Enjoy this list of where your favorite Italian pasta sauce comes from. (Designed by Stripes Staff)
Here is a list of where your favorite Italian pasta sauce comes from.
Carbonara | Rome
Carbonara consists of three basic ingredients: egg, guanciale (a cured pork product) and pecorino cheese. It originated in the Rome region sometime in the 1940s or 1950s (exact origins are not clear). Although it is believed that there are no written records of it before WWII.
Bolognese | Bologna
Known as “Ragù alla Bolognese” in Italian, this sauce typically consists of ground meat, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, carrots, stock and a variety of seasonings. It comes from Bologna. This sauce dates back to the 1700s and can be customized to taste as long as there is a base of tomato sauce and ground meat.
Known as “Ragù alla Bolognese” in Italian, this sauce typically consists of ground meat, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, carrots, stock and a variety of seasonings. (nito500 (123RF))
Pesto Genovese | Genoa
Another delicious sauce that is made of a few simple ingredients: garlic, pine nuts, basil, olive oil and cheese (typically a pecorino or Parmigiano Reggiano). This is the OG of pesto sauces. The modern version of this sauce originated in Genoa in the mid-1800s; however, some origins date it back to ancient times.
Cacio e Pepe | Rome
The ingredients of this sauce are entirely listed in the name: Cacio (cheese from sheep’s milk) and pepe (black pepper). Water is also used to help create the saucy consistency. Like carbonara, it also originated in Rome; however, it dates back all the way to ancient Roman times.
Amatriciana | Amatrice
This sauce, which originated in the city of Amatrice sometime in the 1600s, is very similar to carbonara and also consists of three ingredients: pecorino, guanciale and tomato sauce. It became so popular that it was served at the Pope’s court in the 1800s.
Puttanesca | Naples
Ironically, this sauce is called puttanesca everywhere but its city of origin, Naples, where it is called “aulive e chiapparielle.” Origin stories vary; however, this sauce seems to date back to the mid-20th century. It consists of cooked tomatoes, capers, oregano, olives and parsley. Some variations of the sauce also add anchovies, but not in Naples.
Puttnesca consists of cooked tomatoes, capers, oregano, olives and parsley. (Timolina (Adobe Stock))
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Aglio e Olio | Naples
Another sauce where the ingredients are in the name: Aglio, meaning garlic and olio, meaning oil. You can vary up your version with seasonings and cheese, but the purest form is just the two ingredients and was known in Naples’ cooking as cucina povera (poor cooking. It can be traced back to Neapolitan sailors.
Alla Norma | Catania, Sicily
This sauce, made from marinara, eggplant, olive oil, spices, cheese and garlic, has musical origins dating back to 19th-century Sicily. Many believe that this sauce mixed with pasta was created for the opening night of the opera, “Norma.”
Griscia | Grisciano
Griscia, more commonly spelled “Gricia” in the modern era, comes from the small village of Grisciano (although today, it may be more associated with Rome). This sauce consists of three ingredients: Pecorino Romano, black pepper and guanciale. Today, there is one place to get Griscia in Grisciano: La Vecchia Ruota.
Salsa al Limone | Campania
This is a tangy sauce that promises a little something different for dinner. Celebrating the coastal location of Campania, this zesty citrus sauce is made from lemon, herbs, garlic and oil. You can swap out the lemon for a blood orange if you really want to change things up.
Al Tartufo | Umbria and Piedmont
This is one of the more decadent sauces of Italy; however, its elegance derives partly from its simplicity. Originating from the areas of Umbria and Piedmont, its ingredients include butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano and freshly shaved truffle.
Al Tartufu’s ingredients include butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano and freshly shaved truffle. (Federico (Adobe Stock))
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Besciamella | Tuscany
Tuscany created their own version of Bechamel sauce known as Besciamella. This is a rich sauce consisting of butter, flour and milk.
Al Burro e Salvia | Emilia-Romagna
This sauce originated in the Emilia-Romagna area of Italy; yet no one can say when butter and sage were first combined as a sauce because of its simplistic nature. It is commonly used with pasta and gnocchi dishes.
Pesto Trapanese | Trapani, Sicily
Here is a Sicilian take on pesto: almonds (instead of pine nuts), tomatoes (instead of basil), Pecorino, red garlic and olive oil. This embraces the Genovese origins (whose sailors brought their sauce to the area) but adds a coastal cultural flair to the sauce.
Allo Scoglio | southern Italy and/or Sicily
“Allo Scoglio” means from the rocks/reefs and is a perfect name for this seafood sauce that originates in the southern Italy area. Sometimes it is referred to as “frutti di mare,” which means “fruits of the sea.” Ingredients include squid, mussels, clams, shrimp (prawns), tomato sauce, garlic, olive oil and herbs.
