Food & Drink pastapasta sauce recipepasta recies

Pasta Sauce Recipes For People Who Cook Way Too Much Pasta

Dress up your pasta with something homemade.
By 

Associate Style Editor, The Huffington Post

Pasta is one of the easiest things to cook, so why not dress it up with a sauce of your own? That's right, we're talking homemade sauces, not the ones out of the jar. 

With classics like vodka and alfredo, you'll be able to indulge in your favorite dishes, whether the savory sauces are ladled over ravioli or fettuccine.

Pro tip: if you want to save time during the week cook a big batch on the weekend and store it in the refrigerator to have throughout the week. 

This is your chance to learn how to make something homemade and impress your loved ones. We're looking at you, 20-somethings. 

Try out one of the recipes below and let us know how it goes. Buon appetito! 

Marinara
Gimme Some Oven
Get the Marinara Sauce recipe from Gimme Some Oven.
Vongole (Clam)
Damn Delicious
Get the Easy Linguine with Clams recipe from Damn Delicious.
Puttanesca
Vikalinka
Get the Spaghetti Puttanesca recipe from Vikalinka.
Vodka
6 Bittersweets
Get the Vodka Cream Sauce recipe from 6 Bittersweets.
All'Amatriciana
From The Kitchen
Get the Bucatini All'Amatriciana recipe from From The Kitchen.
Bolognese
Handle The Heat
Get the The Best Bolognese Sauce recipe from Handle The Heat.
Alfredo
Ashlee Marie
Get the Homemade Alfredo Sauce recipe from Ashlee Marie.
Fra Diavolo
This Silly Girl's Kitchen
Get the Penne Fra Diavolo recipe from This Silly Girl's Kitchen.
Pesto
I'm Bored, Let's Go...
Get the Pesto recipe from I'm Bored, Let's Go...
Pomodoro (Tomato)
Foodie Crush
Get the Gnocchi With Pomodoro Sauce recipe from Foodie Crush.
White Wine
This Gal Cooks
Get the One Pan Chicken Pasta with Chardonnay Wine Sauce recipe from This Gal Cooks.
Cacciatore (Red Wine)
Gonna Want Seconds
Get the Easy Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore recipe from Gonna Want Seconds.

Also on HuffPost:

3-Ingredient Pasta Dinners Anyone Can Make
The Anytime Pomodoro(01 of05)
Open Image Modal
This bright and colorful sauce is delicious with fresh, or canned, plum tomatoes; the one thing we insist upon is making it with fresh basil, since its peppery-sweet, vibrant taste just doesn't come through if you use the dried version of the herb. The other element here is garlic; don't skimp on it, since when you cook it in olive oil it mellows and loses any of its harshness.

Get the recipe: Quick Pomodoro Sauce (credit:Thinkstock/jenniferknowles1)
A Light And Citrusy Meal That'll Fill You Up(02 of05)
Open Image Modal
Lemon juice and zest, thinly sliced pancetta and pitted black olives give this spaghetti dish a lovely balance of tart and salty flavors. Any black olive will work, though we find that the fruity taste of kalamata and Gaeta olives nicely complements the flavors of the lemon and ham.

Get the recipe: Spaghetti with Lemon, Olives and Pancetta (credit:Thinkstock/al62)
Creamed Spinach, Reinvented With Carbs(03 of05)
Open Image Modal
A bag of fresh spinach has infinite possibilities -- omelet, salad, quiche, side dish -- yet one we don't often think of is tossing it with hot pasta. Its heat (fettuccine is particularly good with this sauce) quickly wilts the nutritious green and the pasta takes beautifully to rich, smooth cream and a smattering of grated Parmesan.

Get the recipe: Creamy Spinach Fettuccine (credit:Thinkstock/alisafarov)
The Fast Track To A Dish That Tastes Like It's Been Cooking For Hours(04 of05)
Open Image Modal
Sausage is a flavor bomb on its own; use it to build a pasta dish and you won't need to do much to end up with a perfectly salted, savory meal. Remove the meat from the casing and crumble it into the pan, cook it until it browns then add parboiled broccoli florets (you can also use cauliflower or broccoli rabe). It's great tossed with orecchiette, shells, or any other pasta shaped like a cup that can scoop up bits of meat and vegetable.

Get the recipe: Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli (credit:Thinkstock/marcomayer)
A Use For Sage That Anyone Will Love(05 of05)
Open Image Modal
Sage is known for how well it pairs with meat, yet it shines in this vegetarian dish thanks to one very supportive partner: butter. It doesn't take long to make a silky, herbaceous sauce out of the two; and while rich, cheese-filled ravioli is the obvious choice for pasta, any medium-size cut pasta, such as mezze rigatoni, orecchiette or gnocchi are great, too.

