Do You Need Sugar In Spaghetti Sauce
Sure, youll need a ton of sugar in a spaghetti sauce which uses horribly acidic, poor quality tomatoes. Will this make it taste good? Absolutely not not to mention that we really dont need added sugar to our savory dishes.
So save the sugar for baking, and use good quality tomatoes for that sauce! I usually use Mutti passata for my everyday sauce. However, the very best tomatoes are labeled Pomodoro San Marzano dellAgro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP . These tomatoes are the best of the best!
If you want to test your own canned tomatoes, its easy: just dip your finger into them when you open the can and taste. Did you pucker? Make a sour face? Theyre acidic, and no good as theyre going to ruin your sauce. Try it with the tomatoes Ive recommended and youll understand what Im talking about. You can eat them raw without making a sour face! These are needed in order to make good pizza sauce, too.
More Italian Sauces To Try:
I have a wealth of Italian Sauces for you to dive deep in to. Here are a few of my favorites that I think youll really enjoy.
- Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce
- Homemade Marinara Sauce
- Creamy Alfredo Sauce
- Fresh Basil Pesto Sauce
Youre going to have dinner on the table in a breeze with this quick and easy Spaghetti Sauce recipe!
I cant wait for you to give it a try!
Tips For The Best Spaghetti
Youll want to cook the spaghetti just until its al dente. If you cook the pasta any longer than that, itll lose its bite and might break apart when you go to twirl it on your fork.
The great thing about this easy spaghetti recipe is that you can make the sauce and prep the garnishes while the pasta cooks. Dont be afraid of multitasking when youre in the kitchen! The half-cut spaghetti doesnt need any babysitting, so you can easily brown the ground beef while you wait for the pasta to cook.
And to make your life even easier in the future, you can double the amount of spaghetti sauce and freeze the extra portion for future meals. I recommend freezing the sauce in individual containers so its easy to portion and thaw later on.
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What Ingredients Go Into Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
- Olive oil use for sauteing.
- Lean ground beef I recommend 85% lean ground Angus beef.
- Salt and pepper to season the beef and sauce and highlight its flavors.
- Onion and garlic these build a flavor foundation for the sauce. Always use fresh.
- Canned crushed tomatoes Ive actually done a side by side taste taste with several brands and Hunts is best. If you want to puree a can of San Marzano tomatoes that would be delicious too.
- Tomato Paste this adds lots of tomato flavor and helps thicken up the sauce.
- Fresh basil and fresh parsley this gives the sauce so much fresh flavor. Fresh basil in spaghetti sauce is a must in my book.
- Dried oregano since you wont be using much we go with dried, but feel free to substitute fresh if youve got it .
Five: Crush The Tomatoes
While the onions and garlic are cooking, begin roughly chopping your tomatoes. Knife cuts dont matter at all here, you just want the tomato chunks to be smaller so they cook down better.
Place the tomato chunks back into your strainer, inside the pot or bowl. They still have a lot of juice in them, which would need to be cooked down and wasted. But if you crush the tomatoes first, you can save that juice for other things! I actually used a potato masher for this step, which I think was brilliant.
I crushed and stirred them a total of three times. It definitely doesnt need to be perfect youre just trying to get most of the juice out. I added this juice to what I got from step 3, and had over 2 cups! Thats pretty good for something that would normally just be thrown out or evaporated.
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Variations Serving And Storage
Serve with Parmesan cheese and chopped salad on the side. This is the best cheap and quite healthy spaghetti I have ever had anywhere!
You can also add:
- Olives: I love adding pitted Kalamata olives to garlicky pasta like in this chicken and whole wheat spaghetti. So easy as they come from a jar and add a zest and flavour. I dont even chop them.
- Chicken: Shredded or cubed cooked chicken breast or flavorful leftovers of honey garlic chicken or lemon chicken for extra protein.
- Ground turkey:Pre-cooked ground turkey with salt and pepper is good enough. And ups the protein content.
- Anchovies or sardines: OK, dont call me weird but I love salty canned fish with pasta. So good! Its an European in me.:)
Store: Refrigerate spaghetti leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To reheat, add to a pot with a splash of water and simmer on low.
What To Do With Leftover Spaghetti Sauce
We love leftover spaghetti sauce and bank on their being some the next day. Here are a few great ways to use it:
- Make some homemade garlic bread instead of pasta and mop up the sauce with it!
- Top some roasted spaghetti squash with it for a delicious low-carb option.
- Swap out some of the ingredients in this American Goulash recipe for a scoop or two.
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Reasons To Make This Recipe
Wondering why making your own pasta sauce is worth it?
