Jars and cans of pasta sauce are a lifesaver on busy weeknights, allowing you to put a hot, filling meal on the table in the time it takes to cook noodles. But those jars and cans of sauces can be bland, especially if you serve them as often as I did as a young mom with four hungry kids. But there are lots of ways to spice up your spaghetti sauce, and you probably have most of them in your pantry and fridge already!
If I could go back in time, I would tell myself about all the ways I’ve learned to make spaghetti taste better easily, just by making a few simple additions to store-bought sauces — and that’s exactly what we’ll be discussing in this post! These add-ins work wonders whether you serve the sauce over noodles or try one of the many different meals you can make with a jar of pasta sauce.
Table of Contents
What To Put In Spaghetti Sauce To Make It Taste Better
Below, you’ll learn how to make spaghetti better — or more specifically, 14 super simple ways to dress up a jar of spaghetti sauce. While it’s very nice to be able to rely on a quick and easy pasta dinner on busy evenings, that doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice flavor!
How To Choose A Good Jar Of Pasta Sauce
Even though this post is all about how to spice up a jar of spaghetti sauce, it will always be easier if you start with quality ingredients. That’s why I thought it would be useful to include a few helpful tips about picking out some good jars of pasta sauces at the grocery store!
A single jar of spaghetti sauce can cost anywhere between $1 and $10, depending on the brand, but you don’t have to shell out the full $10 for a decent sauce! Check out the ingredient lists while browsing your sauce options, and pick one with whole tomatoes as the first ingredient while avoiding sauces that contain added sugars.
Don’t forget that jarred sauce isn’t your only option — canned spaghetti sauce can be great and is often more economical. The tips throughout this post can be applied to both types of sauce.
14 Things You Can Add To Spaghetti Sauce
Is your spaghetti sauce bland? Here are some spaghetti sauce “secret ingredients” you can add to jarred or canned spaghetti sauce to improve it. (These same rules apply to just about any red sauce, by the way — tomato sauce, marinara, spaghetti sauce, etc.)
1. Fresh Veggies Add Taste And Nutrition
Adding fresh vegetables to your pasta dish is an easy way to make it more flavorful and nutritious! Start by sautéing diced onion, tomatoes, peppers, and carrots in a pan until soft. Then add your spaghetti sauce and simmer for a few minutes to finish it off!
2. Garlic Is A Classic Addition To Spaghetti Sauce
Adding fresh garlic to a pre-made spaghetti sauce makes a world of difference. You can either use roasted garlic (Minimalist Baker has a great guide on roasting your own garlic) or fresh garlic — both are great options!
Mince a few cloves of garlic, toss it in a warm pan with some oil and cook until fragrant. Then add your spaghetti sauce and stir to combine. A bit of garlic goes a long way to spruce up bland spaghetti sauce (it’s one of my favorite spaghetti add-ins)!
3. Fresh Greens Brighten Pasta Sauce
Toss in a handful of fresh greens while you’re warming up your spaghetti sauce on the stove. Tender baby greens, like baby kale and baby spinach, will wilt beautifully into your sauce. You could also get creative and add some chopped broccoli or peas! (Make sure they are warmed through first.)
4. Adding Meat Makes Pasta Sauce Taste Homemade
Adding meat to your sauce helps add flavor and can make your meal more filling. Brown some ground beef, ground turkey, or Italian sausage in a pan, then drain off any fat. Add the drained meat to your delicious sauce and simmer for a few minutes, adding salt and pepper as needed. Adding some meat is one of the fastest ways to make a jar of spaghetti sauce taste homemade.
Adding meatballs as an alternative to ground beef is a classic way to serve pasta, and if you’re in a hurry you can get frozen meatballs ready to toss into the sauce to warm up. You can even find plant-based meatballs if you don’t want ground beef.
5. Acid Adds Brightness To Spaghetti
Ever feel like your pasta sauce taste needs a little extra something, but you aren’t sure what? Try adding something acidic! Acidity is a great “secret ingredient” that will add brightness to your pasta dish and give it a more lively flavor.
More Ideas You'll Love
While warming up your pasta sauces, add a splash of red wine vinegar, lemon juice, or balsamic vinegar, or add some chopped olives or capers. You’ll be surprised by how good your sauce tastes with a little extra acidity!
6. Sugar Can Balance An Acidic Sauce
On the flip side, if your sauce is too acidic, sugar will be your best friend. Tomatoes can be quite acidic, and this acidity could overpower the taste of your homemade spaghetti sauce. To balance it out, you can add some sugar. Its sweetness will counter the acidity and make the sauce both savory and sweet.
