15 Of The Best Non-Pasta Sauces That Will Seriously Upgrade Spaghetti

When it comes to spaghetti, there's more to know than how to cook it perfectly every time. Some foods are best defined by the toppings that go on them, and spaghetti is no different. Certainly starting with high-quality noodles can make or break a dish, but what you put on it matters. If you feel like you've been stuck in a rut in the sauce department, leaning on the same old classic marinara or pesto recipe, you may want to keep reading.

As a professional chef with nearly 18 years of experience running a fine dining restaurant and a degree in cultural anthropology, the lens through which I view food is perhaps slightly off-kilter compared with others. I often scour the culinary traditions of cultures across the globe, searching for ways to jazz up some of the most beloved and well-known foods. One such dish is spaghetti. Show me a non-pasta sauce from Greece, Morocco, India, and beyond, and I'll tell you why it will seriously upgrade your next batch of spaghetti. The following are just a few of my favorites.

Where obvious sauces for use on spaghetti are concerned, a simple Argentinian chimichurri comes to mind. While the origins of this sauce are murky, its pervasiveness across the South American country and beyond cannot be ignored. This sauce is typically served alongside meats of all kinds, particularly asado, or grilled meat prepared over a parilla. The most common iteration of this sauce is green, and consists of fresh herbs, vinegar, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and crushed red pepper flakes.

If this gives you pesto vibes, it should. The texture is similarly coarse and its bright herbaceousness is somewhat reminiscent of the Genovese classic. That said, its flavor is decidedly different. The added red pepper flakes and abundance of garlic give this sauce a spicy finish that perks up your taste buds. When tossing this with spaghetti, you might consider adding in some crispy pancetta or chorizo for a little burst of umami richness to help accentuate the acidic and slightly bitter components.

If you have ever spent any time in Morocco, you will likely come across a fish tagine or chicken dish that has been prepared using a verdant, spice-infused paste known as chermoula. This roughly ground combination of garlic, fresh herbs, preserved lemon, olive oil, and a spice blend called ras el hanout, is a common sight in households across the North African country.

What truly differentiates this sauce from other herb-based ones, like pesto, is the ras el hanout. Translated to "top of the shop," this spice blend can contain up to 40 different spices, often showcasing the blend of sweet and savory, for which Morocco is so well-known. When combined with spaghetti, the heat of the noodles amplifies the aroma and flavor of the spices, infusing them and spreading them across your palate. Try topping this Maghreb-inspired mash-up with grilled shrimp or salmon for a truly delightful culinary experience.

While Indian cuisine is certainly not a monolith, there are a number of different types of curries that would be good candidates for serving atop spaghetti. Few are as well-suited to this purpose as a classic korma. Korma is a variety of curry that harkens back to the Mughlai culinary tradition of the 16th century. This cuisine is characterized by its use of spices, nuts, and dried fruits. Korma, in particular, can be served with a variety of different foods, from meats to vegetables to rice, making it a natural fit for pasta.

A classic korma is rich, velvety, and nutty and has a thick texture that enrobes spaghetti beautifully. The base typically features a combination of garlic and ginger paste for aromatics, tomatoes for acidity, garam masala or curry powder for flavor, red chili pepper for heat, and ground almonds or cashews for a toasty undertone. These are unified with yogurt or coconut cream, or both, for a truly decadent texture. When serving this on spaghetti, consider pairing it with curry-crusted lamb chops for a truly spectacular Indian-inspired meal.

When it comes to spaghetti, tomato sauces of all kinds are a natural fit, and salsas of any kind can also work quite well. That said, a specific type of salsa would be even more ideal — pico de gallo. In case you were wondering, the difference between pico de gallo and salsa is pretty simple. Pico de gallo is a chunky, uncooked variety of salsa that typically features ripe tomatoes, cilantro, onions, jalapaños, and fresh lime juice, and it can occasionally include a variety of tropical fruits, like pineapples or mangos.

A delicious and simple Italian recipe is pasta alla checca. This dish doesn't rely on cooked tomatoes, but rather fresh ones combined with basil, buffalo mozzarella, and olive oil that are gently tossed with hot, cooked noodles. Pico de gallo can easily be used as a substitute for these ingredients, to give a similarly flavorful dish with a bit of a kick. Simply add some queso fresco and garnish it with any protein that you're craving for a unique spin on this classic.

Another obvious, but no less unique, mash-up is swapping a classic Italian salsa verde with a Mexican one. The two are similar, yet different. The classic Italian green sauce is made from a combination of bright parsley, briny capers, salty anchovies, acidic vinegar, and zesty garlic and onions. It occasionally uses breadcrumbs as a binder, though this isn't essential. The sauce can be tossed over pasta, meat, vegetables, potatoes, or practically anything that might benefit from a complex, umami-rich flavor.

