Neapolitan sauce Neapolitan sauce Neapolitan sauce, also called Napoli sauce or Napoletana sauce is the collective name given (outside Italy) to various basic tomato-based sauces derived from Italian cuisine, often served over or alongside pasta. In Naples, Neapolitan sauce is simply referred to as la salsa, which literally translates to the sauce. Basil, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, peppercorns, cloves, olives, and mushrooms may be included depending on taste preferences. Some variants include carrots and celery. The basic sauce is vegetarian, although meat such as minced beef or sausage can be added. Many Italians (including Neapolitans) do not know what Neapolitan sauce is,
Vodka sauce Vodka sauce Vodka sauce is an American cuisine sauce made from a smooth tomato sauce, vodka, typical Italian herbs and heavy cream, which gives the sauce its distinctive orange coloration. It gained popularity in the 1970s, when a variation won a national recipe contest in Italy, although it may well have been a sauce before its popularization in the 1970s. It is a key ingredient in penne alla vodka. The vodka's function is, ostensibly, to release flavors in the tomato that are normally inaccessible; using alcoholic beverages for this purpose is common in Italian cooking, although usually accomplished with wine.