The Easiest Way to Make a Jar of Pasta Sauce Taste Homemade

Some nights or, let’s be honest, most weeknights, a complicated dinner isn’t an option. But that doesn’t mean you have to order takeout. The beauty of a jar of pasta sauce is that it really is an instant meal (so long as you have a box of pasta handy, of course).

A simple dinner of spaghetti tossed in jarred marinara is something I grew up on when nights were busy and from-scratch sauce wasn’t an option. And while there’s nothing wrong with this dump-and-stir dinner, there’s actually a ridiculously easy way to make that jarred sauce taste a little more homemade.

The best part? There are no extra ingredients required — no chopping of onions or mincing of garlic or raiding your spice cabinet.

All you need to do to improve the flavor of a jar of pasta sauce is simmer it on the stove for a bit until it reduces slightly. This allows the flavors to concentrate and deepen, which is exactly what makes homemade tomato sauce taste so good — it has the time to develop a rich, more rounded profile. Give jarred sauce a little time to do the same and it can taste a whole lot closer to homemade.

Simply pour the sauce into a small saucepan while you’re going about boiling your pasta. Let it come to a boil, then reduce the heat so that the sauce gently bubbles. Keep the simmer going for about 10 minutes or so, until you’ve noticed that the sauce has reduced and thickened a little, but is still saucy. Then go ahead and toss it with your pasta (and a bit of reserved pasta water) and twirl away.

Do you have any tricks to improving jarred pasta sauce?