Creamy Tomato Pasta Sauce | Slimming Eats Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How to make pasta sauce taste like restaurant? ›

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.

Add a little milk to tomato sauce for a sweeter taste to offset the acidity of the tomatoes. This is a well-kept secret amongst Italian grandmothers.

When you think of “spaghetti sauce”, you're likely thinking of marinara. While the two sauces share many ingredients, the main difference is in the consistency and depth of flavor. Marinara is brighter, thinner, and more tomato forward than tomato sauce.

Your favorite premade sauce will not only become lighter in color, the cream will add a new depth of flavor to it. This addition can help to balance out acidity and create a texture that will make your tastebuds sing.

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.

A hefty drizzle of olive oil stirred in off the heat is also a great move. And if you're feeling really spunky, add some meaty richness to that sauce: crisp some bacon or brown sliced sausages or ground meat. For some veggie richness, sauté mushrooms or caramelize fennel in plenty of olive oil.

Nothing should be browning so turn the heat to low if you need. Add the tomato paste and whisk to combine, cooking for a minute or two. With the heat still low - medium add the cream and whisk to combine evenly. The cream should only ever be at a VERY gentle simmer so adjust heat to low if you need.

Pungent fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and marjoram can liven up tomato sauce with their bold, distinctive flavors. Add 1 to 2 sprigs of one or more of them to your favorite sauce, cover, and simmer at least 5 minutes to allow them to infuse in the sauce. Remove the sprigs before serving.

Sugo, meaning 'sauce' in Italian, is a traditional tomato sauce. Contrary to popular belief it is not tomato passata, which is a concentrated, sieved tomato puree. Instead, sugo is made from ripe tomatoes cooked with extra virgin olive oil, onions and garlic, and seasoned.

Can I use canned tomatoes instead of pasta sauce? ›

Yep, that's right—just crank open a can of tomatoes, halve an onion and peel some garlic. You're ready to go! This sauce offers lovely, authentic Italian flavor after a 45-minute simmer. I tried to take shortcuts to make it even faster, but no amount of tomato paste, spices, salt or sugar will make up for lost time.

Speaking of beautiful tomato flavor, you're going to get that consistently in canned tomatoes, since they're preserved at the height of tomato season. A sauce is going to be better with in-season, vine-ripe tomatoes.

Beyond those basics, you can in some instances enhance a sauce with a splash of cream or half and half, a dollop of ricotta or some mascarpone. These can transform a sauce into something more like a creamy vodka, but please be thoughtful about what kind of jarred pasta sauce you're starting with.

Cheese and dairy give sauces creaminess while butter and oil give them richness. You also don't need to use a lot — these are just for finishing and rounding out the flavors in a sauce. Whole Milk or Heavy Cream: Add a splash and let the sauce simmer for a few minutes to thicken.

Use Flour and Water

Combine 2 tablespoons flour with every 1/4 cup cold water and whisk until smooth. Add the mixture to your sauce over medium heat, and continue to stir and cook until you've reached your desired consistency.

Eateries alter their sauces as they cook

As culinary expert George Mahe told St. Louis Magazine, "In a restaurant, chefs are constantly altering sauces as they tend to change complexions in a restaurant setting." In practice, this means that they are frequently adding new ingredients to the mix.

Pungent fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and marjoram can liven up tomato sauce with their bold, distinctive flavors. Add 1 to 2 sprigs of one or more of them to your favorite sauce, cover, and simmer at least 5 minutes to allow them to infuse in the sauce. Remove the sprigs before serving.

According to Ferraro, the bases for sauces are hard-won flavor bombs that take effort and planning to perfect. "Building flavor is an important thing, and it takes time," he said. "You can make a marinara sauce in 30 minutes, or you can make it in six hours." Often, a restaurant will often opt for the latter.

To make your sauce rich and luxurious, finish it with a pat of butter, a splash of cream or coconut cream, or a spoonful of yogurt, crème fraîche, or sour cream. 13. Swirl in some high-quality olive oil Adding a glug to the sauce just before serving gives it a similar richness and shine to butter without adding dairy.