Most of these sauces will also work very well with gnocchi or polenta. The categories aren't hard-and-fast, but should help you find what you're looking for. Notes on cooking and serving pasta.

A note: Most of these are vegetarian. However, some do include meat (generally pancetta or cured lard), which serves as a flavoring agent in addition to providing fat. If you do not eat meat, substitute for it with olive oil. The recipe won't be quite the same but will still be tasty. Though some of the recipes really do require the cheese they call for -- pesto sauce, for example -- most can also be made vegan by omitting it as well as the meat they may call for.

Standbys

Boscaiola Sauce: Pappardelle alla Boscaiola
Pasta with a rich, satisfying wild mushroom sauce.
Difficulty: Easy

Carrettiera Sauce: Pasta alla Carrettiera
Tomatoes and garlic, quickly cooked. Tasty!
Difficulty: Easy

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

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

Pasta Primavera: Eliche o Fusilli Primavera
A rich spring recipe with artichokes, peas, and asparagus.
Difficulty: Moderate

Pasta Primavera: Paste all'Ortolano
Greengrocer's sauce, with zucchini and artichokes, among other things.
Difficulty: Easy

Pasta Primavera 2: Paste all'Ortolano #2
From a different greengrocer, with eggplant and bell peppers, among other things. But just as tasty.
Difficulty: Easy

Pasta Primavera 3
A version with bell peppers, onions, and broccoli florets.
Difficulty: Easy

Pasta Primavera 4
Zucchini based this time, and creamy too, with some tomato.
Difficulty: Easy

Penne All'Arrabbiata
A richer version of the signature dish of many Roman trattorie, with tomatoes, pancetta and onions.
Difficulty: Easy

Penne with Vodka Sauce: Penne alla Vodka
A quick, creamy tomato sauce with a special something added.
Difficulty: Easy

Puttanesca Sauce: Sugo alla Puttanesca
Tomatoes, black olives, capers combine to make the perfect zesty summer sauce.
Difficulty: Easy

Rosey Penne: Penne Rosé
Tomato & Cream: Quick, light and tasty -- ideal for unexpected company.
Difficulty: Easy

Spaghetti with Pesto Sauce: Spaghetti al Pesto
A Ligurian classic that's perfect for summer.
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

Sauces by kind of vegetable or herb:
Artichoke | Basil (or Herbs)| Broccoli, Cabbages, and other Greens |Eggplant | Lemons | Mixtures, Medleys, and Unusual Things |Mushrooms | Tomato | Bell Pepper | Zucchini

Artichoke Pesto
An unusual variation on the classic Ligurian sauce.
Difficulty: Easy

Cork Screws with Artichokes: Fusilli al Carciofo
Cork screws with an unusual, refreshing artichoke sauce.
Difficulty: Easy

Lined Mezze Maniche with Artichokes: Mezze Maniche Rigate ai Carciofi
A tasty, chunky artichoke sauce is the perfect thing with tubular pasta.
Difficulty: Easy

Pasta with Prosciutto, Potatoes, and Fried Artichokes: Reginette con Prosciutto Crudo, Patate e Carciofi Fritti
Fried artichokes add unusual texture and rich flavor to this pasta sauce.
Difficulty: Easy

Penne with Artichokes and Saffron: Penne Con Carciofi e Zafferano
Arichokes work quite nicely with saffron.
Difficulty: Easy

Tortiglioni with Artichokes: Tortiglioni ai Carciofi
A tasty artichoke pasta sauce to herald lengthening days.
Difficulty: Easy

Basil (or Herbs)

Green Sauce: Al Verde Sauce
A quck, tasty green sauce for pasta that can be made in bulk and has many other uses as well.
Difficulty: Easy

Green Spaghetti: Spaghetti Verdi
A refreshing summer sauce, with lots of celery in a smooth pesto base.
Difficulty: Easy

Green Spaghetti with a Three Cheese Sauce: Spaghetti Verdi ai Tre Formaggi
Lots of greens and cheese make for an extremely delicate sauce.
Difficulty: Easy

