POPULAR ITALIAN PASTA SAUCES
Puttanesca
(poo-tah-NEH-skah)
A robust southern Italian tomatosauce usually made with onions, garlic, red pepper, capers, olives, and anchovies. The reference to prostitutes supposedly suggests this was a sauce quickly made by such women between clients. It is most often associated with Naples and Calabria, although versions are found
throughout Italy.
Carbonara
(kahr-boh-NAH-rah)
A Roman pasta sauce usually prepared with cream, guanciale or pancetta, pecorino or parmigiano, into which a raw egg is added and cooked by the heat of the pasta itself. The name literally means "charcoal style" and some people claim that the dish was created by the coal miners of the mountains between Abruzzo and Lazio.
Caprese
(kah-PREH-seh)
In the style of Capri, this sauce is usually made from lightly cooked fresh tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and mozzarella. It can be used on pasta, meat, fish, or salads. Insalata alla caprese is a salad of tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella dressed with oil and vinegar.
Bolognese
(boh-loh-N'YEH-zeh)
In the style of Bologna, this sauce usually refers to a hearty, long simmered vegetable and meat sauce called a ragu. A traditional Bolognese sauce contains ground pork, beef, pancetta, garlic, tomatoes, vegetables, and often chicken livers.
Marinara
(mah-ree-NAH-rah)
Although this sauce literally means "mariner's style" it is not a seafood sauce. The name is explained by the story that fisherman's wives would make a fast, fresh sauce upon the arrival of their husbands from the sea. The ingredients may vary but usually include garlic, olive oil, crushed tomatoes and oregano.