Skip to content

Top Navigation

EatingWell EatingWell
  • Healthy Recipes
  • Special Diets
  • Diabetes
  • Healthy Meal Plans
  • Healthy Eating
  • Healthy Lifestyle
  • Healthy Cooking
  • Shop
  • News
  • Videos

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Favorites
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Cooking Light Diet
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore EatingWell

EatingWell EatingWell
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The Real Cost of Healthy Food

      Today, more Americans than ever—a staggering 50 million people—are experiencing hunger. EatingWell examines the barriers to getting healthy food and what is being done to help. Read More Next
    • 5 Dinners on a Shoestring Budget

      We break down some common go-to meals, along with cost-conscious homemade options. Read More Next
    • 10 Cheap & Healthy Foods to Buy, According to a Dietitian

      We've compiled a list of 10 cheap and healthy foods to help you keep those grocery bills down. Read More Next
  • Healthy Recipes

    Healthy Recipes

    See All Healthy Recipes
    • Healthy Breakfast & Brunch Recipes
    • Healthy Lunch Recipes
    • Healthy Dinner Recipes
    • Healthy Snack Recipes
    • Healthy Dessert Recipes
    • Healthy Soup Recipes
    • Healthy Salad Recipes
    • Healthy Smoothie Recipes
    • Healthy Quick & Easy Recipes
    • Healthy Slow-Cooker & Crockpot Recipes
    • Healthy Kids Recipes
    • Healthy Holiday Recipes
    • Healthy Vegan Recipes
    • Healthy Vegetarian Recipes
    • Healthy Mediterranean Diet Recipes
    • Healthy Diabetes-Friendly Recipes
    • Healthy Low-Calorie Recipes
    • Healthy Weight Loss & Diet Recipes
    • More Lifestyle Diet Recipes
    • More Health Condition Recipes
    • More Dietary Restriction Recipes
    • More Nutrient Focused Recipes
  • Special Diets

    Special Diets

    See All Special Diets
    • Clean Eating Diet Center
    • Mediterranean Diet Center
    • Low-Carb Diet Center
    • Weight Loss Center
    • Dairy-Free Diet Center
    • Gluten-Free Diet Center
    • High-Fiber Diet Center
    • Vegan Diet Center
    • Vegetarian Diet Center
    • Heart-Healthy Diet Center
    • Cholesterol Diet Center
    • Diabetes Diet Center
    • High Blood Pressure Diet Center
    • Low Sodium Diet Center
    • Healthy Aging Diet Center
    • Pregnancy Diet Center
  • Diabetes

    Diabetes

    See All Diabetes
    • Meal Plans for Diabetes
    • Diabetes-Friendly Recipes
    • Diabetes Diet Center
  • Healthy Meal Plans

    Healthy Meal Plans

    See All Healthy Meal Plans
    • Meal Planning 101
    • Dinner Plans
    • Clean Eating Meal Plans
    • Mediterranean Diet Meal Plans
    • Low-Carb Meal Plans
    • Weight-Loss Meal Plans
    • Dairy-Free Meal Plans
    • Gluten-Free Meal Plans
    • High-Fiber Meal Plans
    • Vegan Meal Plans
    • Vegetarian Meal Plans
    • Heart-Healthy Meal Plans
    • Low Cholesterol Meal Plans
    • Meal Plans for Diabetes
    • Blood Pressure Meal Plans
    • Low Sodium Meal Plans
    • Anti-Aging Meal Plans
    • Pregnancy Meal Plans
    • Healthy Kids Meal Plans
    • ThePrep
  • Healthy Eating

    Healthy Eating

    See All Healthy Eating
    • Healthy Eating 101
    • Eat More Vegetables
    • 30-Day Challenges
    • Good Food Fast
    • Healthy Eating for Kids
    • Best Healthy Foods
    • Green and Sustainable Eating
    • The Beet
    • Transformed
  • Healthy Lifestyle

    Healthy Lifestyle

    See All Healthy Lifestyle
    • Wine, Beer & Spirits Guide
    • Entertaining
    • EatingWell in Real Life
    • Plant Your Plate
    • Healthy Pets
    • American Food Heroes
    • Future of Food
    • Food with Purpose
    • Obsessed
  • Healthy Cooking

    Healthy Cooking

    See All Healthy Cooking
    • Healthy Cooking How-To's
    • Ask the Test Kitchen
    • Budget Cooking Guide
    • Thrifty
    • Family Heritage Cooking
  • Shop

    Shop

    See All Shop
    • EatingWell Cookbooks & More
    • EatingWell Frozen Meals
  • News
  • Videos

