Pasta Sauces: 13 Easy Homemade Classics You Can Make While the Water Boils

Pasta sauces made at home taste better than anything from a jar, and most of them are ready before the pasta is done. You do not need a long list or a whole afternoon. A can of good tomatoes, a stick of butter, a few eggs or a handful of basil is often all it takes. These are the classics every home cook should know by heart, from a three-ingredient tomato sauce that home cooks have rated more than 17,000 times to real Roman carbonara, creamy vodka sauce and a slow Sunday bolognese. Each slide has the full recipe and the one trick that makes it taste like a restaurant. Put the water on to boil..

Pasta Sauces That Beat Any Jar, Starting With Marcella Hazan

A good pasta sauce does not need a jar, a long simmer or a long list. Start with the most famous one of all: Italian cookbook author Marcella Hazan’s tomato sauce with just tomatoes, butter and an onion. On NYT Cooking it has more than 17,000 ratings, and home cooks still cannot believe something so simple tastes so rich. Here is how to make it..

You will need: 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes, 5 tbsp butter, 1 medium onion peeled and cut in half, salt, 1 lb spaghetti or rigatoni.

How to make it: 1. Put tomatoes, butter and onion halves in a saucepan. 2. Simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes, crushing the tomatoes with a spoon now and then. 3. Remove and discard the onion. 4. Season with salt. 5. Toss with hot pasta and serve with grated Parmesan.

Classic Marinara, the Mother of All Pasta Sauces

If you learn only one of these pasta sauces, make it this one. Good canned tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and a few basil leaves simmer for about 20 minutes, and that is it. It goes on spaghetti, pizza, meatballs and lasagna, and it freezes for months. Allrecipes readers have rated their “Best Marinara Sauce Yet” more than 2,200 times. Crush the tomatoes by hand for a rustic, chunky sauce.

You will need: 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, 4 cloves garlic sliced, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional), 1 tsp salt, a handful of fresh basil, 1 lb spaghetti.

How to make it: 1. Warm the oil and garlic in a pan over medium heat until the garlic just turns golden. 2. Add pepper flakes, then the tomatoes crushed by hand. 3. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring now and then. 4. Season with salt and tear in the basil. 5. Toss with spaghetti and a splash of pasta water.

Penne alla Vodka, the Pink Sauce Everyone Orders

This creamy pink sauce became a restaurant star in the 1980s and it is still one of the most ordered pastas in America. The secret is cooking the tomato paste in butter until it turns brick red. The vodka cooks off and just brightens the tomato, and the cream makes it silky. Team spicy or team mild? A pinch of chili flakes is up to you.

You will need: 2 tbsp butter, 1 shallot minced, 2 cloves garlic, 1/3 cup tomato paste, 1/4 cup vodka, 3/4 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, chili flakes (optional), 1 lb penne.

How to make it: 1. Melt butter and cook the shallot and garlic 2 minutes. 2. Add tomato paste and stir 4 minutes until it darkens. 3. Pour in the vodka and let it bubble 1 minute. 4. Stir in cream and simmer 2 minutes. 5. Add cooked penne, Parmesan and a little pasta water and toss until glossy.

Real Carbonara Pasta Sauces Use No Cream at All

Real Roman carbonara has no cream. The silky sauce comes from eggs, sharp Pecorino and the fat from crispy guanciale or bacon, tossed with hot pasta off the heat so the eggs turn creamy, not scrambled. Jamie Oliver’s classic carbonara video has been watched more than 18 million times on YouTube. Of all the pasta sauces here, this one is the fastest: about 15 minutes.

You will need: 1 lb spaghetti, 5 oz guanciale or thick bacon diced, 3 large eggs plus 1 yolk, 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano, lots of black pepper.

How to make it: 1. Crisp the guanciale in a dry pan and turn off the heat. 2. Whisk eggs, yolk, cheese and pepper in a bowl. 3. Cook the pasta and save 1 cup of water. 4. Toss the pasta in the pan with the guanciale. 5. Off the heat, pour in the egg mix and toss fast, adding pasta water until creamy.

Slow Sunday Bolognese

Of all the pasta sauces on this list, this is the one for a lazy Sunday at home. Beef and pork cook slowly with onion, carrot, celery, a little milk and tomato until it turns deep, rich and meaty. The milk is the old Italian trick that makes the meat tender. Make a double batch: it tastes even better the next day and freezes beautifully. Who in your house always asks for seconds?

You will need: 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk (all finely chopped), 1 lb ground beef, 1/2 lb ground pork, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup dry white wine, 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, salt, tagliatelle.

How to make it: 1. Cook the vegetables in butter and oil 8 minutes. 2. Add the meat and cook until no longer pink. 3. Pour in the milk and simmer until it is absorbed. 4. Add wine and let it bubble away. 5. Stir in tomatoes and simmer very low for 2 to 3 hours, adding water if dry. 6. Serve on wide noodles.

Fresh Basil Pesto in 5 Minutes

Pesto is the only one of these pasta sauces that needs no stove at all. Basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan and good olive oil whiz together in a blender in about 5 minutes. Toss it with hot pasta and a spoon of the cooking water so it clings. Out of pine nuts? Walnuts work great and cost less. Extra pesto freezes well in an ice cube tray.

You will need: 2 cups packed fresh basil, 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 1/2 cup olive oil, salt, 1 lb spaghetti or trofie.

How to make it: 1. Toast the nuts in a dry pan 3 minutes. 2. Blend basil, nuts and garlic until finely chopped. 3. With the blender running, pour in the oil. 4. Stir in the Parmesan and salt. 5. Toss with hot pasta and a splash of pasta water.

