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21 Pasta and Noodle

Sauces That Don’t Need
Tomatoes
By Sarah Garone — Updated on January
31, 2022

Creamy Veggie-based Citrusy

Meaty Asian-inspired

Roxiller/GettyImages

Looking for a tomato-free pasta sauce

recipe? We’ve got plenty — 21 recipes, to
be exact. Plus, we’ve rounded up pro tips
for making your own delicious tomato-
free bowl o’ noodles.

*Chef’s kiss* tips for top-

notch tomato-free pasta
You don’t need much. When
making creamy sauces,
remember that a little can go a
long way. A cup of sauce is often
enough for 1 pound of pasta.

You can make up that

distinctive red color in other
ways. Can’t do tomatoes? Mimic
their color with diced red
peppers, red cabbage, or
radishes.

Pesto doesn’t stop at basil.

Experiment with other veggies
like spinach, edamame, or
pumpkin to make a unique pasta
topping.

No one likes dry, rubbery

pasta. Always include a source
of moisture, like butter, olive or
avocado oil, or pureed veggies.

Save that pasta water. The

liquid your noodles have cooked
in soaks up starches and sodium.
Use it to add extra flavor to saucy
dishes.

Was this helpful? s r

We promise, there’s nothing wrong with

you, marinara. You’re there for us when
we need you most: on pizzas, in
casseroles, and, of course, at the top of
towering mountains of pasta.

Sometimes, though, we feel the need to be

a little bolder, to venture out there and get
a taste of all the flavors that the world has
to offer. We’ve reached the point where it
feels necessary to take a break and
explore sauces that go beyond the
tomato-y basics.

So, don’t be sad, marinara. It’s not a

goodbye, just a so long for now.
A D V E RT I S E M E N T

How To Tighten Saggy

Jowls
Saggy jowls? Throw away your
0rming cream and do this instead.

Classic creamy pasta

sauces

1. Desperation spaghetti
carbonara

Real deal carbonara doesn’t need any

cream.

Just toss some eggs, a couple of cloves of

garlic, and a generous handful of
Parmesan together into a silky, noodle-
clinging sauce. Carbonara folks who want
a little extra heat might want to try cacio e
pepe.

2. Fettuccine Alfredo

Ah, good old Alfredo — what would

fettuccine be without it?

The velvety sauce is enjoyable enough on

its own over long, flat noodles, or you can
top it off with mushrooms, chicken, or
whatever other cream-loving add-ons
your heart desires.

3. Creamy pasta with chicken

sausage and broccoli

This easy Parmesan cream sauce is a little

lighter than Alfredo and pairs especially
well with chicken sausage. But you can
use spicy or mild sausage as you prefer.
Add some garlic for a bit more kick as
well.

If you plan on having leftovers, you may

want to make some extra sauce and
reserve a bit to mix in the next day, as the
pasta will absorb a lot of it overnight.

4. Classic macaroni and cheese

We probably don’t need to remind you

that mac and cheese is the nontomato-
based pasta dish par excellence.

But in case you’ve forgotten, well, it’s time

to reacquaint yourself with the gooiest,
cheesiest, and rib-sticking-est recipe of
them all. (And don’t miss these eight
hacks for levelling up boxed mac and
cheese.)

5. Creamy chicken and

mushroom spaghetti

Hankering for a traditional mushroom

cream sauce? This one is quick to make
from scratch and clings to every strand of
spaghetti like a satin robe.

6. Bucatini with bacon cream

sauce

Cream also pairs perfectly with bacon,

and this simple sauce will gladly go with
any noodle in your pantry. Hello, new
favorite weeknight dinner.

7. Pumpkin gnocchi with sage

creme fraiche sauce

Hazelnuts and sage make for a pretty

magical duo.

The toasted nuts bring an earthy richness

to this dish, while the herbs add fragrant
overtones, creating a sophisticated
marriage of flavors and textures — and
that’s before you even get to the tangy,
silky creme fraiche sauce and naturally
sweet pumpkin pasta.
A D V E RT I S E M E N T

Veggie-based sauces

8. Spinach pesto fusilli

You can make it from virtually any leafy

green pesto. And, you can catalog it as a
whole genre of tomato-less sauces on its
own.

Spinach pesto stands out as perhaps the

most all-purpose of the bunch, however,
with a mild taste that won’t overwhelm
you with an overload of greenage, as some
others do.

