Quick meals are a must during the busy holiday season, and we definitely turn to the grocery store for some help. Having a jar of pre-made tomato sauce on hand to pour over a bowl of pasta can be a life-saver when we're tired and cranky! Here are a few tips on adding more flavor to this simple meal:
For doctoring purposes, we recommend heating up the tomato sauce in a pan on the stove. It doesn't take much longer than in the microwave and allows you do make some tasty additions to the sauce!
Ways to Add More Flavor to Jarred Tomato Sauce:
1. Add meat and/or veggies: If you have just a little time, try sautéing some onions or crumbled sausage in a little bit of olive oil before adding the sauce. Some minced garlic will also add a good boost of flavor.
2. Add fresh or dried herbs: Jarred tomato sauce can be pretty bland, and a few teaspoons of oregano, thyme, or basil go a long way toward making this sauce taste good!
3. Add some zing: Try a few shots of Tabasco or a pinch of red pepper flakes!
4. Add salt: Most pre-made sauces will play it safe with the salt and end up tasting watered down or bitter. Try adding one teaspoon of salt at a time, tasting in between each addition, until the flavors start to come together.
5. Simmer: If you have the time, let the sauce simmer on the stove for 10 - 20 minutes to cook it down and concentrate the flavors.
6. Add some pasta water: A few scoops of the starchy water left from cooking the pasta will literally pull a soupy sauce together and give it a silky texture.
7. Add dairy: Just before serving, throw a half cup of cream, milk, or ricotta cheese into the sauce. This adds richness and flavor.
8. Add cheese: The ultimate cure-all! Some freshly-grated Parmesan on top of a bowl of pasta transforms it into a tasty and satisfying dish.
What other tricks do you have for doctoring up a jar of store-bought tomato sauce?
Related: Recipe: Basic Tomato Sauce (with Optional Zing!)
(Image: Flickr member Subspace licensed under Creative Commons)
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I would take a close look at the ingredients before adding salt. Most jarred pasta sauces are very, very heavy on the sodium. If the flavor is watered down, squeeze some tomato paste out of one of those handy tubes for some added richness.
Mushrooms are a big one for me. But TJ's Bolognase is darned good all by itself.
Sometimes, I add chicken or beef boullion/broth, or some Balsamic vinegar or red wine.
I like to add mushrooms and a little ground lamb. Plus WINE! Wine definitely makes a difference—pour a cup or two and let it simmer for 15 or 20 minutes.
Jez's comment about the added tomato paste is also a good option. Tightens the sauce up and gives it a luciousness that is to die for.
A little knob of Boursin cheese!
If you have the time, add a parmesan rind while it simmers down.
Capers on top help a lot too.
Fake a puttenesca with some black olive slices, capers, and red pepper flakes. Or just stir in olivada if you've got it. I don't eat fish but I suppose on this theme--anchovy paste from a tube.
A tablespoon of sugar helps a lot.
I feel like if you have the time to do most the the above you have the time to open a can of diced tomatoes and do a from scratch sauce. Saute some sausage, garlic and onions, toss in a can of tomatoes, simmer, then add a splash of wine or balsamic at the end.
Then again, I'm picky about added salt and sugar (which most jarred sauce has), plus something in jarred sauce usually makes me break out (I'm looking at you, dried oregano!).
Sometimes I reduce a cup or so of Sauvignon Blanc before heating the sauce.
Does sausage really need oil for sautéing? Doesn't it have enough fat already??
Tomato based jarred sauces get a shot of clam juice.
I usually saute up an onion and then add the sauce. I always pour about a cup of wine in the jar and swish it around to get everything that sticks to the jar. I pour this into the sauce and let simmer.
I learned a quick tip from Giada - dump the sauce into the pan, then pour some wine into the jar (I usually do about 1/5 the jar). Screw the lid back on, shake, and pour into the pot - you add flavor and rinse any remaining sauce out of the jar and into your dish.
I second the comment about sugar. It helps to balance the acidity of most store-bought sauces, and brings out the sweetness of the tomato flavor.
Since discovering 101cookbooks five minute tomato sauce, I'll never use jarred again
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/five-minute-tomato-sauce-recipe.html
I agree with (a) cooking down to concentrate, (b) adding wine, and (c) adding some Frank's Red Hot sauce, much better than adding Tabasco. Another trick I learned was adding some Trader Joe's Black Pepper sauce. I bought it to use in Asian dishes, it's this really thick, black, gooey stuff that's mostly black pepper, garlic and soy sauce. Used in moderation, it adds depth of flavor to jar sauces. And it's vegetarian, unlike some other Asian-flavored sauces. I don't know if it has another name, but that's what TJ's calls it.
I always add a splash of soy sauce to my tomato sauces, gives it a rich meaty flavour :)
Clams, especially when you need an iron boost.
Roasted red peppers (from a jar) add lots of flavor.
I cook the meat adding basil and thyme, add the store bought sauce then a small can of tomato paste.