Homemade pasta sauces

[HaroldMeeker]

I'm a bit fed up with pesto and apart from the obvious bolognaise and generic cheese and tomato type sauces, I can't think of much else to go with pasta.

Is anyone willing to share any suggestions? I'm happy to cook from scratch, but I'm singularly unimaginative when it comes to pasta for some reason. I've no idea what I'm looking for, just something interesting and tasty.

Cheesy sausage and courgette pasta

Fry an onion with a few sliced chipolata sausages and a courgette cut into chunks. Add a pinch of chilli flakes. When the sausages are cooked and the veg softened, add a carton of passata and simmer to reduce it while you cook the pasta (I tend to go for fusilli). When the pasta is cooked, add a generous amount of grated cheddar cheese to the sauce and stir until it is melted. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce.

Tinned mackerel or sardines (the ones in tomato chilli sauce are good) with capers, sundried tomatoes, raisins, lemon, artichokes or aubergines (from jars) really easy quick dinner. Topped with toasted pine nuts or almonds.

This is nice: www.allrecipes.com/recipe/8778/cajun-chicken-pasta/

And this:
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/turkey-bolognese-pasta-bake
Works really well with bbq sauce subbed for the chipotle paste.

Three we love and quick -

1. Dijon pasta. Fry Onion , garlic cooked, tablespoon of djon mustard and either a tub of creme fraise or if watching the fat content low fat cream cheese and some starchy pasta water. Can add sausage , bacon , any other veg etc.
2. Cajan chicken- fry chicken breast, peppers, onions together and then add a mixture of 1chicken stock cube, cream cheese, cajan spices and some pasta water. Add grated cheese - lovely.
3. Butternut squash sauce . Roast a BS with garlic, onion, then blend with veg stock and cream cheese- can add whatever veg u like !

Love pasta in this house!

Okay, I'm officially delighted, these are brilliant! Thank you

Cubed aubergine fried till slightly blackened and then mix with goats cheese and oil and thyme - good on its own or on pasta. Courgettes would also work, as would feta

DC still like Annabel Karmel “popeye pasta” sauce which is spinach, cream cheese and parmesan

Cream/creme fraiche, bit of cream cheese, smoked salmon and peas
Same but with ham or bacon
Same but with asparagus
Same but with broccoli
…you get the idea

Blue cheese, cream, wilted spinach, walnuts or pine nuts

Sausagemeat and chestnut - from bbcgoodfood, it’s amazing

Prawns or crab with chilli flakes, garlic, oil

Mushrooms, creme fraice, garlic, parsley

Tomato mozzarella and pine nuts (best baked)

Roast red peppers (but homemade ideally not the vinegary jar ones) mixed with soft goats cheese and pine nuts - amazing

Place marking really, but my super quick "cheat" pasta is just pasta with frozen peas, stir through a generous serving of boursin cheese, add some chopped smoked salmon and a bit of black pepper, done!

@1WayOrAnother2

Nigella does a great anchovy one (she calls it 'Sluts Spaghetti). I think it is in 'Nigella Express'.

In Nigella’s defence, she did not make up this recipe or the name - it is her version of pasta puttanesca which, translated, is whore’s pasta.