Pasta is a family favorite weeknight meal because it is so fast to make, and it always tastes great. You can put together these easy pasta sauces in the time it takes you to boil your favorite noodles. You'll have an easy, delicious dinner on the table in a snap.
Vegetable Marinara
Marinara is a simple sauce, but it's a thing of beauty. Full of fresh flavors and vivid color, toss it with spaghetti for a yummy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 zucchini, chopped but not peeled
- 1 sweet red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
- 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, drained
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Dash of red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- 1 parmesan rind (optional)
- 10 fresh basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade
- Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens, about five minutes.
- Add the zucchini and sweet bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about five minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add both cans of tomatoes, the oregano, the red pepper flakes, and the parmesan rind. Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring frequently, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and flavors blend, about 10 minutes.
- Remove the parmesan rind. Stir in the fresh basil. Season to taste with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
Hear us out on the parmesan rind... it adds a ton of flavor to the sauce as it simmers. We love the umami flavor it adds to our marinara, but if you don't have one, you can leave it out.
Italian Sausage and Tomato Sauce
This meat sauce works well for penne pasta, and it's yummy as a sauce for lasagna or stuffed shells. It's so easy to make and customize to your own taste. I like it spicy, so I use hot Italian sausage, but if you like it milder, you can use sweet Italian sausage.
Ingredients
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage, sweet or hot
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- ¼ cup dry red wine
- 1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, drained
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, brown the Italian sausage over medium-high heat, crumbling with your spoon as it cooks.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is soft, about five minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until it's fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the red wine, scraping any browned bits of meat from the bottom of the pan with the side of the spoon. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the wine reduces by half, about five minutes.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, and Italian seasoning. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the flavors blend, about ten minutes more.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Walnut and Spinach Pesto
Want a no-cook sauce? Pesto is for you if you do. Blend it all in a food processor or blender for a deeply flavorful sauce with vivid color and heady aromas. I love pesto on rotini pasta, but it also makes a great sauce for chicken or seafood.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2 cups baby spinach, washed and dried
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup walnuts
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup grated Asiago cheese
- ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional - or to taste)
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal chopping blade.
- Turn on the food processor and allow the pesto to process until it is finely chopped and well-combined, one or two minutes.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Serve tossed with hot pasta.
Cream Cheese Alfredo
This easy alfredo sauce doesn't take a ton of time, and all you have to do is warm it on the stove and stir. The cream cheese makes it stable enough that the sauce is unlikely to break. Serve it with traditional fettuccine.
Ingredients
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 block of cream cheese
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- ¾ cup milk
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat.
- Cook, stirring, until all ingredients blend together and the cheese is melted.
Mushroom Cream Sauce
Love mushroom pasta? Yeah — me too. This simple cream sauce has lots of deep flavors. Serve it with pappardelle pasta or cheese-stuffed ravioli.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 cups heavy cream
- Red pepper flakes (optional - to taste)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil on medium-high until it bubbles.
- Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until it's soft, about 2 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are deeply browned, about 7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
- Add the flour and cook, stirring, for one minute.
- Add the white wine. Use the side of the spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and cook, stirring, for one minute.
- Add the cream. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about two minutes more.
- Season to taste with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
Fast & Easy Weeknight Meals
After a busy workday, you're probably hungry but not super motivated to cook. I love to cook, but I get it. On those nights, I put on some water to boil, add my noodles, and whip up a quick and easy sauce while the pasta cooks. It's an easy way to have a tasty homemade meal with minimal effort.