When adding sugar to your tomato sauce, start with a small amount and taste regularly to ensure it doesn’t become too sweet. If you don’t have brown or white sugar you can also use honey or maple syrup.
7. Herbs & Spices Add Complexity To Canned Spaghetti Sauces
Wondering how to spice up spaghetti sauce to make it taste more homemade? Add a dash of red pepper flakes for a kick of heat, a teaspoon of Italian seasoning for flavor, or a sprinkle of fragrant fresh oregano or thyme. And once your pasta dish is ready to serve, you can’t go wrong with using fresh herbs like basil or parsley as a garnish!
8. Nutmeg Adds An Earthy Note To Your Pasta Sauce
A pinch or two of nutmeg can add an earthy, aromatic note to your spaghetti sauce. It can also improve the taste of the other ingredients in the sauce while adding a slightly sweet flavor. Nutmeg pairs especially well with creamy or meat-based sauces.
9. Dairy Can Level Up Any Pasta Sauce
Adding a bit of dairy can take any pasta dinner to the next level. Once your sauce is warm, add a pat of butter, ricotta cheese, cream cheese, Greek yogurt, or goat cheese. You could also add a splash of cream or a handful of grated Parmesan cheese!
Note: When adding dairy to a pasta dish, wait until the last minute or two to add it to your pot or pan. This gives the ingredient enough time to melt into the sauce but not so long that it will lose its fresh flavor or silky texture.
10. Use Pasta Water To Keep Your Sauce On The Noodles
While you’re warming up your pasta sauce and boiling your noodles, add a splash of the pasta water to your sauce. Pasta water picks up starches from the pasta while it cooks, and adding those starches to your sauce will help it stick to the noodles instead of sliding right off!
11. Carrots Can Reduce Acidity Without Sugar
I know I mentioned fresh veggies already, but carrots deserve their own section. Carrots, whether blended, shredded, sauteed, or whole, are another way to add sweetness to your spaghetti sauce. They are rich in alkaline, which can reduce the acidity of the tomato paste without adding sugar. Plus, carrots are packed with nutrients, making them a healthy addition to your sauce.
12. Instant Coffee Adds Depth To Sauce
This might come as a surprise, but instant coffee can add a rich and deep flavor to your spaghetti sauce. Its bitter, earthy taste may just be what you need to balance the sweet ingredients in your sauce. However, the trick with coffee is that it must be used in small amounts.
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To deepen the flavor of your sauce, take a teaspoon of instant coffee, dilute it in warm water or stock, and add it to the sauce.
13. Baking Soda Also Counters Acid Without Sugar
If your spaghetti sauce tastes too acidic, another remedy besides sugar is adding a pinch of baking soda. Thanks to its alkaline nature, baking soda will neutralize the acidity of your sauce without affecting the flavor. However, be cautious not to overdo it, as too much baking soda can alter the taste and texture of your sauce.
14. Red Wine Adds Complexity To Pasta Sauces
Red wine is a classic ingredient in many Italian sauces, and you would be surprised at how much good it can do in spaghetti sauce. Its fruity notes complement the tomatoes beautifully, adding a complex and deep flavor that bangs hard. And don’t worry — the alcohol burns off, so it’s safe for your kids to eat!
If you prefer not to use alcohol, a smaller amount of red wine vinegar can be substituted for red wine. You can also use pomegranate or cranberry juice, as long as you use the unsweetened kind. These substitutions can add a similar depth of flavor without the alcohol.
Jillee’s Take:
BONUS: Simmer Your Spaghetti Sauce For Deeper Flavor
Simmering your store-bought pasta sauce on the stove while you cook your pasta to perfection is an easy way to make it richer, with a more developed fresh flavor. You can get similar results from adding a small amount of tomato paste to your sauce while heating it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Can I Add To Spaghetti Sauce To Give It More Flavor?
To enhance the flavor of your spaghetti sauce, you can add fresh vegetables, greens, and fresh herbs like basil and parsley. You can also add diced onions, fresh garlic, and red/green pepper. A splash of red wine or some dairy, such as cheese, also works great. Lastly, don’t forget salt.
Does Cooking Spaghetti Sauce Longer Make It Taste Better?
Yes, cooking spaghetti sauce longer can improve its taste by developing its flavor. Simmering the spaghetti sauce over low heat breaks down the carbohydrates, allowing its ingredients to release their flavors fully. It also allows excess liquid to evaporate, thus concentrating the flavors.
