If you are a pasta aficionado, you are very aware that the type of sauce that accompanies your pasta shape is critical to the enhancement of the pasta itself. Many regions in Italy have become well-known by the pasta they produce and, accordingly, so have the sauces they have developed. To experience the delicate balance between sauce and pasta is to experience the fine dining Orlando offers at Christini’s Ristorante Italiano. Here is a quick guide to some of the most popular sauces and the suggested accompanying pasta to help you choose the perfect dish for you.
- Pomodoro sauce is the purest and lightest of all the tomato-based sauces. It is made from tomatoes, a little olive oil, garlic, and basil. It is wonderful served over spaghetti or angel hair pasta.
- Marinara sauce is light and tasty. Fresh tomatoes, olive oil, basil, oregano, and garlic are the basic ingredients for this delicious concoction. It’s best served over spaghetti or other tubular pastas.
- Bolognese sauce is a heavier and richer sauce authentically made from chicken livers, wine, carrots, onions, green peppers, and nutmeg. Variations of Bolognese can include pork or beef. In some recipes cream is added, in others butter and grated cheese finish the sauce. Heartier pastas such as rigatoni, penne, and rotelle stand up to the Bolognese sauce quite nicely.
- Gaining popularity in so many recipes, Pesto sauce has been given several incarnations. The original Pesto is the finished product of blending olive oil, pine nuts, garlic, fresh basil, and cheese. Its versatility is almost limitless. Bowtie pasta and penne hold the pesto beautifully.
- Aglio e olio is another simple, flavorful, and light sauce. Olive oil, garlic, and fresh parsley are the only ingredients in this Italian favorite. It is usually tossed with spaghetti.
- A sauce of fresh tomatoes, chopped bacon, onion, and garlic, served with grated Pecorino Romano cheese, is called Amatriciana and pairs great with bucatini.
- Buro sauce should not be discounted as a quick go-to. Butter and Parmesan cheese are the sole rich and flavorful ingredients and it can accompany virtually any pasta noodle.
- Vongole sauce is the result of cooking fresh clams with onions, tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and typically a splash of white wine. Linguine is the preferred pasta for this wonderfully tasty sauce.
What’s listed above are some of the better known traditional Italian sauces and there are many others found in Italian cuisine. To sample some of the ones listed above prepared authentically with the freshest ingredients and served in the best and only fine dining Orlando offers, you have to visit Christini’s Ristorante Italiano. Call now to make reservations and find your favorite sauce!