If you’re short on pesto inspo, we’ve got

you covered with some ideas:

basil parsley pesto

artichoke pesto

cilantro almond pesto

watercress walnut pesto

9. Spaghetti with roasted

vegetables, pine nuts, and olives

A super chunky sauce of roasted veggies

is perked up by briny olives and
Parmesan. This is perfect for using up
zucchini and other summer squash.

We added bell peppers and onions, too,

but you can really use whatever
vegetables you most like to roast (and
whatever is in season).

10. Pumpkin poblano pasta with

shrimp and baby bok choy

This recipe is ideal for fall, but unlike

your latte, it’s full of real pumpkin flavor
that is as creamy and gently sweet as can
be. The poblano pepper and goat cheese
add more layers that keep it from being a
one-note, and warm spices sneak in, too.

11. Creamy beet linguine with

walnuts and feta

This shocking pink sauce is made from

pureed roasted beets with garlic, red wine
vinegar, and creme fraiche to keep it from
being too sweet — plus hidden white
beans for extra body and nutritional
benefits.

Toasted walnuts, feta, and dill fronds top

it off, but try it with blue cheese if you
have it.

12. Butternut squash

pappardelle

This classic Italian pasta preparation is

best with a delicate, fresh pasta that
complements the tender cubes of
butternut squash and the cream sauce.
The crushed amaretti cookies may sound
like a random garnish, but they’re
actually traditional (and tasty).

13. Basic garlicky spaghetti

Consisting entirely of ingredients you

probably already have in your pantry,
aglio e olio — garlic and olive oil pasta —
is the sort of dish that you’ll return to
time and time again whenever you need a
quick dinner.
A D V E RT I S E M E N T

Citrusy sauces

14. Angel hair pasta with

escarole and blood orange
vinaigrette

Chef Stephanie Izard of Chicago’s Girl &

the Goat restaurant dresses this simple
bowl of pasta with a sprightly blood
orange vinaigrette, with depth from fish
sauce and malt vinegar.

Juicy segments of the citrus, crunchy

pistachios, and hearty greens round out
the meal, which is just as good cold as
fresh from the pot.

15. Seared scallops with lemon

and vodka

Bright lemon always juices up a basic

pasta, and this light, zesty emulsion
proves vodka sauce doesn’t have to use
tomatoes. Fresh tarragon adds an anise
note, and any seared fish or even chicken
would be just as good as the scallops.

16. Lemon parsley shrimp pasta

This equally citrusy twist stars shrimp

and dispenses with the vodka, but does
deglaze the pan with white wine.

It also adds some garlic and red pepper

flakes for heat, plus a healthy dose of
fresh parsley to lift all the flavors at the
end.

Meaty sauces

17. Linguine with clams and

chorizo

Clams come pre-loaded with a sauce of

sorts. Just give them a quick steam and
let them release their briny juices — it’s
liquid gold in a pot.

Our recipe also throws in some chorizo

for a bit of spice, resulting in an easy surf
and turf meal that practically throws
itself together.

18. Milk-braised pork shoulder

ragu with fresh fettuccine

A meaty braise has a two-in-one purpose

when you use it to top pasta: You get
hunks of fork-tender protein, as well as a
deeply savory sauce that ties the whole
dish together.

Using milk as the braising liquid might

sound strange, but it’s utterly delicious.

19. Orecchiette with sausage

and broccoli rabe

We’ll grant that this may be stretching the

definition of a sauce (if the word makes
you picture something that drips from a
spoon).

Still, the combo of sweet Italian sausage,

pleasantly bitter broccoli rabe, fragrant
garlic, and spicy red pepper flakes is
cooked in just enough olive oil to form a
slick coating that transforms into a sauce
with the addition of pasta cooking water
and grated cheese.

Don’t skip the nutty toasted breadcrumbs

on top!

Asian-inspired sauces

20. Tuna noodle salad

No fresh seafood? Canned tuna is a

surprisingly delicious addition to a bowl
of noodles, especially dressed with a
simple Japanese-inspired vinaigrette of
soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, mirin, and
sesame oil. (If you like them, try sardines
in pasta too.)

Feel free to use this with any noodles you

want to, and load it up with fresh
scallions to really bring it to life.

21. Life-changing peanut butter

noodles

These vegan peanut butter noodles from

Choosing Chia make the dream of a 30-
minute dinner a reality. A creamy sauce
full of nutty flavor whisks together with
just a handful of ingredients, then gets
poured over quick-cooking rice noodles.
A D V E RT I S E M E N T

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