5 super-easy pasta sauces anyone can make from scratch

There’s no doubt pasta sauce from a jar is one of the best inventions ever. Not only does it make for one of the quickest dinners ever but most of them taste almost as good as their homemade counterparts. But with shops shelves still looking pretty scarce as a result of Covid-19 panic-buying, it’s worth knowing how to whip up some nice and easy pasta sauce recipes in your own kitchen.

With limited ingredients, these do-it-yourself versions often end up cheaper than buying it ready-made, plus nothing beats the rich flavour of making something from scratch with deliciously fresh ingredients. So here are some of the best and easiest sauces you can make all by yourself!

Basic tomato sauce

Ingredients

• 400g tin crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic
• Handful fresh basil, chopped
• Olive oil

Method

1. Add tomatoes to frypan over medium heat. Add garlic. Stir. Once boiling, reduce heat to low. Keep simmering until liquid starts to evaporate for about 40 minutes. Gradually add water if starting to dry out.
2. Add basil to tomatoes. Once sauce is thickened, add olive oil and stir through.
3. Once cooked pasta is stirred through, top with parmesan cheese. Serve.

Creamy carbonara sauce

Ingredients

• 3 rashers bacon, chopped, fat removed
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 200g mushrooms, sliced (optional)
• 2 egg yolks
• 300ml light cream
• Salt and pepper
• Parmesan cheese

Method

1. Add bacon to frypan over medium heat. Fry until cooked. Add garlic to pan. Add mushrooms if using. Cook until mushrooms are softened.
2. In a separate bowl, add egg yolks, cream and season with salt and pepper. Add to bacon mixture and stir well to coat.
3. Reduce heat to low and stir occasionally until slightly thickened.
4. Once cooked pasta is stirred through, top with parmesan cheese. Serve.

Chicken and tomato

Ingredients

• 3 shallots, sliced thinly
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• Small pinch of chilli powder
• 100g mushrooms, sliced
• 400g tin crushed tomatoes
• 200g cooked chicken, diced
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Fry shallots and garlic in frypan over medium heat until softened. Add chilli and stir. Add mushrooms to pan and cook for 2 minutes or until mushrooms have softened. Add crushed tomatoes.
2. Simmer on low heat until sauce has thickened.
3. Add cooked chicken to sauce. Cook until chicken has heated through. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Once cooked pasta is stirred through, top with parmesan cheese. Serve.

Fresh pesto

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pinenuts
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Put basil and pine nuts in food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add garlic and cheese to food processor and pulse more until chopped.
2. Meanwhile, while food processor is running, slowly add olive oil. Stir in salt and pepper.
3. Stir through cooked pasta and serve.

Chilli and garlic

Ingredients

• 3 fresh red chillies (add as much or as little as you like)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

Method

1. Remove seeds from chillies and finely chop. Peel and finely chop garlic.
2. Heat oil in large frying pan. Cook garlic and chillies gently for a few minutes. Season with salt.
3. Drain cooked spaghetti and add to frying pan. Mix to coat with oil.
4. Serve sprinkled with parsley.