These 50 Homemade Pasta Sauces Are So Much More Flavorful Than Store-Bought

If Julia Child taught America how to roast chicken, Marcella Hazan taught us how to make good pasta sauce. Her version is a little unconventional; the onion isn't sautéed, the sauce simmers for less than an hour, and there's a lot of butter. It's the easiest and, most likely, best red sauce you'll ever make at home.

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Put the store-bought jar down—our easy Alfredo will make you a homemade pasta sauce believer. Whether you use it in classic chicken Alfredo or turn it into a winning app, this is the time to do it right.

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This sauce is based after the one from our beloved marry me chicken, and is possibly even better tossed with some pasta. We can almost guarantee if you make it, someone will fall for you, so be careful whom you choose to share this meal with! 😉

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This Genovese specialty bursts with the summery flavor of basil, and we love it for way more than just pasta. (Though that's pretty great too!) Try tossing your roasted potatoes with a couple tablespoons, or mix a spoonful into mayo for a ridiculously delicious dipping sauce.

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Sunday sauce sounds like a project but it's easier to make than you think. It's meant to be cooked all day from morning to mid-afternoon right before you bring that pot of water to a boil for your favorite rigatoni or spaghetti.

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This recipe takes inspiration from a classic pasta al limone by using heavy cream as the base for the luscious and decadent sauce. Then, just like a dirty martini, we supplement the dish with olives and brine (and booze, of course). The best part? It comes together in under 30 minutes.

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Cottage cheese continues to have its big moment in the sun. Its high-protein content has driven people to try and incorporate it into some of their favorite foods. Blending it with marinara until the sauce is creamy and smooth makes for an incredible pasta sauce.

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Pasta is one of the easiest, tastiest weeknight dinners you can make, and while we love a quick marinara, creamy pesto, or garlic butter sauce, sometimes we’re craving something with a little more punch. On these nights, Arrabbiata sauce is our go-to.

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If you love everything bagel seasoning, crunchy, savory bread crumbs, and creamy pasta, you'll love this dish. You might even want to marry it. We don't blame you, we kinda do too: It's forgiving, free of complications, comforting and eager to please.

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Rich and creamy with deep tomato flavor, this is the vegan pasta you make for lifelong dairy lovers. In this recipe, a homemade vegan cream made from quick-soaked cashews rounds out our robust sauce of sun-dried tomatoes and tomato paste.

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Sometimes you just need a quick, comforting dinner, and there’s little more satisfying than garlicky, buttery noodles, and these ones are the best. When we say garlicky, we mean it—we mean garlicky, we’re talking a lot of garlic. Like over 20 cloves!

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This Cajun Alfredo expands on what we love about fettuccine Alfredo and is amped up with punchy spices and andouille sausage. This hearty take on the classic chicken Alfredo will easily become a go-to comforting weeknight dish.

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When summer tomatoes start popping up, we always find ourselves with too many than we know what to do with. Not a bad boat to find ourselves in, we know! We could make gazpacho, homemade salsa, a tomato galette... our options are truly endless, but we'll always return to this simple sauce.

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Cacio e pepe translates literally to “cheese and pepper." These two ingredients are usually thought of as small components to a dish, but in this pasta recipe, they take center stage. The fruity bite of freshly ground pepper adds complexity and is earthy, sweet, and spicy all at once.

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This recipe is proof that a killer tomato sauce doesn’t need a long simmer on the stovetop. You'll create a robust sauce by concentrating the cherry tomatoes' flavor through bursting them in the skillet, along with other classic enhancers, like olive oil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes.

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This classic creamy sauce already had a place in our hearts, but adding cottage cheese and spinach took the love to new heights. The cottage cheese-based sauce comes together in a blender or food processor in a few seconds, then simmered to thick, velvety, cheesy perfection before getting tossed with fresh spinach and al dente fettuccine.

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This is easy to make and even easier to indulge in. The real Italian way uses guancial—cured pork jowl—which has a slightly sweet, delicate flavor. If you can't find it, use pancetta or thick-cut bacon instead!

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Traditional Bolognese sauce might take forever to cook, but this weeknight version is done in just 30 minutes. Delicate and earthy miso paste adds serious depth to the ground beef sauce that you're going to love.

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Rao's is our go-to store-bought marinara sauce, but when we have time, we much prefer to make our own. Our version is pretty hard to beat, and while it tastes amazing over a bowl of pasta, it's also great for shakshuka, lasagna, and chicken Parm.

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Don’t be fooled by the name—this pasta has no cream! Instead, you’ll puree fresh corn, sautéed garlic, and scallions into a luscious sauce that’s topped with Parmesan, basil, and even more corn. With just a few ingredients, you can have a crowd-pleasing summer pasta in no time.

Get the Creamy Corn Pasta recipe.