Alfredo vs Marinara sauce – The two most popular Italian sauces get the full treatment in this post discussing the powerhouses of pasta dishes. From pasta to chicken parmesan, white or red isn’t just a question for wine anymore. Spaghetti night is about to get a lot more interesting!
What is Marinara Sauce?
Traditional marinara Sauce is a very simple tomato-based sauce with minimal, basic ingredients including tomatoes, onion, garlic, and Italian herbs and seasonings. This tomato sauce does not require a long simmer time and can be made on the stove top in under 30 minutes.
Marinara can be made using any base of tomatoes, but plum, Roma, or San Marzano tomatoes work the best. You can find my favorite homemade marinara recipe here!
This red sauce is also a great starter for all types of different sauces from a spicy Fra Diavolo to a meaty bolognese sauce and so much more.
What Is Alfredo Sauce?
Alfredo sauce is a thick, buttery, cheesy, creamy sauce. It was originally made in the early 1900s by Italian chef Alfredo Di Lelio. His version contains only butter, cheese, and pasta. American Alfredo sauce commonly adds heavy whipping cream, milk, and/or flour to thicken the sauce.
This simple sauce is most commonly served with fettuccine, but check out some of the other great uses below and this great recipe for homemade Alfredo sauce made with cream cheese! If you’re more comfortable using jarred Alfredo, check out this post on how to make store-bought Alfredo even tastier!
How to Use Marinara Sauce
There are so, so many tasty uses for this simple sauce. Here are just a few of my favorite.
- Pour it over the top of cooked plain pasta of any kind.
- Dip bread sticks, mozzarella sticks, zucchini fries, jalapeno poppers or pizza bites into it.
- Use it in place of store-bought sauce in your next pan of Baked Spaghetti or Baked Ziti.
- Replace pizza sauce with either of these options on your next homemade pizza. Thaw pizza dough from the grocery store or make your own!
- Lasagna and Cheesy Manicotti are both sooo good when made with either sauce.
- Use it as an ingredient to stuff spaghetti squash with.
- Add it to your morning eggs because everything tastes great with eggs. Seriously, try it.
How to Use Alfredo Sauce
Of course, the classic choice for this creamy pasta sauce is to make a big batch of fettuccine and toss it in the sauce and then serve the Alfredo pasta with some garlic bread. But here are some other great options for using Alfredo sauce that I think you might just love.
- As an appetizer or dip with simple garlic crostini and some vegetables. It’s amazing with air fried zucchini chips or tempura broccoli.
- For a cheesy taste bud explosion, try dipping these amazing homemade crispy air fryer mozzarella sticks in the Alfredo instead of marinara sauce.
- Serve it over meatloaf and egg noodles. You’re welcome.
- Replace pizza sauce with this homemade Alfredo cream cheese recipe on your next pizza!
- Dip breadsticks or this delicious garlic bread into it. YUM!
- Chicken Alfredo makes the perfect easy weeknight dinner. Top with fresh parsley and black pepper!
- Use it in this Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole (best. casserole. ever.)
- Heat it up and pour it over hot fettuccine pasta noodles or your favorite cooked pasta such as Instant Pot shrimp scampi or angel hair pasta.
- Use Alfredo sauce to turn traditional lasagna into a white lasagna by replacing spaghetti sauce with Alfredo sauce and ground beef with shredded chicken.
- Add it to your next batch of scalloped potatoes.
- Mix it with cooked spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles for a healthier version of fettuccine alfredo.
How to Freeze Tomatoes for Future Use
If you have a slew of garden tomatoes on your hands, or if you find a great sale, be sure to freeze extras so you can turn them into a sauce later.
Prepping fresh tomatoes for freezing is super easy! Don’t waste those juicy red morsels that have spent the summer growing in your garden.
Learn the best method for freezing whole tomatoes and how to thaw and use them in the winter months!
Can You Freeze Marinara Sauce?
Absolutely! Allow marinara to cool completely before storing. Store marinara sauce in the freezer for up to 4 months. When you are ready to use the sauce, remove it from the freezer and allow it to thaw completely in the refrigerator or at room temp. Pour it into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes before serving.
Can You Freeze Alfredo Sauce?
To freeze leftover Alfredo sauce, allow it to cool completely. Transfer it to a heavy-duty freezer bag or airtight container. If using a freezer bag, remove as much of the air as possible before sealing. Freeze for up to 3 months for best results.
Thaw alfredo sauce in the fridge the night before you are ready to use it. Warm on the stove top, giving it a good stir to bring it back to life and to give it that creamy texture. Check out this post for how to reheat Alfredo sauce with perfect results.
How To Tell if Marinara Sauce is Bad
Mold or visible signs of spoilage are the best way to tell if sauce has gone bad. Bad sauce can also have unpleasant odors or discoloration where it becomes a maroon color as opposed to its typical bright red color.
If nothing seems really off but the fresh flavor is gone, stay on the safe side in order to avoid food poisoning and discard it.
How To Tell if Alfredo Sauce is Bad
To determine whether or not alfredo sauce has gone bad, open the container and give it a good sniff to detect an off odor. If you detect a sour smell, it’s likely past its expiration. Visible mold or bacteria is a definite sign that it needs to be tossed.
FAQs for Marinara Sauce
Store homemade marinara sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If there are visible signs of mold, discard the sauce. To extend the shelf life, freeze it! Allow the sauce to cool completely and pour it into an airtight container.
Since tomatoes and spices make up most of the ingredients in marinara sauce, it is one of the healthier dipping sauces. If you are looking for a boost in calories or fat, marinara is not a good fit. If you’re looking for a leaner, veggie-based, light sauce, you have found it.
Yes! Marinara sauce can definitely be used in place of pizza sauce. Pizza sauce is typically a bit thicker in consistency, but the two can be used interchangeably.
FAQs for Alfredo Sauce
Flavorful additions to Alfredo sauce include fresh basil and oregano, fresh cracked black pepper, minced garlic or garlic powder. You can also grate in some extra fresh parmigiano reggiano or pecorino cheese and a little infused oil or basil pesto whisked in as the sauce thickens.
Traditional Alfredo sauce is made with only butter and cheese, but one of the main ingredients in Italian-American creation uses cream and sometimes flour. Carbonara sauce is made with eggs, butter, cheese, and pancetta or bacon.
Authentic Italian Alfredo sauce doesn’t use milk or cream. In the United States, Alfredo sauce is usually made with heavy cream, parmesan cheese and butter. Whole milk is often used as a substitute ingredient for the heavy cream.
More Homemade Sauce Recipes
Making homemade sauces is a great way to know exactly what ingredients are going into them, they are more affordable than store-bought and honestly, they’re just tastier!
- Enchilada Sauce is more delicious than anything you can buy at the store and it is super easy to make. It only requires a handful of ingredients and is done in 15 minutes, with perfect flavor and consistency.
- This homemade Pizza Sauce takes less than 25 minutes to make!
Make your own Taco Sauce taco sauce to use in a variety of Mexican dishes, such as tacos, burritos and taco salads. Ditch the store-bought version so you know EXACTLY what goes inside! Make this quick sauce with a handful of ingredients and in just a few minutes.
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