Red vs. White Pasta Sauce

As you probably already know by now, the sky’s the limit as far as what you can do with pasta recipes. There are tons of different foods you can add to mix up the flavor, different types of pasta to use, and different sauces as well! Red and white pasta sauce are two of the most popular sauces to use with pasta recipes. Depending on which one you use, it could make or break your dish! In order to figure out the best pasta sauce to use with your recipe, we’ve assembled the biggest differences between red and white pasta sauce below.

Best Pairings

Believe it or not, there are certain types of pasta which red sauce and white sauce pair best with! The texture and composition of each sauce is generally the deciding factor here. Red sauce is a lot lighter than white sauce, which makes it pair well with thin and long noodles like spaghetti and angel hair. White sauce is thicker, which makes it pair well with thicker noodles and short shaped pastas. Pastas like penne and rigatoni are flexible in that they can pair well with both types of pasta sauce.

Health Benefits

There’s a reason why white pasta sauce is so thick: it has a lot more calories! It’s also a significant source of calcium and protein, which can both be beneficial for your body. However, it also contains a lot of cholesterol and fat, which cements it as the least healthy of the two sauces. On the other hand, red sauce has less calories. It is also a great source of vitamins A and C, calcium and iron. Red sauce is easily the healthiest option, but that doesn’t mean that you should avoid white sauce; it has its health benefits, too!

Flavour

When making a pasta dish, you should also be taking the flavor of the sauce into account. After all, you want to make sure that the flavors compliment each other well! Red pasta sauce is a bit more varied in its flavor; depending on how you make it, it could be spicy or have chunks of meat in it. Generally, red sauce is very light and you won’t get as much flavor from it. On the other hand, white sauce has a creamy texture and has a more delicate taste. It is a lot richer than red sauce, so your taste buds will definitely get more from it.

Pasta and Italian Cuisine at Bricco

At Bricco, we carry a lot of different pasta dishes that make full use of the sauces we have available. We also include an array of artisanal pasta for an explosion of flavor! They pair perfectly with our selection of wine and cocktails for a meal that’s sure to leave you satisfied. To experience it for yourself, make a reservation with us today!