Who doesn’t love a delicious, homemade pasta sauce? Whether you’re looking for something fancy and complex or just a simple and tasty sauce, you can find it in our list of five easy and delicious pasta sauce recipes.
1. Easy Tomato Basil Sauce
You can use fresh or canned tomatoes for this recipe, and either fresh or dried basil. Although this recipe calls for Parmesan cheese, it can be easily adapted to include more veggies or herbs to make it your own.
Ingredients:
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• One garlic clove
• Chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp vegetable stock powder
• Tomato puree, 1 tablespoon
• 1 tsp sugar and a few basil leaves
Directions:
1. Warm the olive oil in a pan and fry the garlic clove for one minute on low heat.
2. Add the chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock powder, tomato puree, and sugar, and then bring to a boil.
3. Turn the heat down and let it simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Finish by tearing some basil leaves and mixing them into the sauce.
2. Garlic and White Wine Sauce
For a sauce with a little more kick, try this garlic and white wine pasta sauce. This recipe works best with fresh garlic, but you can use dried garlic if you prefer. This pasta sauce recipe is best served with a robust pasta like penne or fettuccine.
Ingredients:
• Olive Oil
• Freshly minced garlic
• Crushed red pepper flakes for that nice kick
• Black pepper
• Butter, salted or not
• White wine
Directions:
1. Sauté minced garlic in a bit of olive oil or butter.
5. When the garlic starts to cook, stir in white wine and a bit of heavy cream.
6. Add crushed red pepper flakes for a spicier sauce, or leave them out for a milder sauce.
Pro tip: Sprinkle some freshly squeezed lemon juice over the pasta for a zesty, fresh taste and some shallots for a more intense flavor.
3. Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Sauce
For a creamy, indulgent sauce, try this spinach and mushroom pasta sauce. With its rich flavor and velvety texture, this creamed spinach recipe is among the best low-carb spinach recipes you'll find, and goes great with roasted chicken.
Pro tip: Use shiitake or portobello mushrooms for a richer flavor.
Ingredients:
• White button mushrooms, brown shiitakes, or Portobello mushrooms
• Fresh garlic.
• Fresh or frozen spinach
• Full-fat cream cheese: use only room-temperature cream cheese
• Unsalted butter
• Olive or avocado oil
• Parmesan cheese
• Fresh or dried thyme
• Fresh Parsley
Directions:
1. Toss the mushrooms with the melted butter and cook for 5 minutes over high heat, or until the edges are golden.
7. Next, add the garlic and cook for one more minute, or until it becomes fragrant.
8. Add the cream cheese to the cooked mushrooms, and stir well.
9. Stir in the spinach and parmesan cheese.
4. Fresh Tomato and Onion Sauce
For a fresh, no-fuss pasta sauce, try this tomato and onion recipe. If you want a spicier sauce, add a pinch of red pepper flakes while the sauce is simmering. This recipe is best with pasta like linguine or spaghetti. You can add fresh herbs to the sauce before serving, like basil or parsley, for extra flavor.
Pro tip: For a smoother tomato puree, strain the tomato puree through a fine-mesh sieve.
Ingredients:
• 6 large tomatoes (or 2 cups of tomato puree)
• Chopped red or white onion
• 1 garlic clove, red pepper flakes
• Dried basil and oregano
• 1 tsp sugar
• Ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt to taste
Directions:
1. In a large, deep saucepan over medium heat, warm 2 tbsp of olive oil.
10. Sauté chopped onions and minced garlic, and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
11. Add the prepared tomato puree.
12. Stir it at regular intervals to avoid any sticking.
13. Sprinkle in some crushed red pepper flakes, dried basil, oregano, and sugar.
14. Cook for another 8–10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
15. Stir in the sugar, salt, and ground black pepper.
5. Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Roasted red pepper pasta sauce is a great option for an everyday sauce that is a bit more complex than the others in this list. A roasted red pepper sauce is great over any type of pasta.
Ingredients:
• Chopped red bell peppers (capsicum)
• Tomatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, 1 tsp of chili powder
• Dry oregano and salt and pepper for seasoning
• Red pepper flakes
• Fresh Cream
Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a wok over a medium flame.
16. Throw in onions, garlic, and red bell pepper.
17. Cook the red capsicum halfway before the chopped tomatoes are added.
18. Turn off the heat and stir in the red chili powder, salt, and cream.
19. After everything has cooled, blend it all together.
No matter which of these recipes you choose, you’ll be sure to end up with a delicious pasta sauce that’s sure to impress.