While a Mexican salsa verde recipe is usually less complex, it's no less flavorful. It fuses ripe tomatillos with garlic, onions, cilantro, and lime for an equally vibrant sauce that works beautifully as a substitute. For a hint more bold flavor, try grilling or roasting the tomatillos to get a rich char on them. This will help layer some smoky elements while tempering their tartness and accentuating their sweeter, citrusy flavor notes. When tossed with spaghetti, add umami elements by combining the Mexican salsa verde with grilled seafood or fish or, for a vegetarian option, try some roasted portobello mushroom slices.

One of the truly great sauce traditions of the world is a traditional mole, which originated among the pre-Hispanic peoples of modern-day Mexico. These types of sauce are most commonly associated with two regions of Mexico, Puebla and Oaxaca, which is recognized as the land of seven moles. All the different types of mole recipes, regardless of which region they come from, can be characterized by their complex ingredients, careful preparation, and nuanced flavor profiles.

Some of the best substitutions for classic pasta sauces on spaghetti include the sweet and spicy mole poblano, a light mole verde, and the rare and creamy mole blanco. These all work so well on pasta because of their rich texture and bold flavor, which envelop spaghetti the same way an Alfredo sauce might. Though you may not need a protein with a mole, if you are looking to round out the meal, keep things simple. You want the ingredients of the mole to shine and not have to compete with a lot of spices on any protein you might add.

This one is really not that much of a stretch, nor is it a surprise. While Italians may not top their spaghetti with a peanut sauce, it is not uncommon to top noodles with it in Thai cuisine. Nam Jim Satay is a classic peanut sauce that's typically made from roasted peanuts, tamarind purée, palm sugar, garlic, and curry paste. This sauce is usually served with a classic chicken satay, though it often finds its way into stir fries and dressings for cold sesame noodle salad recipes.

Though rice noodles are the most common type served in Thailand, spaghetti can easily be substituted in many Thai recipes featuring a peanut sauce. For a spin on pad thai, combine sautéed carrots, bean sprouts, green onions, and shrimp with spaghetti and a spicy peanut sauce. Garnish with chopped, toasted peanuts and cilantro for a dish that will surely perk up your taste buds.

Call it a dip, call it a dressing, call it a sauce ... whatever you call it, tzatziki is the Greek recipe you should start using on spaghetti, pronto. This refreshing combination of shredded cucumbers, fresh herbs, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil is a game-changer when added to pasta. In fact, it's a go-to when you are looking for the creamiest pasta salad, but want to lighten things up by eliminating the mayo.

It works so well because of the full-fat Greek yogurt, which has a rich mouthfeel and won't separate when added to the warm noodles. That said, you'll want to cool the pasta slightly so that it doesn't cook the cucumbers. Additionally, reserve a hint of the starchy pasta water to combine with the tzatziki and spaghetti to help bind the sauce to the noodles. Try garnishing this dish with roasted chicken, falafel, or grilled salmon for a Mediterranean-inspired meal fit for royalty.

Among the classic French mother sauces that lend themselves to adorning spaghetti is hollandaise sauce. This may sound like a belly bomb, but if used with a delicate hand, the results are nothing short of spectacular. The inspiration for this combination is a classic spaghetti alla carbonara. This dish uses the heat of the noodles and fatty pancetta to cook eggs and melt parmesan cheese so that they coat the pasta in a rich, creamy sauce that's loaded with umami flavor.

Though not exactly the same, a dash of hollandaise carefully stirred into warm pasta can have similarly spectacular results. The key is to add the hollandaise over gentle heat so that it doesn't separate. Try adding some crispy lardons or bits of bacon to the pasta for crunch, and some freshly blanched peas or asparagus for a hint of color. Mushrooms can boost the umami flavors of hollandaise even more, and if you don't want to change the texture of the hollandaise, simply whiz dehydrated mushrooms in a food processor or coffee grinder until they are turned into a powder and sprinkle a dash of this into your prepared hollandaise for a fun and fungal play on a masterpiece.

Yet another delightful French sauce to use on spaghetti is one of the mother sauces you may not be familiar with — an espagnole. This is a savory, umber-hued, luxurious sauce that originated in Spain, but was popularized in France. It begins with a dark roux, augmented with beef or veal stock and tomato purée, seasoned with a bay leaf, peppercorns, thyme, and parsley. The resulting mixture is strained to remove any bits, leaving behind a perfectly luxurious, savory concentration that's usually transformed into various other sauces, like a classic chasseur or Bercy, rather than used on its own.

