The 20 Best Pasta Sauces, According to Our Readers

As pasta people well know, a pot of al dente noodles provides a canvas for unlimited worlds of flavor. From bright tomato sauces, like traditional marinara and spicy arrabbiata, to creamy Alfredo or a vibrant pesto, your options for saucing are anything but limited. Dressing your pasta can be as comforting as slipping into your favorite, worn-in sweater or as exhilarating as piecing together a new favorite outfit with items that've been hiding in the back of your closet. How you ultimately sauce your pasta is, of course, up to you — but if it's up to us, you'll use the very best version of whatever sauce you choose. Here, we've pulled together our reader-favorite recipes for 20 classic pasta sauces to save you from second-guessing. After all, it is all about the sauce.

By

Darcy Lenz

Darcy Lenz

Darcy Lenz is a food writer, senior editor, and recipe developer at Allrecipes. Her specialty is baking, but she enjoys all types of experimentation in the kitchen. Her work has been featured in Cooking Light, Coastal Living, MyRecipes, Women's Running, The Pioneer Woman, and more.

Allrecipes' editorial guidelines

Published on February 24, 2023