Pesto sauces are world famous and ideal when used with durum wheat pasta types. The best pesto sauces are produced almost exclusively on the northern Mediterranean coast near to the French boarder, in the Liguria region, which, thanks to the particular climate, has for centuries harvested the basil and pine nuts that form the base of pesto sauce. Pesto is frequently used with just a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, although it can be mixed with ingredients such as mushrooms and bacon.
When opened and then stored in the refrigerator, it's best to add a teaspoon of olive oil to cover the pesto sauce.

Tomato base pasta sauces are flexible in their use, and can be used either straight from the jar, or as a base to which one adds meats, cheeses, or vegetables before adding them to a chosen pasta with a dash of extra virgin olive oil. Add to cooked and drained egg pasta a dash of olive oil and one of the preheated tomato based sauces dependant on individual tastes.

Pasta Sauces such as the Ragu or the Barolo sauce are a defined flavour to be used with pasta without any further preparation. A sprinkling of parmesan with a few leaves of basil and a chopped tomato is normally sufficient to finish the dish.

Cooking Sauces are a more flexible alternative to pasta sauces as they can be used not only with pasta dishes, but also to flavour rice, as an accompaniment to various meats, as a simple dip, or to make a tasty bruschetta. Dependant upon the final dish, it may be appropriate to dilute them with a little milk, oil, or water in order to obtain the consistency required. Lovely when spread finely on toasted bread, and then popped under the grill to make a traditional bruschetta.