33 italian gravy recipes

Easy homemade pesto with fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, and olive oil blended in minutes. Five ingredients for a vibrant sauce that beats anything jarred.

Homemade marinara sauce with pureed Italian plum tomatoes, garlic, and fresh parsley simmered with bay leaves. A simple meatless pasta sauce ready in about 30 minutes.

This delicious garden spaghetti sauce is packed with goodness and yumminess. It's thick, tasty and goes deliciously well with any recipe that calls for spaghetti sauce.

This is a fantastic recipe my mom taught me when I was 9 or 10, because it's so easy to make, and makes plenty to feed everyone.

Gorgonzola cream sauce for pasta with fresh thyme and nutmeg, reduced until thick and silky. Four ingredients, ready while the pasta boils.

Basic Southern Italian tomato sauce with Roma tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and parsley. Ready in 30 minutes, this classic pomodoro base is vegan, naturally gluten-free, and endlessly versatile.

Pound cake slices draped in a cloud-light mascarpone sauce with brandy, whipped egg whites, and fresh berries. An Italian-style dessert that looks fancy but takes 20 minutes.

Classic Italian bechamel sauce (Salsa di Balsamella) made with butter, flour, and warm milk, seasoned with nutmeg and cayenne. A smooth, creamy base for lasagna, pasta bakes, and gratins.

Italian-style tomato sauce simmered with kelp seaweed (alaria or laminaria), garlic, oregano, and Worcestershire. A mineral-rich, umami-packed sauce for spaghetti, meatballs, or browned meat.

Classic fettuccine Alfredo sauce with just butter, cream, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Four ingredients, 30 minutes, and a plate of pure Italian indulgence.

Home-improved tomato sauce doctors canned tomato sauce with sauteed onion, garlic, and fresh herbs. Tastes like scratch-made in 30 minutes.

Slow-simmered Italian tomato sauce with ground beef, San Marzano-style plum tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, and oregano. Rich, thick, and built for pasta night.

Light linguine with white clam sauce made with canned clams simmered in their own briny liquid with onion, parsley, and Parmesan. A low-fat Italian pasta that lets the clean ocean flavor of the clams shine through.

Pasta with pesto and grilled chicken: linguine tossed with jarred or homemade pesto and charred chicken pieces. Quick 30-minute dinner, warm or room temperature.

Puttanesca sauce with briny olives, capers, and red pepper flakes simmered in crushed Roma tomatoes and tossed with spaghetti for a bold, punchy weeknight pasta.

Old-school Italian tomato sauce simmered with onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and basil, then strained smooth through a food mill. The Sunday-gravy base every cook should know.