Mediterranean Sauce Kitchen:
Western and Central European Mediterranean

Mayonnaise-style sauce made with garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and egg yolk. Used to add richness to soups, paellas, fideus and other dishes.

Find an aioli recipe from The New York Times here.

A mixture of garlic, pimentón, olive oil, marcona almonds, saffron, parsley and tomato.

Find an All i Pebres recipe from The Spanish Chef here.

Creamy emulsified sauce made with finely grated hard cheese, garlic, roasted tomatoes, guindilla peppers, and olive oil. Served as a dip or sauce with boiled eggs, potatoes, vegetables, or bread.

Find an Almogrote recipe from Spain Buddy here.

Classic Provençal dip made with anchovies, garlic, vinegar, and olive oil. Served with vegetables as a dip, or used as a spread.

Find an anchoiade recipe from Serious Eats here.

A warm garlic and anchovy infused olive oil. Used as a warm dip for vegetables and bread.

Find a Bagna Cauda from Serious Eats here.

Sweet and sour eggplant side dish or dip made with sautéed eggplant, onions, celery, red pepper, garlic, tomatoes, capers, olives, olive oil, vinegar, and sugar. Serve with bread, breadsticks, vegetables, or meats.

Find a caponata recipe from David Lebovitz here.

A sauce used to preserve made from a mixture of two parts olive oil to one part vinegar, seasoned with garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt.

Find an Escabeche recipe from Simply recipes here.

Creamy puree of tomatoes,  cucumbers, peppers, garlic, bread and olive oil. Ajo blanco, or white gazpacho is made from blended grapes, almonds, bread and olive oil. Traditionally served as soup, but has also been served as a sauce in modern kitchens.

Find a gazpacho recipe from Food and Wine here.

Spicy pepper sauce made from picon peppers, garlic, cumin, pimentón, vinegar, and olive oil. Green versions, called sala verde, are made from cilantro, parsley, and green peppers. Served with vegetables and seafood.

Find a Mojo Pican recipe from Maria Jose Villa here.

A bright and fresh pesto made with tomatoes, basil, garlic, almonds and chiles and olive oil.

Find Lidia Bastianich’s Pesto Trapanese recipe here. 

Rich pounded paste of basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and olive oil. Sicilian pesto is made with pistachios, garlic and olive oil.

Find a Pesto recipe from Bon Appetit here.

A dense pounded paste of fried bread, almonds or hazelnuts, lemon, garlic, olive oil and spices. Variations are made with saffron, chocolate, or herbs. Picada has a similar texture to pesto, and is traditionally used as a thickening agent or seasoning for meats, seafood or vegetable dishes.

Find a Picada recipe from My Kitchen in Spain here.

Find a Picada recipe from Olive Oils from Spain here.

Classic Basque sauce prepared from the gelatin or collagen juices released when cooking the skin of salt cod. The garlic and guindillas chiles-infused olive oil is emulsified by gently shaking the cazuela it is cooking in. Pil Pil is traditionally served with bacalao.

Find a Pil Pil recipe from Olive Oils from Spain here.

Red, green and/or yellow peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic and Espelette peppers, cooked in olive oil to a relish-like consistency. Used as a base for braised dishes, or as a dip or spread.

Find a Pipérade recipe from Nigella Lawson here.

Spicy red chile sauce from fresh or dried piri piri chiles seasoned with garlic, vinegar or lemon, and olive oil. Can be used as a marinade for chicken or meat, or as a spicy condiment.

Find a Piri Piri recipe from Food and Wine here.

Pistou is made from basil, garlic, lemon zest, tomato, parmesan cheese, and olive oil. Used to finish soups or stews – lending a bright, garlicky, herbaceous flavor.

Find a pistou recipe from David Lebovitz here.

Fresh Tuscan tomato sauce, made with tomatoes, onions, carrots, celery, parsley, basil, garlic, and olive oil.

Find a Pomarola recipe from The Florentine here.

Delicious, rich, nutty, coarse puree of red peppers, tomatoes, garlic, almonds or hazelnuts, dried red peppers (noras), vinegar or lemon, and olive oil. Served with vegetables, fish, or poultry.

Find a Romesco recipe from Saveur here.

Similar to a spicy red pepper aioli, this rich, creamy sauce is made with blended red pepper, bread, egg yolk, garlic, olive oil, and lemon. Rouille is used to finish bouillabaisse, and spread on toast.

Find a Rouille recipe from Bon Appetit here.

Sauce made with olive oil, lemon, parsley, pepperoncino, oregano, garlic and chiles. Traditionally served on seafood.

Find a Salmoriglio recipe from Food and Wine here. 

Spicy tomato sauce seasoned with pimentón, red peppers, garlic, onions and olive oil. Traditionally served on fried potatoes at tapas bars, it can also be served with sautéed shrimp or vegetables.

Find Andrew Zimmern’ Salsa Brava recipe here. 

Find a Salsa Brava recipe from Olive Oils from Spain here.

Bright green sauce, slightly chunky or smooth, made with parsley, anchovies, capers, pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil. Variations contain mint or cilantro. Delicious with seafood, poultry or meats, eggs, and vegetables. Can use as a spread or sauce.

Find Lidia Bastianich’s Salsa Verde recipe here. 

Find a Salsa Verde recipe from Serious Eats here. 

Low and slow cooked eggplant, zucchini, peppers, garlic, onions, pimentón, olives, and olive oil meld into a marmalade-type consistency. Served as a sauce or as an accompaniment or base for meats, fish, or poultry.

Find a Samfaina recipe from Olive Oils from Spain here.

Similar to Italian salsa verde, but made with parsley, tarragon or chervil, mustard, capers, lemon, and olive oil. Can be smooth or coarse, and served with protein or vegetables.

Find a Sauce Verte recipe from the Seattle Times here.

Carrots, celery, and onions cooked in olive oil. Similar to mirepoix, it is used as a base or foundation to build on. Variations can include garlic, parsley, fennel, wine, mushrooms, and peppers. It can be used as the foundation of tomato sauces, braises, or bean dishes.

Slow cooked onions with green peppers, garlic and tomato sauce. Used as an aromatic base ingredient in paellas, fideaus and many Spanish dishes.

Find a Sofrito recipe from Foods and Wines from Spain here.

Classic Provençal condiment made from olives, capers, anchovies, garlic, herbs, lemon and olive oil. Can be used with grilled fish or meats. Also used as a spread. Can be diluted with olive oil or used as the base of a vinaigrette.

Find a Tapenade recipe from Saveur here.

Rich and tangy emulsified sauce prepared from pureed tuna, olive oil based mayonnaise, parsley, capers, anchovies, cornichons, mustard, vinegar or lemon, and olive oil.

Find a tonnato recipe from Food and Wine here.

Versatile sauce made from red onions, garlic, choricero peppers and sometimes tomatoes. Served with seafood, and fish.

Find a vizcaina recipe from Wine Magazine here.

Find a vizcaina recipe from Spanish Food here.

Bread, hazelnuts or almonds, garlic, vinegar and noras pounded to a smooth paste, used as a dressing for Xato salad.

Find a xató recipe from Food52 here.