Be it a thick, slow-cooked ragù for pasta, a pesto bashed together in a pestle and mortar or something more refined to dress a more complex dish, sauces are integral to Italian cooking. Italian tomato sauces alone can be prepared in dozens of different ways, and there are countless other sauces – both traditional and contemporary – that have found favour with cooks and chefs across Italy.

Our collection of Italian sauce recipes sets out to prove just how varied these sauces can be. For pasta, we’ve got all sorts of different pestos, including Pesto alla Trapanese from Sicily, Pesto Calabrese from Calabria and the more traditional Basil pesto from Liguria. There’s also a family recipe for Bolognese ragù (a British favourite) and a Sardinian sauce combining sausage and fennel. Looking for a quick dip? Try this Salsa verde or the rich northern Italian Boznersauce – an indulgent take on mayonnaise.

There are Italian sauces for more accomplished cooks too. Ciccio Sultano’s Bottarga sauce is fantastic with spaghetti, as is Grazia Soncini’s Fresh mackerel ragù. Roberto Petza rustles up an incredible Pizzaiola sauce to go with fish, while Teresa Buongiorno creates a Cuttlefish ink ragù for her pasta. Take a look at our full collection of Italian sauces below and incorporate them into your own cooking.