12 Types of Pasta Sauce Everyone Needs to Know

When it comes to types of pasta sauce, there's way, way more than just marinara and Alfredo. Learn how to make and master each kind of sauce.

1 / 12
The best marinara sauce
TMB Studio

Marinara Sauce

Odds are that when you think pasta sauce, you’re thinking marinara. Marinara sauce is tomato-based and is seasoned with classic Italian flavors like basil, oregano and garlic. It’s an incredibly versatile sauce; use it to make lasagna or chicken parmesan, serve it with meatballs or even just use for dunking mozzarella sticks.

Making marinara sauce from scratch is incredibly rewarding, but it can be an undertaking. Once you have it, put it to use in these recipes using marinara sauce.

Go to Recipe

2 / 12
Homemade Fettuccini Alfredo Exps Toham21 21260 B12 02 13b 1
TMB Studio

Alfredo Sauce

Alfredo sauce is incredibly rich and delicious. It starts with butter, cream and a bit of cheese. While it might seem like the sort of sauce that takes all day, you can actually make homemade Alfredo in about 20 minutes.

You’ll commonly see Alfredo sauce served with fettuccine and chicken, but that’s just the start. It can be used in baked pastas, appetizers and more. Check out these recipes using Alfredo sauce for more ideas.

Go to Recipe

3 / 12
Classic Pesto Exps Toham21 48031 B12 01 2b 4
TMB Studio

Pesto Sauce

We have the city of Genoa, Italy to thank for pesto. Originally known as pesto alla genovese, this pasta sauce is a combination of fresh herbs, pine nuts, olive oil and Parmesan. It’s most commonly made with fresh basil, but you’ll also find parsley pesto or spinach pesto. Occasionally, other nuts and seeds—such as walnuts or sunflower seeds—may take the place of the pine nuts.

However you make it, this sauce tastes wonderfully fresh and is just as delicious served with pasta as it is used as a spread on sandwiches or as a salad dressing. And if you don’t have enough basil in your garden to make your own, try one of best store-bought pesto brands approved by our Test Kitchen.

Go to Recipe

4 / 12
TMB Studio

Vodka Sauce

Vodka sauce is an Italian-American creation. It’s a blend of tomato sauce, cream and a bit of vodka. The vodka is used to draw out some tomato flavors that we might not otherwise taste. Once the sauce simmers, though, you won’t be able to detect the harshness of the vodka flavor (and no alcohol will remain).

This creamy sauce is a great option when you want something different than a regular marinara but don’t want all of the richness of a traditional Alfredo.

Go to Recipe

5 / 12

Beef Bolognese With Linguine Exps Ft21 130403 F 0423 1
TMB Studio

Bolognese

Bolognese, sometimes called ragu bolognese or ragu, is a meat-based pasta sauce with roots in Bologna in northern Italy. This sauce starts with minced onion, celery and carrots and the cut of meat of your choice (typically beef). Wine and tomatoes are also added and then the sauce simmers for an extended time until the flavors are rich and the meat is tender.

Serve bolognese with the pasta shape of your choice, like linguine, pappardelle or penne.

Go to Recipe

6 / 12

TMB Studio

Puttanesca Sauce

If you want more flavor than a basic tomato sauce, try a puttanesca. This sauce starts with tomatoes, yes, but also includes olives, anchovies, capers and red pepper flakes. It’s a more robust sauce in terms of flavor and texture, so serve it simply over a pile of cappellini with perhaps a few sauteed shrimp.

And don’t be afraid of the anchovies in this recipe! Just like with Caesar dressing, the anchovies are there to add a bit of brininess and salt—not fishy flavor.

Go to Recipe

7 / 12

How To Make Sugo
TMB Studio

Sugo

Yes—another tomato-based red sauce to keep track of! Sugo simply means “sauce” in Italian, but specifically refers to a pureed tomato sauce. The difference between marinara and sugo is that marinara starts with whole tomatoes and produces a chunkier sauce, while sugo begins with tomato sauce and creates a smoother end result. Use sugo just like you would marinara sauce—over spaghetti, in baked ziti and more.

Go to Recipe

8 / 12

Spaghetti Carbonara
TMB Studio

Carbonara

A classic carbonara is made with bacon, egg yolks and plenty of Parmigiano-Reggiano. This pasta sauce has to be made fresh and right in the pan. You need to be quick so you don’t end up with scrambled eggs, but the result is creamy and satisfying. Check out some of our favorite carbonara recipes once you get the hang of it.

Go to Recipe

9 / 12
TMB Studio

Arrabbiata Sauce

Another must-try tomato sauce is arrabbiata. This sauce starts with a base of garlic, tomatoes and olive oil, but it really turns up the heat thanks to a generous dose of dried red chili peppers. Use this sauce with pasta of any kind—even baked pastas or zucchini noodles (AKA zoodles).

Go to Recipe

10 / 12
Red Clam Sauce
TMB Studio

Clam Sauce

Clam sauce is essentially a classic Italian red sauce with the addition of clams. This difference adds some brininess and extra flavor to a basic sauce. To really appreciate the flavor of this sauce, serve it over your favorite pasta. It’s delicious all year round, but would work especially well during a Feast of the Seven Fishes.

Go to Recipe

11 / 12

Chopped butter in silver skillet.
annick vanderschelden photography/Getty Images

Brown Butter Sauce

We all love basic buttered noodles once in a while, but you can easily upgrade this recipe by transforming plain ol’ butter into a brown butter sauce. All you have to do is brown butter. This helps deepen the flavor and release some nutty notes. Then add in any additional seasonings, like sage, black pepper or red pepper flakes—it’s all up to you!

Then toss this easy sauce with whatever pastas, produce and proteins you like, though this sauce really shines with a filled pasta like ravioli.

Go to Recipe

12 / 12
Turkey sausage pizza
TMB Studio

Pizza Sauce

Yep, pizza sauce is different than marinara. That being said, the sauces are very similar in terms of ingredients. Pizza sauce is a bit thicker than pasta sauce and is created to be smooth and spreadable. You can make homemade pizza sauce at home or pick up a jar of store-bought pizza sauce to use with our homemade pizza recipes.

Go to Recipe

Lisa Kaminski
Lisa is a former Taste of Home editor and passionate baker. During her tenure, she poured her love of all things sweet (and sometimes savory) into Bakeable, Taste of Home's baking club. Lisa also dedicated her career here to finding and testing the best ingredients, kitchen gear and home products for our Test Kitchen-Preferred program. At home, you'll find her working on embroidery and other crafts.