Sauces recipes

Romanesco sauce is a Spanish-inspired vegetarian pasta sauce of charred roasted red peppers, toasted almonds, garlic, and bright lemon zest, pureed and spooned over hot or cold spaghetti. Smoky, nutty, and no-cook simple.

A silky cream sauce built on butter-sweated onion, pepper, celery, and garlic simmered in milk, thickened with roux, then strained smooth and enriched with cream. A versatile foundation sauce.

Jezebel sauce is the Southern sweet-and-fiery condiment that stirs together fruit preserves, marmalade, dry mustard, and horseradish in 10 minutes flat. Pour it over cream cheese with crackers or serve it alongside baked ham.

Fresh homemade salsa casera with chopped tomatoes, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic, and oregano. No cooking required, and it keeps in the fridge for up to a week. Puro sabor mexicano.

Make-ahead bloomin' sauce and dip with sour cream, cream cheese, and picante sauce, ready for chips, pretzels, or fried onion petals. Five ingredients, one bowl, eight hours of fridge time to do its work.

Homemade BBQ sauce with orange juice, crystallized ginger, molasses, honey, and chili powder. Sweet, tangy, and smoky with a ginger kick. Makes 5 cups that keep for two weeks in the fridge.

Homemade barbecue sauce with maple syrup, English mustard, butter, and lemon juice simmered for an hour. A rich, tangy-sweet glaze for ribs, chicken, and grilled meats.

Mango habanero hot sauce with eight ripe mangos, champagne vinegar, and carrots simmered into a smooth, fruity heat. Works with orange or green habaneros.

A bold Texas-style BBQ sauce made with beer, brown sugar, jalapeños, tomato paste, and lime juice. Five cups of tangy, smoky heat for ribs, brisket, and pulled pork.

Homemade hot caramel sauce cooked to soft ball stage with butter, half-and-half, and vanilla. A thick, pourable dessert sauce for ice cream, cake, and apple dipping.

Michigan chili dog sauce simmered low with ground beef, chili powder, paprika, and dry mustard. The authentic Coney Island method: never brown the meat, just simmer for an hour.

Classic Italian pasta sauce from Amatrice with bacon, onions, tomatoes, and red wine. Rich, savory, and deeply flavored after a long simmer.

Versatile fruit sauce with dried apricots simmered in apple juice, then thickened with honey, orange juice, and warm spices.

Thick homemade hot fudge sauce made with unsweetened chocolate, evaporated milk, and sugar. Rich, glossy, and pourable, this makes enough to fill two gift jars.

Ninfa's green sauce is the legendary Houston Tex-Mex table dip: simmered green tomatoes, tomatillos, and jalapeños puréed with avocado, cilantro, sour cream, and garlic. Pale jade, creamy, dangerously dippable.

Microwave Italian tomato sauce with olive oil, garlic, basil, and oregano, ready in under 10 minutes. No stirring, no stovetop. A quick base sauce for pasta, pizza, or chicken Parmesan.