Because of its intense flavor, before adding it to spaghetti, try combining espagnole sauce with caramelized onions and mushrooms and a dash of dry sherry. You can also stir in some fresh ricotta or burrata for added creaminess. This can be served with any kind of meat, though beef or game meats are the best suited.

A sauce that is near and dear to my heart is one that I grew up eating, called Vadas. This is a sauce that my Hungarian grandmother used to make often. It's a combination of caramelized onions, carrots, and parsnips that are blended together until smooth, with stock, mustard, sugar, and lemon juice. This combination gives it a bright orange hue and a sweet and tangy flavor that's entirely unique. While my grandmother served it over pork, it can also be served over beef, vegetables, or, in this case, pasta.

Its distinct texture and bright, acidic but sweet taste, make it a nice alternative to marinara sauce on pasta. The sauce easily enrobes spaghetti noodles with just a little help from some of the reserved, starchy pasta cooking water. Because of its unique flavor profile, I recommend keeping accompaniments simple with this sauce. Grilled chicken or pork will work beautifully, cut into chunks and tossed along with the pasta and sauce.

When it comes to umami-rich sauces, few can hold a candle to the richly flavored ponzu of Japan. Ponzu translates to "vinegar punch," and is so versatile that it's used on a wide variety of dishes in Japan, ranging from sashimi and grilled meats to salads and soba noodles. The sauce is made from a combination of juices from citrus fruits, including yuzu, kabosu, and sudachi, together with vinegar, soy sauce, dashi, sugar, and mirin. These ingredients combine to give it a complexity of acidity, sweetness, and savoriness, that fuses all five flavors to titillate every one of your taste buds.

Though it may seem unorthodox to serve ponzu on spaghetti, it isn't all that out of left field. Like soba or udon noodles, when doused in the ponzu, the spaghetti will absorb these complex flavors. Try tossing in some stir-fried matchstick carrots, peppers, and green onions, and garnish the dish with seared shrimp or grilled salmon for a light, Asian-inspired dinner that will overflow with umami notes.

In the canon of green sauces that can easily be swapped for both Italian salsa verde and a classic Genovese pesto is the beloved Peruvian ají verde. This sauce gets its lush hue from fresh cilantro and its kick from garlic and a Peruvian ají amarillo chili paste. It is puréed together with lime juice and mayonnaise for a creamy, dreamy sauce that's equal parts zesty and fresh.

While it can be (and is) used on virtually everything, it's especially delectable on pasta. It brings a smooth, luxurious texture to freshly cooked spaghetti, while the heat of the pasta helps to open up the pungent spiciness of the peppers and the brightness of the herbs. This sauce lends itself to a number of different proteins, including grilled seafood, fish, chicken, and beef. For a special treat, try marinating some skirt steak in this sauce before popping it on the grill. Toss slices of the medium-rare steak onto the pasta and you have a Latin-inspired menu that will have you dancing in the streets.

If you have ever eaten Colombian cuisine, you may be familiar with the classic condiment or sofrito-style sauce known as hogao. This sauce, made from onions, tomatoes, peppers, and spices, resembles salsa and a chunky Italian gravy. The key to this sauce is the seasoning. While it can be made more or less spicy, it's often produced using a spice blend called sazón. The base flavor of sazón is annatto, which gives it its distinct red hue. It also contains coriander, cumin, oregano, and turmeric, giving it a sweet, spicy, and citrusy flair that sets hogao apart from other tomato-based sauces.

Though you can use this sauce as-is with spaghetti, you may want to help dilute it with a hint of starchy pasta water to help it adhere to the noodles. hogao calls for boldly-flavored proteins. Though this can be seafood, fish, chicken, or pork, make sure these are flavored equally as heavily using that sazón seasoning blend or another spice blend with a similar flavor profile.

When it comes to condiments, one of the most popular in America is barbecue sauce. While every region in the U.S. is known for its own unique twist on this classic, what makes barbecue sauce so great for spaghetti, as a general rule, is its sweet, acidic, savory flavor profile. These flavor notes are similar to many of the sauces that Italians have perfected for use with pasta. In addition, many barbecue sauces are made using ketchup, which further likens them to classic tomato-based pasta sauces.

While you may think it contradictory, I recommend leaning into some of the more unusual and underrated barbecue sauces out there when searching for ways to upgrade spaghetti. Those that are sweetened with molasses and have a hint of smokiness add complexity to the noodles, as do those featuring bold flavors, like Carolina-style tangy gold sauces, which are seasoned with mustard. Garnish this pasta with some pulled pork, smoked brisket, or grilled chicken, and toss in some nutty and salty freshly grated Grana Padano cheese for the ultimate mash-up.