The 1-Ingredient Upgrade That Makes Store-Bought Pasta Sauce Taste Homemade

A small pinch is all you really need.

Simply Recipes / Adobe Stock

The dreaded call comes around 3 p.m. You know the one: Your partner calls to ask, “Any thoughts on dinner?” 

While I’d like to say I’m one of those people who plans meals ahead (and sincere kudos to you if you are indeed one of those people), a quick glance at the white board on our refrigerator reminds me we haven’t updated the weekly menu in, um, quite a while.

What’s one to do when there are two hours to dinnertime, the kid has to be picked up from after-school activities, and there’s still more work on the docket? Two words: pasta night. We eat pasta at least once a week because it’s super easy and fast, and it’s a meal the entire family can agree on. When the 5-year-old is excited to eat dinner, so am I.

Though there's an ease to using jarred sauce, sometimes it leaves a lot to be desired. And sure, I wish I had thought eight hours earlier to start a bolognese on the stovetop just like Nonna used to make, but that time has come and gone.

Luckily, there are a few tricks to help make that jar of store-bought sauce taste at least a tiny bit closer to the real deal. At least one of those is likely already in your pantry: dried herbs.

Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

My Favorite Dried Herb for Jarred Sauce

There are a variety of dried herbs you could choose from your pantry, including basil, parsley, and oregano. But my favorite is a blend; Italian seasoning packs the biggest punch.

Italian seasoning typically includes basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. If you have all these individual dried herbs on hand, you can even make your own blend from scratch. 

How to Add Italian Seasoning to Sauce

The key to getting the most flavor out of dried herbs is blooming them in oil before adding them to the sauce. This process helps to extract the aromatic compounds from the herbs, bringing out more flavor.

Because store-bought sauce often has some dried herbs already in it, you don’t need to add that much to enhance the flavor. For a standard jar of sauce, start with half a teaspoon of Italian seasoning.

Simply Recipes / Getty Images

To bloom the herbs, heat a small drizzle of olive oil in a large sauce pot over medium-low heat, then add the Italian seasoning and stir until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds. Add the pasta sauce (careful—as it may splatter), then simmer the sauce for five to 10 minutes (or longer, if you have the time). Taste the sauce, and add more Italian seasoning, if desired.

No matter which jarred sauce you're upgrading, stirring in some Italian seasoning is bound to make it taste a little closer to homemade.

from Simply Recipes | Recipes and cooking advice for home cooks https://ift.tt/5O9tRKx