Cacio e Pepe, Cheese and Pepper Magic

Three ingredients, one pan and a little science. Cacio e pepe means cheese and pepper in Italian, and when it is done right the cheese melts into a creamy sauce with no cream at all. The trick is starchy pasta water and keeping the pan off the high heat, so the cheese melts instead of clumping. Have you ever tried it at home? It is easier than it looks.

You will need: 1 lb spaghetti or tonnarelli, 1 1/2 cups very finely grated Pecorino Romano, 2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, 1 tbsp butter (optional).

How to make it: 1. Cook the pasta in less water than usual so the water gets starchy. 2. Toast the pepper in a dry pan 1 minute, then add 1/2 cup pasta water. 3. Mix the cheese with a few spoons of warm pasta water into a paste. 4. Add pasta to the pan, then the cheese paste off the heat. 5. Toss hard, adding water until creamy.

Aglio e Olio, the Midnight Pantry Pasta

This is the pasta Italians make at midnight with what is in the pantry: garlic, olive oil, chili flakes and parsley. It costs about two dollars and it is ready before the takeout menu loads. Slice the garlic thin and cook it slowly, because golden garlic is sweet and burnt garlic is bitter. It is one of the cheapest pasta sauces you will ever make.

You will need: 1 lb spaghetti, 1/2 cup olive oil, 6 cloves garlic thinly sliced, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, a handful of chopped parsley, salt, grated Parmesan (optional).

How to make it: 1. Cook the spaghetti and save 1 cup of water. 2. Warm oil and garlic over low heat until pale gold, about 4 minutes. 3. Add pepper flakes for 30 seconds. 4. Add the pasta and 1/2 cup pasta water and toss until glossy. 5. Finish with parsley and salt.

Puttanesca, Big Flavor From the Pantry

Salty, briny and a little spicy, puttanesca comes from Naples and is made almost entirely from jars and cans: tomatoes, olives, capers and anchovies. Do not skip the anchovies even if you think you do not like them. They melt into the oil and you will never know they were there, you will just taste a deeper sauce. Dinner is ready in 25 minutes.

You will need: 3 tbsp olive oil, 4 anchovy fillets, 3 cloves garlic, 1/2 tsp chili flakes, 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, 1/2 cup black olives sliced, 2 tbsp capers, parsley, 1 lb spaghetti.

How to make it: 1. Warm the oil and melt the anchovies in it. 2. Add garlic and chili flakes for 1 minute. 3. Add tomatoes and simmer 10 minutes. 4. Stir in olives and capers for 5 minutes. 5. Toss with spaghetti and parsley.

Arrabbiata, the Angry Spicy Sauce

Arrabbiata means angry in Italian, and the name comes from the heat of the chili, making it the spiciest of these pasta sauces. It is basically marinara with a fiery kick, and it is ready in 20 minutes. Make it as hot as your family likes. On a scale from A (mild please) to D (bring the fire), where do you land? Serve it with penne so the sauce gets inside every tube.

You will need: 1/4 cup olive oil, 4 cloves garlic, 1 to 2 tsp red chili flakes or 2 fresh red chilies, 1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes, salt, parsley, 1 lb penne.

How to make it: 1. Warm oil, garlic and chili over medium heat for 2 minutes. 2. Add the tomatoes and crush them in the pan. 3. Simmer 15 minutes. 4. Season with salt. 5. Toss with penne and top with parsley.

Brown Butter and Sage, the Easiest of All Pasta Sauces

Two ingredients turn plain gnocchi, ravioli or butternut squash pasta into something that feels like a restaurant meal. Butter cooks until it smells nutty and turns golden brown, and the sage leaves fry until crisp. It is perfect for fall and for the holidays. Finish with Parmesan grated right at the table, and maybe a squeeze of lemon.

You will need: 6 tbsp butter, 12 fresh sage leaves, 1 lb gnocchi or cheese ravioli, grated Parmesan, salt and pepper, a squeeze of lemon (optional).

How to make it: 1. Cook the gnocchi or ravioli and save some water. 2. Melt butter in a wide pan over medium heat. 3. Add sage and cook until the butter turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 4 minutes. 4. Add the pasta and a splash of water and toss. 5. Top with Parmesan and pepper.

Lemon Butter Sauce for Shrimp and Pasta

Bright, light and ready in 15 minutes, this lemon butter sauce is one of the freshest pasta sauces you can make on a busy night. Garlic, butter, lemon zest and juice come together with pasta water into a glossy sauce that loves shrimp, chicken or just a pile of greens. Add a handful of arugula at the end. Would you serve it with shrimp or keep it simple?

You will need: 1 lb spaghetti or linguine, 4 tbsp butter, 3 cloves garlic, zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 1 lb shrimp (optional), arugula, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Cook the pasta and save 1 cup of water. 2. Melt butter and cook garlic 1 minute. 3. Add shrimp and cook 2 minutes per side, if using. 4. Add lemon zest, juice and 1/2 cup pasta water. 5. Toss in pasta and Parmesan until glossy, then top with arugula.

Creamy Mushroom Sauce for Cozy Nights

Golden mushrooms, garlic and a splash of cream make one of the coziest pasta sauces for cold nights. The key is to give the mushrooms room in a hot pan and not stir too much, so they brown instead of steaming. A little Parmesan and thyme at the end and dinner feels special. Add leftover chicken or turkey to make it heartier. Want to go one step further? Try our guide to homemade pasta shapes you can make by hand.

You will need: 1 lb mushrooms sliced, 2 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp olive oil, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp thyme, 1/2 cup broth, 3/4 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1 lb fettuccine or spaghetti.

How to make it: 1. Brown mushrooms in butter and oil over high heat, 6 to 8 minutes. 2. Add garlic and thyme for 1 minute. 3. Pour in broth and let it reduce by half. 4. Stir in cream and simmer 3 minutes. 5. Add pasta and Parmesan and toss with a little pasta water.