I know what some of you are thinking: “Canned spaghetti sauce?! That’s of the devil!”
I’m pretty sure we all agree that fresh, homemade spaghetti sauce will always be the best. Which is true of nearly any homemade vs. store-bought food.
However, we all have those days where we simply don’t have the time to properly simmer out a pasta sauce. We either forgot to start supper until 30 minutes before it’s time to eat, or we were out of the house all day and couldn’t lovingly craft a sauce in time for dinner. But we still want to eat something that actually resembles good home-cooked food.
Canned (or jarred) pasta sauce to the rescue!
I’ll be the first to admit that most pasta sauces are pretty boring straight from the jar. But if you add a few key ingredients, you can get closer to a fresh, homemade taste.
Here are my favorite ways to make canned spaghetti sauce more exciting!
1 - Extra virgin olive oil
Adding a good amount of a flavorful olive oil will go a long way in infusing flavor into your sauce. You can add this to the pot to begin with, or drizzle it on just before serving as a finishing oil. It’s your choice!
2 - Fresh garlic
Yes, I know your canned pasta sauce lists garlic in the ingredients. But if you add fresh garlic as well, the flavor will be more distinct and powerful, and the sauce will taste more homemade.
3 - Meat
I love adding some protein to canned spaghetti sauce. It adds an extra flavor and textural element. Plus it will help keep your belly full longer!
You can use whatever you have on hand: ground beef, sausage, meatballs, chicken, etc.
Start by browning your meat in the pan with the garlic. You can add the sauce when the meat is only partially cooked so it can finish cooking in the sauce and impart more flavor to it.
4 - Hot pepper flakes
Another way to inject some extra flavor is with hot pepper flakes. Yes, you could just buy hot Italian sausage for that kick of heat, but for those of us that are kind of wimpy about spicy food, it’s nice to be able to control the amount. And some meat, like ground beef, don’t have a “hot” option.
It doesn’t really matter when you add the pepper flakes. Just keep in mind what it is that you want spicy: the meat or the sauce? I added mine to my meat because I wanted the sausage to taste spicy.
And no, I did NOT add all of these hot pepper flakes—I could start to sweat just thinking about it!
5 - Red wine
Wine really adds another layer to your sauce flavors. Think of this like vanilla extract. You don’t have enough time to cook out the alcohol, so you want to use just enough to flavor the sauce but not lend too much of an alcohol flavor. A couple of tablespoons should be enough, depending on how much sauce you’re making.
6 - Fresh or dried herbs
Again, the ingredients in your sauce may list herbs, but adding fresh or even dried herbs helps to enhance those flavors.
If you use dried herbs, add them at any time during the cooking.
If you use fresh herbs, you might want to add them near the end or as a garnish so you don’t lose that fresh flavor.
7 - Cheese
Oh, cheese. It can cover a multitude of sins—or boring spaghetti sauces. If you don’t have Parmesan in your fridge, you can definitely use cheddar, Colby, mozzarella, or whatever you fancy! I actually like to use a combination of a more melty cheese like mozzarella with a cheese that has more of a bite like Parmesan.
8 - Cream and/or butter
I first learned about adding cream to a tomato sauce from a friend. He had cooked a red sauce, and at the end, after he had plated the pasta and sauce, he poured heavy cream on top. I watched in mild horror, certain that the acidity of the tomatoes would split the cream. But when I tasted the combination, I changed my mind. It was fantastic.
Now I like to pour a little cream on top of my spaghetti sauce to add a bit of richness. And sometimes (well, most of the time, if I’m honest) I like to add a bit (who am I kidding?) of butter to the noodles before I top them with the sauce. Oh yes.
Those are my favorite ways to quickly get a more homemade taste from canned spaghetti sauce. Make sure to share your favorite additions with us in the comments!