How Do You Sweeten Spaghetti Sauce Without Sugar?
Use sweet vegetables like carrots, onions, or bell peppers to sweeten spaghetti sauce without sugar. If the sauce tastes too acidic, add some baking soda to counter the acidity. A splash of balsamic vinegar can also give the sauce a natural sweetness without sugar.
Conclusion
Pasta only gets tiring when you don’t switch things up. With 14 options at your disposal to make your sauce taste better, you can look forward to having pasta again and again. You’re sure to discover several add-ins that your family loves, so have fun spicing things up (while keeping it simple)!
“Thanks for the great tips! I’m all about taking ‘convenience’ foods and kicking them up a notch. Yes, homemade is nice, but sometimes our sanity and just getting a meal on the table for our families is more important, and it’s nice to have these ideas in our arsenal. Great way to get creative with what you have on hand in your kitchen.”
– OGT reader Vicki
What’s your favorite spaghetti sauce add-in?
I use my favorite pasta sauce as a base and dress it up with a few different spices and just let it simmer in the crockpot on low. And sometimes I’ll add meatballs if I have those in the freezer.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The one ingredient I always add to a jar of pasta sauce is carrots. Grind them up in a mini-processor or you can chop very fine. Toss them in the pan with a little olive oil and
Please log in or create a free account to comment.a few slices of sweet peppers. After a minute or so add onions and garlic, let cook til
transparent and add the sauce. The carrots make the sauce naturally sweet!
How clever – I love a hidden veggie!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My sweet MIL taught me this trick years ago…add about 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar and 1/3 brown sugar to the empty jar, shake it around to mix (and get the remaining sauce out too) pour into the simmering sauce (I add ground turkey to our sauce too). Let simmer a few more minutes to let the flavors meld together…My boys asked for this often in their years still at home, they still do many years later.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What a great idea!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Try a bit of rosemary powder. It brings up the flavors nicely.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.A pound of ground beef and a few pinches of sugar and I’m in heaven! I eat sauce with garlic bread (no pasta for me). I always make enough to freeze some for later.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Tomato paste. Add a small can to a large can or jar of pasta sauce to give it that long simmered flavor. A teaspoon of olive oil or basalmic vinegar will enhance that I-slaved-over-the-stove taste. I also like to add extra garlic and herbs as mentioned in your post.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Whoops. Your tomato paste hint was buried at the bottom and I missed it the first time
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love these hacks, thank you Jillee. I could eat pasta till it comes out of my ears (almost ) but finding decent sauces to go with it has been difficult, I did find a tomato and mascarpone sauce that I enjoy, but I do like variety now and again . I’d never actually checked the ingredients, so I had a look on the website of the local supermarket I use, none of the ingredients state any more than tomatoes, so not even a chance of knowing whether they’re San Marzano tomatoes! I can buy cans of San Marzano tomatoes on Amazon, but that defeats the purpose of buying a pasta sauce
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I don’t know if this qualifies for a tip for jarred sauce or from-scratch sauce, but I like to add a can of crushed tomatoes to the jar sauce & add a pinch of Italian seasonings. It gives it such a fresher taste. I once made sauce completely from scratch w/ tomatoes from my garden & once with half garden tomatoes & half canned tomatoes & the one w/ the canned tomatoes had a fresher tomato taste. So either my cooking skills are terrible (certainly possible) or there’s something special about canned tomatoes & since I have no ambition to do it completely from scratch again, I’ll never know.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I usually buy the sauce with 3g of sugar(that is the least amount of sugar I have found in any sauce) and enhance the sauce in a very simple way. In little bit of olive oil, cook half onion, half carrot, 2 cloves of garlic and pasta sauce from jar(small). Crush them partially(or completely) in blender. For variation add herbs or even better Gram Masala. Sauce has so much depth and it’s no longer a store bought, typical sauce.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Several years ago when my son was still living at home I made pasta using the bottled sauce from a well-known chef. My son HATED it. I’d never seen him have such a negative reaction to what I served. I had two bottles of that sauce left. What to do? I found a recipe adding cream cheese to sauce. What did I have to lose? I added the cream cheese to the famous chef’s terrible sauce and it was a big hit with my son and husband both! It made a delicious white sauce.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.One of the things I aways add at the end of cooking my sauce, from a jar or homemade, is coffee. I either add a half cup of left over coffee or a teaspoon of instant coffee to my sauce. It seems to really make my sauce better and I am not sure how, but seems to mellow it out in some way. I know that is not a great description of taste, but all I could come up with. Just try it once and see if you can notice the difference. Thanks.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for the tip!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Once in a while I will add some cooked chorizo to my sauce. It doesn’t add any noticeable heat (like pepper flakes) but it does add flavor! (: You can also add some chopped cooked bacon to your meat sauce & you can make spaghetti with shredded chicken instead of ground sausage or ground beef. Another ingredient for my sauce that I always add when I am sauteing my garlic & onions is…bell pepper. (: Yum!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Chorizo is a great idea!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I like to add one pound of raw shrimp to a jar of simmering marinara sauce. The shrimp cooks in about 5 minutes and adds great flavor to the sauce. I also add some red pepper flakes and sometimes I add some cream or half-and-half at the end. It makes a nice sauce.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yum!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I add a pinch or two of cinnamon to my jarred pasta sauce. It does not taste cinnamony but adds a deeper scent to the sauce.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I add cinnamon, as well. I’m half Greek, the Greeks usually add cinnamon to their sauces. It really does add such a nice flavor to the sauce!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Oh, sometimes I add some (a little) wine to it!
