Best Ever Spaghetti Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What makes spaghetti sauce taste better? ›

Tossing in strips of basil, a sprig of thyme or some oregano can take your sauce to the next level. Although fresh herbs might pop a bit more, dried herbs and spices can work just as well. Sprinkling in some red pepper flakes, a pinch of parsley and a dash of salt and pepper can liven up your jarred pasta sauce.

For best flavor, use certified San Marzano tomatoes. Add Parmesan cheese into the sauce while cooking. Use no salt added tomatoes. Use ground beef to cut down on sodium content.

Olives and capers add a punch of briny goodness and give tomato sauce some real personality. Toss in some chopped or whole, pitted olives and/or a handful of drained capers after heating the sauce for several minutes. Or, if you're adding garlic or sautéed vegetables, add to the sauté just before you pour in the sauce.

Up until the early 1900s, the U.S. had a limited tomato supply, and it didn't stack up to Italian standards. It is widely held that Italian immigrants began adding sugar to their sauce to make up for the overly acidic tomatoes they were forced to work with in their new home.

Assuming we'e talking about tomato sauce, a long, slow simmer helps reduce the acidity of the tomatoes and brings out their sweetness. People pass up this time consuming step by adding a bit of sugar to their sauce, or adding grated carrots, but neither method gives you the same delicious depth of flavor.

How long can I simmer tomato sauce for? Simmering can take as long as you want; and the longer something simmers, the more flavor it will have. However, simmering also evaporates the liquid in the pot, so you will need to check to see if more water (or whatever liquid you are using) needs to be added.

Yes, sugar might make the sauce taste better, but good old baking soda is an alkaline that will help balance the excess acid. A little pinch should do the trick.

Whether you're using fresh or canned tomatoes, consider roasting them next time you make sauce. This one simple thing will completely change the dynamic of the sauce. Roasted tomatoes give a robust depth of flavor to an otherwise simple sauce. Heat equals flavor, folks.

Why add Worcestershire sauce to spaghetti sauce? ›

If using tomato paste, you will need to add 1 cup of water and allow the sauce to simmer. Worcestershire sauce – (Optional) Deepens the flavor of the sauce. I love to use Coconut aminos in place of the Worcestershire sauce.

Your spaghetti sauce may taste bland due to insufficient seasoning. Try adding more salt, herbs (like basil, oregano, or thyme), and other flavor enhancers like garlic, onion, or red pepper flakes. Also, a dash of sugar can balance flavors and bring out the natural sweetness of tomatoes.

Tomatoes is the most popular ingredient in spaghetti sauce dishes. In fact, over 90% of spaghetti sauce recipes contain tomatoes. Variations of tomatoes include: tomato sauce: 15% of recipes.

Approximately three dashes or ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg is plenty for a jar of tomato sauce. If you are making a large batch, add a bit more for good measure. While the flavor should be subtle, you still want it to make the other ingredients shine, so feel free to play around with the quantity until you get it just right.

Step 4: Add Pasta Water

Once the pasta is in the sauce, add pasta water. This is the most vital step in the process. Starchy pasta water doesn't just help thin the sauce to the right consistency; it also helps it cling to the pasta better and emulsify with the fat and cheese you're going to be adding.