Not every pasta noodle needs to be dressed heavily with creamy or meaty sauces. Thinner pastas appreciate light coatings. These five-ingredient pasta sauces taste fresh and vibrant. Very little cooking is needed. No long hours of simmering or tedious prep work of peeling and seeding tomatoes. The first two really only require heating to release juices or melt butter. The last sauce needs no cooking or heating at all.

Perfect for the final days of summer when you want to enjoy those last backyard tomato or basil harvests without spending a lot of time over a hot stove. If you’re low-carbing it, consider dressing fresh poached, sautéed or grilled fish filets or chicken breasts with these sauces. Oh, and they all freeze well, too.

Fresh Tomato Sauce
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and minced
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, washed and chopped
7-8 fresh, vine-ripened Roma tomatoes
¼ cup Romano cheese, grated

Wash and dice tomatoes. No need to peel or seed, if using Romas. In a hot skillet, heat olive oil. Add minced garlic and sauté for a minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté for a few minutes to release some of the liquid. Add the chopped basil leaves and Romano cheese. Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Salt and pepper to taste.

Toss in hot, drained angel hair pasta or serve over grilled chicken or fish.


Easy Lemon-Caper Sauce

2 fresh lemons
½ Tbsp. capers
½ cup butter
¼ cup olive oil
1 clove fresh garlic, minced

In a skillet or sauté pan, heat olive oil and melt butter. Add minced garlic. Squeeze juice from two fresh lemons. Add capers and stir well. Salt and pepper to taste.

Toss in hot, drained angel hair pasta or serve over grilled chicken or fish. Garnish with thin slices of fresh lemon.


Fresh Pesto Sauce

1 cup fresh basil
4 Tbsp. fresh pine nuts, toasted
1 clove fresh garlic
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
¼ cup olive oil

In a food processor or blender, whir together all ingredients. Drizzle in more olive oil as needed to achieve the desired smooth consistency. A thicker sauce makes a good spread for crostini while a thinner sauce will coat pasta. Salt and pepper to taste.

Toss in hot, drained angel hair pasta or serve over grilled chicken or fish.