Get the recipe: Pasta with Sage-Butter Sauce (credit:Thinkstock/Oliver Hoffmann)

Our 2024 Coverage Needs You

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.

Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.

to keep our news free for all.

Support HuffPost

Related

pastapasta sauce recipepasta reciessauce recipespasta dishes
Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip

HuffPost Shopping’s Best Finds

Gen Z Has Officially Canceled Ankle Socks: 'They're For Old People'

REI's Hiking Apparel Was Already Kind Of A Steal — And It's On Ultra-Sale Right Now

Reviewers All Over The Internet Say This $10 Crepe-Reducing Moisturizer Is Legitimately Effective

The 1 Shoe That Has Helped Eliminate My Dad’s Plantar Fasciitis Pain

27 Exercise Products That Let You Get Fit While Doing Something Else

MORE IN LIFE

Style & Beauty

OK, But Is Sunbathing Really THAT Bad? Here’s The Realistic Answer

Wellness

The 1 Word Therapists Say You Need To Stop Using With Yourself

Relationships

‘Boysober’ And Celibate By Choice: Why These Women Are Swearing Off Sex

Wellness

Do You Have ‘FOPO’? Here’s How To Spot The Damaging Habit.

Work/Life

6 Work Habits That Are Secretly High-Functioning Anxiety In Disguise

Relationships

These Are The Top 5 Fantasies Women Want To See More Of In Porn

Shopping

12 Confidence-Boosting Swimsuits That Will Make You Love Wearing A One-Piece

Shopping

Reviewers Took These Sandals On Vacation And Walked Comfortably For Hours

Shopping

Here Are 29 Amazon Products To Help You Deal With Common Bodily Issues

Shopping

These Hotel-Like Pillows Are Somehow Under $25 Each

Wellness

The Most Common COVID Symptoms Doctors Are Seeing This Spring

Work/Life

This Résumé Mistake Could Hurt Your Chances Of Being Hired — And It’s An Easy Fix

Parenting

I Moved To France With My Son, And This Is One Culture Shock I Never Expected

Parenting

People Are Rallying Behind This Mom Of Six After Her Husband Refused To Do ANYTHING For Her On Mother's Day

Life

This 2-Second Motion Tells Your Cat You Love Them — And It Really Works

Shopping

This Electronic Bug-Zapping Wand Just Made My Summer A Thousand Times Better

Shopping

32 Essential Products To Help You Become A Carry-On-Only Traveler

Shopping

Reviewers With Mature Skin Are Obsessed With This $7 Eyeliner

Work/Life

You've Probably Heard This 3-Word Career Advice. It's A Total Trap.

Style & Beauty

The Ideal Morning Skin Care Routine For Every Decade Of Your Life

Shopping

9 Handy Travel Cases For Transporting Those Unruly Device Cords

Shopping

18 Items That Will Turn Your Concrete Backyard Into A Total Oasis

Shopping

18 Shoes That Nurses Say Are Super Comfortable

Shopping

22 Hair Care Products Reviewers Over 50 Swear By

Shopping

Reviewers Say They Walked All Over Europe In These Shoes

Style & Beauty

Lace Undies Have Been Banned In 3 Countries. How Dangerous Are They?

Wellness

Podiatrists Share 10 Things They'd Never Do (And Wish You Wouldn't Either)

Parenting

The Funniest Tweets From Parents This Week

Shopping

This Back-Saving Electric Spin Scrubber Is Under $40 For A Limited Time

Parenting

German Parliament To Relax Strict Restrictions On Family Names

Life

The Funniest Tweets From Women This Week

Shopping

This Internet-Famous Cleaner Is Somehow Less Than $100 — And The Sale Could End Any Second

Shopping

5 Inflatable Hot Tubs That Amazon Shoppers Love

Shopping

This Inconspicuous And Truly Effective Bug Hack Is Only $20 On Amazon

Shopping

13 Products That Make Cleaning Hard-To-Reach Places Actually Easy

Shopping

These Cult-Favorite K-Beauty Products Are Hiding In Plain Sight On Amazon

Shopping

37 Effective Products You'll Want To Immediately 'Add To Cart'

Shopping

The 1 Thing You Need To Prevent Your Bed Pillows From Turning Yellow

Shopping

Why Brushing Your Pet’s Teeth Is Way More Important Than You Think (Plus The Best Products To Use)

Parenting

8 Things You Should Never, Ever Say To A Teenager