Parsley Cream Sauce: Capellini con Crema di Prezzemolo
Fine-stranded pasta with a tasty parsley cream sauce.
Difficulty: Easy

Pasta with a Richly Aromatic Egg Sauce
Hard boiled eggs blended with all sorts of herbs: Quite tasty and perfect in summer.
Difficulty: Easy

Pici with Garlic Sauce: Pici all'Aglione
Astonishingly zesty garlic-laced pasta from Southern Tuscany.
Difficulty: Easy

Tagliolini with Pesto and Almonds: Tagliolini al Pesto con Mandorle
A tasty variation on a Ligurian standby, pasta and vegetables seasoned with pesto sauce.
Difficulty: Easy

Trenette with Pesto Sauce: Trenette col Pesto
Similar to spaghetti al pesto, but with the addition of string beans and potatoes to the pasta. Very nice, and healthy too.
Difficulty: Easy

Broccoli and other Greens

Curried Cauliflower
Curry is fairly rare in Italy, but you do come across it, especially with cauliflower. This can also be made into a tasty pasta sauce.
Difficulty: Easy

Lined Elbow Macaroni with Peas: Gomiti Rigati con Piselli
One generally thinks of peas as a side dish, or with rice -- Veince's famed Risi e Bisi. However, they're delightful with pasta too!
Difficulty: Easy

Pasta with Cauliflower, Pine Nuts, and Raisins: Pasta con Cavolfiore, Pinole e Uvetta
A tasty, very traditional recipe from Bea's Mom.
Difficulty: Easy

Orecchiette with Broccoli: Orecchiette coi Broccoletti
Broccoli and salted ricotta go very well together in this sauce.
Difficulty: Easy

Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe: Collard Greens: Orecchiette con Cime di Rapa
Classic, zesty, and quick.
Difficulty: Easy

Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sardines: Orecchiette e Broccoli Rapa con Alice Salata
Broccoli rabe and salted fish are an inspired combination.
Difficulty: Easy

Orecchiette with Broccoli and Sauteed Lard: Orecchiette e Broccoli di Cavolo con Lardo Soffritto
A very traditional pasta sauce, with lard to provide a counterpoint to the broccoli.
Difficulty: Easy

Popeye's Penne: Penne alla Braccio di Ferro
Popeye's Penne: A tasty cream-and-spinach based outgrowth of Nouvelle Cuisine.
Difficulty: Easy

Spaghetti coi Piselli
A fine, quick summery pasta sauce that deftly plays the sweetness of the peas off the savory richness of pancetta.
Difficulty: Easy

Tagliatelle with Chicory, Rosemary and Pecorino Romano
Quick and a deligtful green color.
Difficulty: Easy

Eggplant

Cork Screws with Bell Peppers and Eggplant: Fusilli con Peperoni e Melanzane
Fusilli with eggplant in a bell pepper sauce.
Difficulty: Moderate

Penne with Eggplant: Penne alle Melanzane
Penne with a tasty eggplant sauce, from Lazio.
Difficulty: Easy

Riccioli Amalfitani with Eggplant and Mozzarella: Riccioli Amalfitani con Melanzane e Mozzarella
Riccioli are shaped like curls, and they work quite nicely with a rich, chunky eggplant and mozzarella sauce.
Difficulty: Easy

Trenette with Eggplant: Trenette con le Melanzane
Another Ligurian specialty, trenette (thin linguine) with eggplant and pesto sauce. And again, quite healthy.
Difficulty: Easy

Lemons

Lemony Pasta Salad: Insalata di Pasta Profumata al Limone
A tasty lemony pasta salad with plenty of tuna, which makes it a meal by itself (or with a green salad)
Difficulty: Easy

Lemony Vermicelli: Vermicelli al Limone
A lemon sauce is delightfully refreshing when it's hot.
Difficulty: Easy

Linguine with Lemons and Ginger: Linguine al Limone e allo Zenzero
An intriguing, very refreshing pasta sauce made with lemon and ginger root.
Difficulty: Easy

Short Penne with a Lemon and Pea Sauce: Mezze Penne al Limone e Piselli
Short penne with a tasty, lemony pea sauce: A perfect summer dish.
Difficulty: Easy

