Classic tomato spaghetti | Pasta recipes | Jamie Oliver recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you make tomato sauce taste better for spaghetti? ›

We add a lot of salt to our pasta water (it makes the pasta taste delicious). We add about one tablespoon of salt for every 4 quarts (16 cups) of water — perfect for cooking 1 pound of pasta.

Nutmeg. Nutmeg is the key to boosting earthiness and adding a touch of nuttiness to your spaghetti sauce. Nutmeg also has a slightly sweet flavor, which we know goes great with acidic canned tomatoes. Overall, it accentuates the other ingredients in the sauce and adds complexity.

Tear in the basil (stalks and all). Scrunch in the tomatoes through your clean hands, then swirl a little water around each tin and pour into the pan. Bring the whole lot to the boil, then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Though you could use any tomato, Roma and other paste tomatoes — with meaty texture with little to no seeds — are said to develop the best flavor when cooked down into a delicious 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. Sweetener – (Optional) Sometimes, you may need to balance the tomatoes with a little sweetness.

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.

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.

What makes spaghetti sauce taste better? ›

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.

So here's a really quick way to transform. spaghetti into ramen. You cook it in water that has baking soda in it. What that does is helps the proteins, the gluten, connect in the pasta, which gives it a toothier, more springy texture.

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.

You can sauté minced garlic in a bit of olive oil before adding the canned sauce to release its flavors. Onion: Chopped or minced onions, whether white or red, can provide a subtle sweetness and depth of flavor. Sauté them before adding the tomato sauce. Basil: Fresh or dried basil is a classic herb t.

"I like to add roasted garlic, fresh basil, and sautéed chopped veggies like mushrooms, bell pepper, and onion into my sauce. This combination gives it a garden-variety taste and feel," Chase told Insider. Sometimes they'll also add red chili flakes or a drizzle of garlic oil to the sauce.

Simmer for richer flavor

Low and slow, Bon Appétit confirms that the reason why a simmered sauce is so darn delicious is because it allows water to cook off, concentrating the umami-packed flavors of the tomatoes and balancing the levels of sugar and acidity in the sauce.