By region

Italian pasta sauces by region

Every Italian pasta sauce has a home region. Every tradition has a story. Knowing where it comes from makes it taste better.

Lazio

Rome and its hinterland. The home of Carbonara, Amatriciana, Cacio e Pepe, and Gricia — four Roman pasta sauces that the city guards with fierce possessiveness.

10 sauces→

Liguria

A narrow coastal strip between the Alps and the sea. The microclimate produces the world's finest basil, and Pesto alla Genovese — Genoa's pasta sauce — is its proudest export.

2 sauces→

La Grassa — The Fat. The richest culinary territory in Italy. Bolognese ragù, Lasagne, Parmigiano Reggiano, Mortadella, Prosciutto di Parma — the greatest Italian pasta sauces and ingredients, all from one region.

2 sauces→

Campania

The volcanic region centred on Naples, where the tomato reigns supreme. Birthplace of Marinara, Puttanesca, and Vongole — classic Neapolitan pasta sauces — and home to the San Marzano tomato.

4 sauces→

Sicilia

Mediterranean island shaped by centuries of Arab, Norman, Greek, and Spanish rule. Home to Pasta alla Norma and Pasta con le Sarde — bold, sweet Sicilian pasta sauces unlike anywhere else in Italy.

2 sauces→

Toscana

The hills between Florence and Siena, the forests of the Maremma, the coastline at Livorno. Tuscany's kitchen is built on the land — game from the hills, pulses from the valleys, Chianti from the vines. Cinghiale is the sauce that the landscape produces.

1 sauce→

Umbria

The green heart of Italy. Landlocked, forested, quietly proud. The Norcia black truffle is worth a detour of several hundred kilometres. The pasta is fresh, the pork is cured, and the table is not interested in spectacle.

1 sauce→

Calabria

The toe of the Italian boot. Calabrian heat is not a seasoning choice — it is a philosophy. 'Nduja was born here, in Spilinga, and it carries the full weight of that tradition. The food is fierce and does not apologise for it.

1 sauce→