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Salse: Sauces


Standbys

Bagna Caoda
The symbol of Piemontese conviviality, and a perfect sauce for raw or cooked vegetables, especially roast peppers.
Difficulty: Moderate

Green Sauce: Salsa Verde
Parsley-rich and perfect over boiled fish, meats or potatoes.
Difficulty: Easy

Marinara Sauce: Salsa alla Marinara
A classic tomato sauce, with some excellent variations.
Difficulty: Easy

Mayonnaise: Maionese
People generally associate mayonnaise with the French, but it's popular in Italy too.
Difficulty: Easy

Neapolitan Tomato Sauce: Salsa di Pomodoro alla Napoletana
A quick, tasty, simple tomato sauce perfect for summer or pizza.
Difficulty: Easy

Pesto alla Genovese
Though people commonly associate pesto with pasta, Ligurians put it to many other uses as well.
Difficulty: Easy

Raspberry Vinegar: Aceto ai Lamponi
Vinegar flavored with raspberries will add brightness to a salad, and be nice with fruit as well.
Difficulty: Easy

Tomato Sauce: Pomarola
Tomato sauce: One of the cornerstones of Italian cuisine year round, and very fine over pasta during the summer. This particular version is Tuscan, and relatively long-cooking.
Difficulty: Easy

Vinegar with Aromatic Herbs: Aceto alle Erbe Aromatiche
A strongly flavored vinegar that will work nicely with bland foods, and be handy in the kitchen too.
Difficulty: Easy

Other Sauces

Anchovy Sauce: Salsa alle Acciughe
A tasty, creamy anchovy sauce for meats and vegetables.
Difficulty: Easy

Basil Vinegar: Aceto al Basilico
Basil and capers add zest to this vinegar.
Difficulty: Easy

Bell Pepper Sauce: Salsa di Peperoni
A zesty bell pepper sauce for meats, vegetables, and fish.
Difficulty: Easy

Casino Sauce
Chef Ardo's tasty seasoned butter, the perfect accompaniment for clams and all sorts of other things.
Difficulty: Moderate

Cavalcanti's Sweet and Sour Sauce
The great Neapolitan gastronome's accompaniment for fried foods and hard boiled eggs, with a recipe for fried string beans too.
Difficulty: Moderate

Currant Sauce: Salsa di Ribes
A current sauce that's excellent with all kinds of meats.
Difficulty: Easy

Egg Sauce: Salsa D'Uovo
A zesty egg sauce is the perfect foil for many vegetables (here it contrasts fennel).
Difficulty: Moderate

Garlic Sauce: Agliata
A classic Ligurian sauce made from garlic, vinegar and bread, which works nicely on rustic pasta or gnocchi, and is also a good antipasto spread.
Difficulty: Easy

Garlic & Hot Pepper Vinegar: Aceto all'Aglio e Peperoncino
A zesty garlic-and-hot-pepper vinegar that's perfect with boiled vegetables, meats and fish.
Difficulty: Easy

Garlic Vinegar: Aceto all'Aglio
A little garlic contributes considerably to this vinegar, which is perfect for salads.
Difficulty: Easy

Gorgonzola Cream: Gorgonzola in Crema
A delicate, creamy Gorgonzola dip that could also be a nice option for seasoning meats.
Difficulty: Easy

Herb & Scallion Vinegar: Aceto alle Erbe e Scalogno
A powerful vinegar flavored with herbs and scallions.
Difficulty: Easy

Horseradish Sauce: Salsa di Rafano All'Aceto
A tangy horseradish to perk up boiled meats and other bland things.
Difficulty: Easy

Hot Sauce: Salsa Alla Diavola
A zesty sauce that's perfect with boiled veggies (especially potatoes), boiled meats or boiled fish.
Difficulty: Easy

Maitre d'Hotel Sauce: Salsa Alla Maitre d'Hotel
Artusi's version of a classic seasoned butter for meats.
Difficulty: Easy

Mint Sauce: Salsa di Menta
A classic mint sauce that will work well with rich meat dishes, for example leg of lamb.
Difficulty: Easy

Mostarda
A classic hot and spicy condiment made with fruit -- background and several recipes.
Difficulty: Intermediate to advanced.

Mushroom Sauce: Sugo ai Funghi
A sauce that's equally good on Crostini, as an antipasto, or over pasta.
Difficulty: Easy

Onion Sauce: Salsa di Cipolle
A zesty onion sauce for jazzing up meats or veggies.
Difficulty: Easy

Pearà
A zesty Veronese sauce for boiled meats.
Difficulty: Intermediate

Salsa Triestina
A an unusual, lemony cheese sauce for meats or vegetables, from my review of La Terra Fortunata.
Difficulty: Easy

Sauces: Salse
A collection of seven Piemontese sauces for boiled meats, many of which will also be wonderful with boiled vegetables, especially potatoes.
Difficulty: Easy

Sicilian Pesto Sauce: Pesto alla Siciliana
A pair of zesty Sicilian sauces with tomatoes, garlic, and nuts.
Difficulty: Easy

Spicy Sauce: Salsa Piccante
A zesty bell pepper, caper and olive sauce that will also work well with baccalà or other mildly flavored fish.
Difficulty: Easy

Spicy Vinegar: Aceto Piccante
An unusual curry-laced vinegar that will go well with poached fish or vegetables.
Difficulty: Easy

Truffle Sauce: Salsa Tartufata
A truffle-based sauce for meats of all kinds.
Difficulty: Easy

If you haven't found what you're looking for, please ask!

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