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Favorites
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Cooking Light Diet
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home Chevron Right
  2. Healthy Recipes Chevron Right
  3. Healthy Sauce & Condiment Recipes Chevron Right
  4. Healthy Sauce Recipes Chevron Right
  5. Healthy Pasta Sauce Recipes Chevron Right
  6. Fresh Pasta Sauce Recipes That Aren't Marinara

Fresh Pasta Sauce Recipes That Aren't Marinara

August 27, 2019
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Looking for a new go-to pasta sauce? Make your next pasta recipe with one of these savory sauces.
Start Slideshow

1 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Avocado Pesto

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Avocados add a silky consistency and cheese-like richness to this dairy-free pesto recipe. Toss it with pasta, spread it on baguette slices to make bruschetta, or use it for a healthy mayo substitute on your sandwich.

  • Watch Video

1 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Garlic Scape Pesto

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

During the spring and early summer when garlic scapes are plentiful at farmers' markets and farmstands, this healthy garlic scape pesto recipe is a great way to enjoy their gorgeous garlicky flavor for weeks. Garlic scapes are the green, spiral-shaped sprouts that appear on the top of garlic plants in the spring. Regular garlic cloves can be used as a substitute for garlic scapes. Try the pesto with pasta, stir-fries, grilled fish, poultry or steaks or add it to scrambled eggs, soup or pasta sauces.

2 of 22

3 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Eggplant Pomodoro Pasta

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Diced eggplant turns tender and tasty sautéed with garlic and olive oil. Toss with fresh plum tomatoes, green olives and capers and you have a simple light summer sauce. We like it over angel hair pasta, but any type of pasta will work. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a mixed green salad.

  • Watch Video

3 of 22

Advertisement

4 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

In the '70s, with the advent of New American cooking, sun-dried tomato pesto became something of a cliché-and was summarily forgotten on the culinary landscape. It's well worth a revival, especially when you cut down the fat and add a little vinegar for a nice spike.

4 of 22

5 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Lemon-Herb Pasta with Chicken & Vegetables

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Yogurt seasoned with garlic and fresh herbs replaces cream to make a healthy pasta sauce in this chicken and vegetable pasta recipe. If you don't have a grill basket, the chicken and vegetables can be grilled on skewers instead.

5 of 22

6 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Creamy Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Sliced Brussels sprouts and mushrooms cook quickly and cling to the pasta in our fall version of pasta primavera. Look for presliced mushrooms to cut prep time. Serve with a tossed salad.

6 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Basic Basil Pesto

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Simplicity reigns in this traditional sauce--just basil, garlic, cheese and olive oil. Our one modification? We like omega-3-laden walnuts in the mix for their crunch and delicate flavor, but pine nuts, almonds, pecans or even pistachios may be substituted for the walnuts.

7 of 22

8 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Lemony Asparagus Pasta

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Penne and asparagus are bathed in a rich sauce with a slight bite of mustard, lemon and Parmesan. This dish is lovely in early spring, when asparagus is at its peak and nights are still cool enough to inspire a craving for something rich and warm.

8 of 22

9 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Linguine with Creamy White Clam Sauce

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Ripe tomato and fresh basil give this quick recipe tons of flavor. Serve this healthy pasta dinner with crusty garlic bread and steamed green beans.

9 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Spaghetti Carbonara with Peas

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Our healthy spaghetti carbonara recipe is lower in calories and fat than a traditional spaghetti carbonara recipe, plus it boasts 9 more grams of fiber per serving from whole-wheat pasta. For the best flavor, use Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The eggs in the sauce are not fully cooked; if you're concerned about consuming undercooked eggs, use pasteurized-in-the-shell eggs in this spaghetti carbonara recipe.

10 of 22

11 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Salsa Palermitana (Palermo-Style Sauce)

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This wine-based sauce of cherry tomatoes, olives and capers gets a tangy punch from plenty of lemon. Serve over pasta or grilled or roasted fish. Have some warm, crusty bread on hand to soak up any extra sauce.

11 of 22

12 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Arugula Pesto

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This pesto is a great way to use fresh, flavorful spring arugula. Try tossing it with pasta, spread it on pizza instead of tomato sauce or use it as the base for a vegetable dip.

12 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Macaroni with Sausage & Ricotta

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

A bit of sausage goes a long way in flavoring the creamy ricotta tomato sauce in this healthy and quick pasta recipe. Serve with a green salad and crusty Italian bread.

