, but similar pasta varieties like fettuccine or bucatini would
05:40also be good alternatives. While modern versions sometimes incorporate other ingredients,
05:44traditional Carbonara will only include a whiff of freshly cracked pepper.
05:48One of the fundamental Italian sauces is undoubtedly a classic ragu. The hearty
05:52meat sauce that Danielle Oteri claims can be made with anything from sausage and meatballs
05:56to a cheap cut of beef with some fat on it. Besides the meat, most varieties use tomatoes
06:00and call for low and slow cooking. All Italian ragu styles are region-specific,
06:05so you'll come across Venetian duck ragu or the very distinctive Neapolitan ragu
06:09that uses large cuts of meat, prosciutto, and pancetta. Apulia has a unique version
06:13made with stuffed beef rolls, while the ragu from Palermo also adds peas to the mix.
06:17However, among this notable group, the most admired version comes from Bologna.
06:21Officially called ragu a la Bolognese, this legendary sauce is made following a detailed
06:26recipe that starts with fried pancetta and classic soffritto that's later built with ground
06:30beef, wine, tomato paste, and meat or vegetable broth. Traditionally, a splash of milk is also
06:35added to cut through the meaty richness. This sauce is traditionally served with wide and flat
06:40pasta varieties, preferably tagliatelle. Another less familiar addition to the list
06:45comes from the south of Italy and combines the frugal, everyday ingredients of chickpeas and
06:49rosemary into an immensely soothing sauce. Variations appear in Sicily and all southern
06:54regions, but you'll also find renditions in Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio. As it probably stems
06:59from an ancient Roman tradition, its origin has never been thoroughly investigated, and it's hard
07:03to say where it first appeared. Regardless, this old-school homey classic is heralded as an Italian
07:08must-try. As it's not strictly a regional specialty, the sauce and the dish appear under several names
07:13and can be assembled with different pasta varieties. Danielle Oteri describes the classic
07:17preparation, saying,
07:18"...the chickpeas are partially pureed with the water used to soak them, or from the can,
07:22then cooked with a clove of garlic, olive oil, and rosemary."
07:25Besides being flavorful, this is an incredibly comforting sauce that Oteri describes simply as
07:30amazing. In some versions, depending on the consistency of the sauce, the combination
07:35could also pass for a thick soup. Cheese is a common addition, and a drizzle of olive oil
07:39is a requirement.
07:40Brodo translates as broth, and though it's not officially classified as pasta sauce,
07:45you'll often see the meaty broth acting as a base for various filled pasta varieties.
07:49This combination appears simple, but even on its own, the broth is incredibly complex.
07:54When it's paired with tender pasta parcels and their savory fillings, you end up with
07:57a sensational combination that should be an obligatory dish for everyone who wants to
08:02explore Italian pasta tradition. There are several varieties of pasta in Brodo,
08:06most hailing from central and northern Italy. Interestingly, many of them are Christmas
08:10staples. Agnolotti in Brodo is a version from Piedmont with meat-filled anglonati pasta,
08:15while the local version from Reggio Emilia uses round capelletti and a soothing chicken broth.
08:20Katie Clark mentions tortellini in Brodo as her favorite. As the name suggests,
08:24it's assembled with twisted, meat-packed tortellini and with a chicken broth that
08:27Clark describes as the perfect foil for the tasty tortellini pasta pockets made with various pork
08:32products. Clark also adds that the version is a regional specialty in Emilia-Romagna
08:37and a favorite local Christmas tradition.
08:39Cacio e pepe is an internationally known Italian pasta sauce. Though many Italian
08:43sauces can be described as simple, cacio e pepe tops the list as it's assembled with two
08:48ingredients — cheese and pepper. The only additional thing you need to make it is some
08:52pasta water. As Katie Clark describes, this classic pasta sauce from Rome might be simple,
08:56but it amplifies the flavor combination of the cheese and pepper, and is delicious.
09:01The history of classic cacio e pepe goes back to local shepherds who would pack cheese,
09:05peppercorns, and spaghetti with them for long seasonal journeys. They would then easily
09:09assemble the dish regardless of where they were located. Despite these humble beginnings,
09:13cacio e pepe became a favorite in local taverns, especially in Rome,
09:17where it's now one of the signature dishes. This pasta sauce is easily recreated at home,
09:21though some skill is necessary to attain perfect emulsification with pecorino romano,
09:26pasta water, and starch. Regardless, it's an absolute must for anyone who visits Rome.
09:31Traditionally, this sauce is paired with spaghetti as it's ideal for thick and creamy sauces such as
09:35this one. Pagliata may not be as famous as other Roman pasta sauces, but not because it lacks
09:41flavor or character. Instead, it's just intended for those Sophie Menchili describes as more daring
09:46and adventurous eaters. At its core, pagliata is tomato-based offal sauce made with veal intestines,
09:51but only from an unweaned calf. Menchili explained,
09:54Because it is filled with milk, when you cook it, it tends to resemble a cheese-filled sausage,
09:58and will make the tomato sauce creamy and delicious. Though this is one of the Roman
10:02classics, the dish was banned in 2001 due to mad cow disease. It only resurfaced in 2015,
10:07when the ban was officially lifted. Menchili explains that this sauce is not something you
10:12can stumble upon easily, as only a few places in Rome still decide to make it. In Rome,
10:16this sauce is typically used with large rigatoni or smaller mezze maniche.
10:21When served, it should be liberally sprinkled with pecorino romano.
10:25Vongole sauce is the true epitome of Italian summer. This simple sauce combines clams with
10:30garlic, white wine, chili peppers, parsley, and olive oil to make a combination that Katie Clark
10:35claims can take you to the Amalfi Coast in just one bite. Unlike many other Italian pasta sauces,
10:40this vongole-based version undoubtedly originated in Naples. Clams were commonly eaten well before
10:45pasta became a commodity, while the first recipe for pasta served with vongole was said to be
10:50written in 1839.
10:52"'Clam?' Yeah, I clam and scallop."
10:55Vongole sauce is another example of how Italians have mastered the idea that less
11:00is more. The sauce is stripped of unnecessary garnishes and allows the salty clam brine,
11:04wine, oil, and starch to create a satin-like texture that attains extra zest and aromatics
11:09from garlic, chili peppers, and parsley. Besides this classic Neapolitan version that is typically
11:14served with spaghetti, in some regions, the sauce was adapted with tomatoes to make the
11:18so-called rosso or red version. Additionally, spaghetti noodles are sometimes swapped with
11:22other pasta varieties.
11:24Almero di seppia is the name of the pitch-black cuttlefish sauce that Katie Clark describes as
11:29the authentic taste of Venice, but it's also something you'll find in other coastal regions
11:33like Sicily and Calabria. The dark color comes from cuttlefish ink that completely coats the
11:38pasta, creating a visually stunning dish. Like most pasta dishes, this version is fairly simple
11:43to assemble. It usually starts by sautéing onions and sliced cuttlefish, sometimes with the addition
11:48of garlic. The mix is combined with white wine, tomatoes, and seasonings, and once the ink is
11:53added, it's slowly simmered until it reaches the desired consistency. Despite the intense color,
11:57the ink is mild in flavor, and the resulting sauce has a pleasant, mildly aromatic,
12:02and somewhat toned-down character. Squid tentacles are sometimes cooked on the side
12:06and added once the dish is assembled as a neat garnish. Clark declares that trying this sauce
12:10is a must when you're in Venice, and in the most traditional version, you'll usually find
12:14it tossed with spaghetti. Besides pasta, this strikingly black combination is sometimes served
12:19over polenta or used to make a pitch-black cuttlefish risotto.
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