Sofrito is heavily emphasized as the third critical component in a "sofregit" base along with tomatoes and onions. Garlic is optional, as it is not considered an integral part of the standard "sofregit" recipe. Some "sofregit" recipes do not contain tomatoes at all, but are made more complex with the addition of diced vegetables such as leeks or bell peppers. In Italian cuisine, chopped onions, carrots and celery is battuto, and then, slowly cooked in olive oil, becomes "soffritto". It is used as the base for most pasta sauces, such as arrabbiata sauce, but occasionally it can be used as the
Garlic sauce on chicken wings, ribs and other foods such as meatballs. In Cuban cuisine, mojo applies to any sauce that is made with garlic, olive oil or pork lard, and a citrus juice, traditionally bitter orange juice. It is commonly used to flavor the cassava tuber and is also used to marinate roast pork. Without oregano, the sauce is typically called 'mojito' and used for dipping plantain chips and fried cassava (yuca). To create the marinade for pork, the ingredients are bitter orange juice, garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt. Garlic is also used as an ingredient in other preparations of mojo