- This easy sauce recipe uses tomato paste and canned tomatoes. No peeling or chopping necessary.
- Lots of herbs give the spaghetti sauce an aromatic Italian flavor.
- Its ready to eat in 30 minutes. I cook my pasta while the sauce is simmering so everything is ready at once.
- Easy to make ahead and store or freeze for later.
Give me a bowl of spaghetti noodles covered in tomato sauce and Im a happy girl. Store bought spaghetti sauce is fine but making your own sauce from scratch is so much better!
This is one of those recipes thats bound to become a staple in your home. If you have pasta lovers in your family like I do, this is the best go-to homemade spaghetti sauce for those busy weeknights. As easy as it is to make, its tasty enough to serve to a dinner guest too.
Youll love the way the sauce makes your kitchen smell as its simmering! The garlic and herb aroma is so tantalizing that everyone will be lining up for a taste.
Super Easy Spaghetti Recipe
Fast, easy, ready in 15 minutes, and my family loves it thats my idea of the perfect weeknight dinner. This easy spaghetti recipe checks off all those boxes and its comforting, hearty, and great for chilly winter nights.
Its as easy as browning ground beef, adding your favorite pasta sauce, and tossing with spaghetti. But heres where the time-saving ingredient comes into play.
I used Barilla® Half-Cut Spaghetti from their Pronto line. Pronto is an innovative pasta line that helps make mealtime more convenient because its ready in about 10 minutes with no waiting for the water to boil or draining required.
Simply place Pronto in the pan, cover with cold water, and cook over high heat until the water is absorbed. I love that it cooks to al dente perfection and I dont have to wait for water to boil or even bother draining it.
Little things add up to big time savings on busy nights when Im trying to get dinner on the table quickly. Plus cleanup is fast and easy!
I also used Barilla® Tomato and Basil Sauce because Im a tomato and basil fiend, but you can use your favorite sauce. I garnished this simple spaghetti with fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese for extra flavor. Because cheese, yes, obviously.
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Ingredients You Will Need
- Spaghetti. Any pasta will work. I prefer to use whole wheat or whole grain because it contains fiber and nutrients. If you use regular white pasta, please note nutritional information of this delicious spaghetti recipe will change. Gluten free spaghetti like brown rice, quinoa etc. will work. Please note it cooks much faster than wheat. So watch to avoid a mushy mess.
- Tomato sauce. There are so many tomato products on supermarket shelves these days. In cans and jars. I get lost myself. That is why partially I just buy a 12 case of organic low sodium canned tomato sauce at Costco and use in all my recipes. Another reason is that other tomato products are expensive. Often for no reason. To make good spaghetti, you need a can of cheap tomato sauce that reads tomato sauce. Preferably low sodium. Not spaghetti sauce, not pizza sauce, not pasta sauce, not marinara sauce. Just tomato sauce.
- Parmesan cheese. Pre-grated Parmesan cheese in a shaker contains cellulose as a filler. It is ground up wood chips. It is not pure Parmesan cheese. Plus it doesnt taste nearly as fresh. I highly recommend to use fresh and real Parmesan. I usually buy a hunk, grate as much as I need and refrigerate in a container for up to 2-3 months. Then freeze remainder in a Ziploc bag. When needed, thaw, grate and use for pasta salad, lentil soup and baked cauliflower. And place remainder of the hunk back in the freezer.
- Extra virgin olive oil and fresh garlic.
- Dried oregano, salt and pepper.
The Best Canned Tomatoes To Use For Pasta Sauce
I like this brand, Cento and also San Marzano. Muir Glen is also a great choice.
When your oil is nice and hot, saute your onion.
Add your minced garlic and cook for a couple minutes, until softened slightly.
Add your crushed tomatoes.
That color!
Add your seasonings and stir until hot.
Just as simple as that, your sauce is ready for your favorite pasta! After you add the sauce to your pasta, add some fresh basil for an even better sauce!
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How Do You Make Spaghetti Sauce From Scratch
Its so easy, youll never look back. Follow the step by step directions below and youll be a pro in no time. After a couple of times, you wont even need to refer to my recipe, its thateasy! Do you need to simmer it all day? NO! This is another myth that needs to be dispelled. If you simmer sauce all day, youll end up with tomato paste.
Why Add Sugar To Tomato Sauce
Tomatoes can have a high level of acidity depending on the type of tomato, how ripe they are, their freshness, and if they’re canned or not. Sometimes, adding sugar to tomato sauce will balance out the acidity but also will contribute to a more flavorful sauce. Taste your sauce before the final simmer and add a pinch of sugar if too acidic.