Mixtures, Medleys, and Unusual Things

Bowties with Almonds, String beans, Feta and Tomatoes: Farfalle con Mandorle, Fagiolini, Feta e Pomodori
A tasty pasta salad that gains zest from feta cheese, richness from almonds, and balance from string beans.
Difficulty: Easy

Corkscrews with Vegetables and Mozzarella: Fusilli Con Verdura e Mozzarella
Grilled vegetables have a spicy tang that blends quite nicely with mozzarella's richness.
Difficulty: Easy

Fake Sauce: Sugo Finto
A quick Roman sauce with tomatoes, herbs and just a bit of prosciutto fat -- essential to Supplí al telefono, but a good pasta sauce too.
Difficulty: Easy

Fake Sauce: Sugo Finto
When Tuscans leave the meat out of sugo, they call it finto, which means fake. It's a summer thing and remarkably good.
Difficulty: Easy

Fresh Bean Medley Mantua Style: Fagioli Freschi alla Mantovana
A tasty bean-based vegetable medley that will also make a good pasta sauce if you don't cook all the water out of it.
Difficulty: Easy

La Genovese
A rich Neapolitan onion-and-meat based sauce for pasta that has nothing to do with Genova, but is very good.
Difficulty: Moderate-Intermediate.

Greengrocer's Gigli: Gigli ai Sapori dell'Orto
Gigli are a pasta shape, and here they're served with a quick, simple zucchin and carrot sauce.
Difficulty: Easy

Hot Pepper Penne with a Zesty Sauce: Penne al Peperoncino con Salsa Piccante
Among the flavored pastas, hot pepper pasta is perhaps the most popular, and it works very well with this zesty caper and anchovy sauce.
Difficulty: Easy

Orecchiette with Olives: Orecchiette con le Olive
With a tasty black olive and tomato sauce.
Difficulty: Easy

Pasta Salad with Grilled Vegetables: Insalata di Pasta con Verdure Grigliate
Grilled vegetables make for an extraordinarily satisfying pasta salad.
Difficulty: Easy

Pasta Snails with Olives: Chiocciole Saltate Alle Olive
A quick, tasty vegetable sauce you can whip up while the pasta water is heating.
Difficulty: Easy

Pasta with Sardines: Pasta Cu li Sardi
Sicily's classic signature sauce features an unusual combination of sardines and fennel, all laced with pine nuts and raisins.
Difficulty: Moderate-Intermediate

Penne with Onions: Penne alla Cipolla
A creamy onion sauce for pasta.
Difficulty: Easy

Tagliatelle with Leeks and Ricotta: Tagliatelle Con Porri e Ricotta
Italians often add vegetables to the pasta water -- in this case potatoes, with a leek-and-ricotta sauce.
Difficulty: Easy

Tagliatelle with Peas, or Tajadele Coi Bisi
The Veneto is known for risi e bisi, rice and peas, and tagliatelle with peas are just as good.
Difficulty: Easy

Mushrooms

Cork Screws with Chantarelles and Lentils: Fusilli Con Finferli e Lenticchie
Lentils work beautifully with chantarels or other wild mushrooms in this sauce.
Difficulty: Easy

Fettuccine with Mushrooms: Fettuccine ai Funghi
Fettuccine in a tasty sauce with a variety of woodsy mushrooms, delicatley flavored with herbs.
Difficulty: Easy

Pasta with a Creamy Mushroom Sauce: Pasta coi Funghi
A rich, creamy mushroom sauce that's quick too.
Difficulty: Easy

Penne with Mushrooms and String Beans: Penne con Funghi e Fagiolini
A tasty sauce with, mushrooms, green beans, and some tomato to give them body.
Difficulty: Easy

Penne with Porcini Mushrooms: Penne ai Funghi Porcini
Putter and sage is perfect with this mushroom-flavored commercially made pasta.
Difficulty: Easy

Pizzoccheri with Porcini, Savoy cabbage, and sage: Pizzoccheri con Porcini e Verza alla Salvia
A classic mountain sauce with mushrooms, which gain substance from Savoy cabbage.
Difficulty: Easy