13 of 22

14 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Fettuccine Alfredo

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Alfredo di Lello, the Roman restaurateur who created his signature sauce in the 1920s, might be startled to find this streamlined version that still tastes rich enough to satisfy those deep creamy-pasta cravings. The addition of zucchini boosts the nutritional profile. And when cut into thin strands, it can be twirled gracefully on a fork

14 of 22

15 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Pesto & Shrimp

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Cut some carbs and use spiralized zucchini in place of noodles in this zesty pesto pasta dish recipe. Top with Cajun-seasoned shrimp to complete this quick and easy dinner.

  • Watch Video

15 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Spaghetti with Broccolini Pesto

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Broccolini stems are quickly softened in the pasta-boiling water before being whirled with basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano into a flavorful pesto sauce in this healthy vegetarian pasta recipe. It's worth seeking out Parmigiano-Reggiano to make the pesto-its superior flavor elevates the final dish. Edamame bumps up the protein to keep you feeling full and satisfied.

16 of 22

17 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Lemon-Garlic Sardine Fettuccine

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Even sardine skeptics will enjoy this lemony pasta with crispy breadcrumbs. Substitute two 5- to 6-ounce cans chunk light tuna for the sardines if you prefer. If you are using tuna or can't find sardines packed in tomato sauce, add 2 tablespoons tomato paste in Step 4 with the lemon juice. Serve with a salad of bitter greens tossed with a lemon vinaigrette and a glass of Pinot Grigio.

17 of 22

18 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Iberian-Style Sausage & Chicken Ragu

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This hearty sausage and chicken ragù was inspired by a fabulous stew Bruce Aidells enjoyed when he was traveling in Spain. Serve it over a heartier pasta, such as whole-wheat penne, or gnocchi. Garnish with grated sheep's-milk cheese, such as Manchego.

18 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Rag alla Bolognese (Classic Bolognese Meat Sauce)

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This is a version of the famous meat sauce of Emilia Romagna, of which Bologna is the capital. Giuliano Hazan's family is from Emilia Romagna, and he learned to make Bolognese sauce from his mother, Marcella, who learned it from her grandmother, Mary. Its classic pairing is with homemade tagliatelle or pappardelle but it's also very good with rigatoni, shells or any substantial pasta shape, preferably one with ridges, that has nooks and cavities to trap the sauce. Adapted from How to Cook Italian by Giuliano Hazan; Scribner, 2005.

19 of 22

20 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Lamb & Eggplant Ragu

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Lamb and eggplant are combined in dishes throughout the Mediterranean. Together they deliver a complex, hearty, earthy flavor that's truly satisfying. In this dish, toasted pine nuts and tangy feta cheese are excellent accents.

20 of 22

21 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Roasted Cherry Tomato & Sage Sauce

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

There are endless ways to use this sage-flecked roasted cherry tomato sauce recipe: serve with baked fish, spread it on a panini or simply toss it with whole-wheat pasta for an instant, quick and flavorful dinner.

21 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Pesto Trapanese (Tomato & Almond Pesto)

View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

In a twist on classic pesto, this healthy recipe uses less oil than a traditional basil pesto, includes tomatoes and subs almonds for pine nuts. Try it tossed with whole-wheat pasta or slathered over grilled chicken or fish.

22 of 22

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 22 Avocado Pesto
2 of 22 Garlic Scape Pesto
3 of 22 Eggplant Pomodoro Pasta
4 of 22 Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
5 of 22 Lemon-Herb Pasta with Chicken & Vegetables
6 of 22 Creamy Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts & Mushrooms
7 of 22 Basic Basil Pesto
8 of 22 Lemony Asparagus Pasta
9 of 22 Linguine with Creamy White Clam Sauce
10 of 22 Spaghetti Carbonara with Peas
11 of 22 Salsa Palermitana (Palermo-Style Sauce)
12 of 22 Arugula Pesto
13 of 22 Macaroni with Sausage & Ricotta
14 of 22 Fettuccine Alfredo
15 of 22 Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Pesto & Shrimp
16 of 22 Spaghetti with Broccolini Pesto
17 of 22 Lemon-Garlic Sardine Fettuccine
18 of 22 Iberian-Style Sausage & Chicken Ragu
19 of 22 Rag alla Bolognese (Classic Bolognese Meat Sauce)
20 of 22 Lamb & Eggplant Ragu
21 of 22 Roasted Cherry Tomato & Sage Sauce
22 of 22 Pesto Trapanese (Tomato & Almond Pesto)

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message
EatingWell

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • About Us
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Content Licensing
  • Recipe Index
  • Jobs

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en EspaƱol this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
© 2021 EatingWell.com is part of the Allrecipes Food Group. EatingWell may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. All Right Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.eatingwell.com

View image

Fresh Pasta Sauce Recipes That Aren't Marinara
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.