Grandma's Spaghetti Sauce Recipe (and Meatballs) • Homemaker's Habitat (2024)

FAQs

What adds richness to spaghetti sauce? ›

Red wine gives the sauce added richness and robustness, while white wine imparts a fruity flavor. Incorporate the wine early in the cooking process, just after the vegetables have softened. Then, let the wine cook down and reduce almost all the way.

Fresh herbs make all the difference in any pasta sauce, so if you have some lying around, they will really perk up a jarred sauce. Obviously, basil is classic, but thyme, rosemary, sage, marjoram, and oregano are all great in pasta sauce. Fresh parsley also makes anything sing, as do chives.

How to make good spaghetti at home - Quora. I use noodles that absorb the water and add flavor including lots of spices (oregano, basil, cayenne, chili powder, jalepno seeds and others) a little bit of salt and a small amount of honey to the water. I also add extra basil and fresh garlic to Prego sauce.

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.

Starting with good quality tomatoes and crushing them by hand offers great flavor and texture later on. The combination of butter and oil releases fat-soluble aromatics and gives the sauce a creamy texture. Slowly cooking the sauce in the oven creates rich caramelization without burning.

Flat or bland sauce likely needs a hit of something acidic to lift and enhance its flavors, such as a small splash of high-quality, flavorful vinegar, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, or a few drops of not-too-fiery hot sauce.

Similar to creamy sauces like Alfredo, or meaty sauces like ragu, tomato sauce is naturally low in fat, and as a result, sometimes becomes too thick and too starchy when it's been tossed with pasta. The addition of butter helps to loosen and emulsify the sauce, making it smooth and creamy.

Leaf states that this can be due to burning the sauce in the pot or simply dealing with a batch of produce that are overly acidic or metallic from canning or cooking. This can also come from under-ripe or low-quality tomatoes, as well as stirring in a hefty amount of tomato paste, per Boss The Kitchen.

If tomato season is over and you resort to canned tomatoes, a minute amount of sugar can enhance the sauce. However, you may not need it if you make sauce from in-season homegrown San Marzano or another sweet variety of tomatoes.

How do you tone down the taste of tomatoes in spaghetti sauce? ›

When your sauce begins to simmer, add the salt and a pinch of white or brown sugar, then mix; the sugar will be able to counterbalance and eliminate the sourness of the tomato, without changing its flavor or sweetening your dish.

Tomato sauce deepens and intensifies the longer you cook it. Tomato sauces can be cooked in 10 minutes or for 4 hours, and they can all be delicious. Cooking sauces for a long time don't inherently make them better, but it does intensify the flavor.

Red pepper flakes, dehydrated or fresh garlic, dried oregano, parsley, or basil, or an Italian seasoning blend are all good options. Dried herbs and spices should be added at the beginning of the cook time so that they have time to bloom.

Many sources recommend adding a pinch of baking soda to a sauce that's overly tart, which raises the pH and makes it less acidic. We've always preferred adding a bit of sugar. It can't neutralize acidity in the same way that baking soda can, but sugar does change our perception of other tastes.

Even as little as two ounces of meat will add considerable flavor. This is a great way to add richness and protein to your sauce, turning it into a more filling meal. From left: bacon (smoked and cured pork belly), pancetta (cured pork belly), and guanciale (cured pork jowl).

Heavy cream: Heavy cream has long been used to give flavor and richness to sauces. Butter: A useful enriching technique, both in classical and in modern cooking, is called finishing with butter, or monter au beurre.

For me, it's an ingredient that is always available in my pantry: anchovy paste. A touch of anchovy paste (while not being fishy in the least) can add a depth of flavor and a hit of umami they can make your sauce crave-able. I guess I'll define “spaghetti sauce” first.