Flavors of pasta and Alfredo sauces range from mild to spicy.
The subtle tastes of pasta are commonly enhanced with sauces and other ingredients. Recipes for certain shapes and sizes of pasta -- including some stuffed ones like ravioli and tortellini -- frequently recommend particular sauces that go better with specific pasta types. In general, thicker sauces are traditionally paired with smaller pasta shapes.
Types of Pasta Sauces
Conventional pasta sauces fall into one of six categories determined by the base of the sauce. Bases include oil, herbs, cheese, meat or fish, cream or butter and tomatoes or vegetables. Many pasta sauces use a combination of bases. For instance, Alfredo sauce is a mixture of half-and-half or cream, butter, fresh Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper, with an optional sprinkling of freshly grated nutmeg.
Tomato and Vegetable/Herb Based Sauces
Classic sauce is the most common variety and is the recipe normally used to make jarred and canned red pasta sauces. Classic sauce traditionally includes tomatoes, chopped vegetables, olive oil and customary Italian seasonings like oregano and basil. Marinara sauce is usually seasoned more heavily and has a substantial amount of onions and garlic in it. Garlic is the dominant ingredient in Romesco sauce, which is also flavored with tomatoes, herbs, red chile peppers and blanched almonds or hazelnuts. Pesto sauce is fresh basil blended with pine nuts, olive oil and grated Parmesan. Arrabbiata sauce is the spiciest red sauce, with chile peppers.
Meat and Fish Based Pasta Sauces
Bolognese and ragu dominate the meat- and fish-based sauces. Bolognese typically include two types of meat or poultry, cut into small, bite-size pieces, along with roughly chopped celery, carrots, onions, tomatoes, chile peppers, as well as olive oil and white wine. Typical herbs and spices in Bolognese sauce include bay leaves, basil, oregano and nutmeg. Some Bolognese sauce recipes call for a bit of cream or milk to add richness. Ragu sauce is a thinner version of Bolognese and conventionally includes chicken livers and pancetta in addition to the other ingredients. Puttanesca is one of the spiciest sauces and the only one that contains anchovies. Its seasonings include garlic, dried chile peppers and capers.
White Pasta Sauces
Although Alfredo is the most common white pasta sauce, some of the variations are equally tasty. B chamel sauce is a basic white sauce made with butter, flour and milk or cream. It is generally used in conjunction with other sauces in Italian casserole dishes like lasagna. Carbonara sauce contains beaten eggs, cream, freshly grated Parmesan, bacon bits and vegetables mixed together and poured over piping hot pasta to combine the flavors and cook the eggs.
Sauces with Wine and Liquor
Madeira sauce combines Madeira wine and broth that creates a light topping for pasta combined with poultry or fish. A good pasta sauce to pair with veal or chicken is Marsala, a combination of Marsala wine, tomatoes and mushrooms seasoned with garlic and herbs and thickened with a bit of cream or butter. Vodka sauce combines the best flavors of tomato based and creamy sauces that are brightened by a shot or two of vodka. The other ingredients in vodka sauce commonly include onions, garlic, and a generous amount of grated Parmesan, Pecorino or Romano cheese.
Tags: chile peppers, cream butter, grated Parmesan, other ingredients, pasta sauces, Bolognese sauce, Classic sauce