Short Penne with Mushrooms, Breadcrumbs, and Wild Fennel: Mezze Maniche con Porcini, Mollica e Finocchietto
Salted anchovies and wild fennel complement porcini perfectly in this sauce.
Difficulty: Easy

Tagliatelle with Mushrooms and Sausages in a Clear Sauce: Tagliatelle con Funghi e Salsiccia in Bianco
Mushrooms and sausages are a tasty combination!
Difficulty: Easy

Bell Pepper

Butterflies with Bell Peppers and Arugola: Farfalle Con Peperoni e Rucola
Butterflies with a zesty summer sauce of peppers and arugola. If you add tomato, mozzarella, and chill, you've got picnic food!
Difficulty: Easy

Pasta with Bell Pepper Cream: Pasta con Crema di Peperoni
A refreshing summer pasta sauce made with bell peppers and garlic.
Difficulty: Easy

Chilled Pasta Salad with Black Olives -- Pasta Fredda alle Olive
Black olives are one of my favorite summer seasonings for pasta. Not by themselves, of course, but they do help define the sauce.
Difficulty: Easy

Penne with Peppers and Eggplant: Penne Rigate con Peperoni e Melanzane
A tasty summer sauce with peppers and eggplant.
Difficulty: Easy

Spaghetti with Eggplant: Spaghetti con le Melanzane
Pasta with eggplant, a classic Sicilian dish that's amazingly good.
Difficulty: Moderate

Tomato

Arrabiata Sauce: Salsa Arrabbiata
What you'll get in the trattorie in Rome. Hot enough to cool you off, and perfect with a caraffe of Colli Albani.
Difficulty: Easy

Cavatelli with Tomatoes and Arugola
Cavatelli are a traditional Puglian pasta shape. How to make them, and a tomato-and-ruchetta (arugola) sauce for them..
Difficulty: Moderate

Five-Colored Shells Sicilian Style: Conchiglie 5 Colori alla Siciliana
A quick, chunky sauce made with tomatoes, eggplant, and olives.
Difficulty: Easy

Fregula in Tomato Sauce: Fregula al Pomodoro
A refreshing Sardinian type of pasta in tomato sauce.
Difficulty: Easy if you buy the pasta, moderate if you make it.

Pasta Salad: Paste all' Ammiraglio
A zesty chilled pasta with fresh tomatoes and other things, which is perfect for picnics or very hot days.
Difficulty: Easy

Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes: Paste con Pomodori Secchi
A quick, easy to do Calabrian sauce that will be ready by the time the water boils.
Difficulty: Easy

Pasta with a Tomatoey Olive-and-Caper Sauce
A quick, chunky sauce made with tomatoes and olives.
Difficulty: Easy

Spaghetti with Strombolian Capers: Spaghetti ai Capperi Stromboliani
A zesty tomatoey sauce with lots of capers to capture the richness of the Sicilian Isles
Difficulty:

Shells with Red Pesto: Conchiglie al Pesto Rosso
The work pesto derives from pestare, to step on or grind, and therefore the sauce need not be green, especially if it's based on sun-dried tomatoes.
Difficulty: Easy

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

Tomato Basil Sauce
Quick, simple, and tasty. Calls for canned tomatoes, which means you can make it year round!
Difficulty: Easy

Zucchini

Corkscrews with Zucchini Flowers: Fusilli ai Fiori di Zucca
Zucchini flowers are mark the arrival of summer, and work quite nicely in this pasta salad.
Difficulty: Easy

Corkscrews with Zucchini: Fusilli con le Zucchine
Corkscrews, with a tasty, healthy summer pasta sauce.
Difficulty: Easy

Rigatoni with Zucchini: Rigatoni con gli Zucchini
A quick, light summery pasta sauce.
Difficulty: Easy

Spaghetti Annalisa
A delicate sauce made with zucchini flowers.
Difficulty: Easy

Tagliatelle with Zucchini: Tagliatelle e Zucchine
Tasty, refreshing, and quick.
Difficulty:

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

Cream, Cheese and Oil-Based Sauces
Fish-Based Sauces
Meat-Based Sauces
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