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More Easy Pasta Recipes
This Easy Baked Spaghetti combines a simple tomato meat sauce, spaghetti, cheese, and a creamy pesto layer.
Our readers have said that our Meaty Lasagna Recipe is the best theyve ever made. We combine beef, sausage, and a homemade sauce.
This Easy Fettuccine Alfredo features a silky smooth sauce made with butter and parmesan cheese, cooked sausage, and lightly wilted spinach.
For a lighter take on spaghetti, try our Fresh Veggie Spaghetti. The sauce is simple, vegetarian, and made 100% from scratch.
Make The Spaghetti Sauce
Crush the garlic with the flat side of a knife.
Bring the extra virgin olive oil to medium high heat, then add the garlic and chopped parsley.
After a minute, add the ground beef and break up with a wooden spoon. Add some salt, and cook until it begins to dry up, then add the tomato passata/purèe/chopped tomatoes of your choice.
If using Mutti, they tend to be thick, so add about ¾ cup of water or until the bottom line of the jar then add to the pot. If youre using another brand, rinse the can/jar with a little less water, unless its very thick.
Put the burner on high to bring the sauce to a simmer, and add more salt. Dont be afraid to add Kosher/sea salt as I can guarantee you will have much less sodium in this sauce than a jar of store-bought. This may look like a lot of salt, but its only one teaspoonful.
Lower the heat so that the sauce simmers gently for about an hour, stirring occassionally . Taste for seasoning after about 30 minutes, and add salt if needed.
When the sauce is ready, check once again for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as desired, and a generous amount of fresh basil, torn into pieces. Thats it. I told you it was easy!
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Two: Blanch And Peel The Tomatoes
Blanching is the process of very lightly cooking a food in hot water, then stopping the cooking process using cold water. Blanching only takes a couple minutes, and will make the skins slide right off with almost no effort. You can use this same process for peaches! If you have a stock pot that came with a strainer, it will be even easier. Just place the tomatoes in the strainer and lower it into your steaming water. Set a timer for one minute youll see the skins starting to split by the time the minute is up.
Remove the tomatoes and place them in an ice bath, which is simply a big bowl of ice water. Or do what I did forget to set up the ice bath and run them under the faucet instead. The cold water serves two purposes it stops the tomatoes from cooking any further, and cools them so you dont get burned. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, you can begin skinning them. The peels should slip off very easily using only your fingers. If they dont, dunk them in the hot water for another 30 seconds and try again. I had a few Romas from our food co-op that I added, and they were a little more feisty. Next time I would give them an extra minute in the pot, and cut a shallow slit around their middles in addition to the X.
Ways To Use The Sauce
This easy spaghetti sauce recipe is not just for spaghetti, its great on pizza, in lasagna, and with raviolis! Make a big ol batch and youll have delicious meals for days! Here are 8 of my favorite ways to use the sauce:
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originally published January 23, 2017 September 2, 2021//3
Posted in:29 Minute Meals, Dairy Free, Dinner, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Italian, Method, Quick & Easy, Recipe Videos, Recipes, Sauce, Under 500 Calories, Valentines Day, Vegan, Vegetarian, WB Favorites
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How Do You Add Flavor To Pasta Sauce
My answer to this question is contrary to what youll find on Google . Even though this recipe will give you a spaghetti sauce with fabulous flavor, you can add more flavor if you like, but dont reach for the spices! Instead, you can add any of the following:
- finely diced onion
Want to learn more about authentic Italian cuisine? You need this short book by my Italian-born friend, Alessandra Gambini, called No Ketchup on Spaghetti, How to Shop, Eat and Cook like an Italian.
Classic Spaghetti Sauce With Meat
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Easy Pasta Sauce Recipe
Easy Pasta Sauce. Its so easy to make homemade tomato sauce, youll never buy the stuff in the jar again. Great with pasta, grilled sausages, polenta, and more.
Im Italian-American. So I dont even have to tell you that I grew up in a house where tomato sauce was regularly made from scratch. But Ill tell you anyway: At home, I never ate store-bought sauce during my childhood. Ever.
During those Ragu commercials, where they declared Its in there!, my mom would scoff as if shed been personally offended by the commercial.
Her sauce was amazing. It cooked for hours and, let me tell you, was the best sauce most folks had ever tried.
The recipe Im sharing today is not my mothers sauce.
This tomato sauce cooks in less than an hour but, let me tell you, its good.
How good is it?
Glad you asked! Its so good that my mom likes it.
If youre in the habit of buying expensive sauce from a jar, this recipe might just help you break that spendy habit.
All you need is a few ingredients and a bit of time.