Thanks for the great tips! I’m all about taking “convenience” foods and kicking them up a notch. Yes, homemade is nice, but sometimes our sanity and just getting a meal on the table for our families is more important, and it’s nice to have these ideas in our arsenal. Great way to get creative with what you have on hand in your kitchen❤️
Please log in or create a free account to comment.So true Vicki!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If you’re going to heat up a whole jar of sauce, pour about 1/4 cup of sweet vermouth into the jar after you’ve emptied it, shake well to clean up the last remnants of sauce, and add that to the sauce. Even people like me who don’t drink alcohol because it tastes bad will approve.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love to add about 1/2 cup of red wine in the jar and swish around then dump into the sauce……………………..YUM
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Are you serious wasting your time on a blog that tells you to do exactly what the sauce makes do.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Don’t be miserable Phil. Some of the easiest things to do we don’t think of. Always useful to have a nudge now and then
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Be nice Phil and chill!! some of us need all the help we can get!! Just move on! No need to say anything!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Darlin’ if the sauce tasted that good to begin with we wouldn’t need to enhance it. But it doesn’t.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Mid’s sauce, made in OH, has romano cheese made from sheep’s milk in the sauce, so now I know the secret is the cheese! I like Rao’s but it can be pricey. My favorite thing to do when making pasta is to add a large pinch of salt. I want to say it was either Mario Batali or Scott Conant (or both) who gave that tip. I know some people can’t have much salt, but making the water like sea water first makes quite a difference in taste and probably sauce adherence to pasta. Also, mixing the pasta with the sauce in the pan and not on individual plates makes for a better dish. I used to add sauce to pasta on each plate until Scott Conant did a little video on making pasta. I didn’t think it made a difference until I had pasta at a chain Italian restaurant and they didn’t “marry” the sauce to the pasta. (It was watery. Yuck.) Thank you for some more great tips to take store-bought sauce to another level!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Any kind of salt is bad for you no matter if it’s table salt or Himalayan salt it doesn’t matter per a cardiologist
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve got 21 heart stents, and just occasionally i really feel the need for a little salt. As long as it’s not all the time. You only have one life, enjoy x
I start from scratch but my ‘secret’ ingredient is a teaspoon of Fry’s cocoa powder…It makes the sauce darker and richer tasting but not like chocolate…yummy
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I put unsweetened cocoa powder in my chili…………….so good
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Me too! Yum! (:
I also always found that when I make sauce that if it is refrigerated overnight it tastes a whole lot better..Not sure why…But anything tomato tastes better the next day..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.By letting it sit overnight all the flavors get blended in more thoroughly.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I plant a large garden so I make my own sauce yearly. Usually around 20 qts. My mother and I , rest her soul, used to make at least 120 qts or more yearly but with just my husband and me, I no longer see the need for such ambition. When we first got married my husband bought jarred sauce. I went ballistic. He told my mother and she had a very good laugh. 30 years later (please don’t be grossed out folks) I still have that store bought jar as a friendly reminder to my husband. No it hasn’t exploded and it is marked DO NOT TOUCH.
Jillee your suggestions as always were wonderful. I make a baked ziti pasta with marinara, brown gravy, heavy cream, ground beef, cheeses and spices. Quite tasty. It is one of my husbands favorite dishes.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When I took on my step children, they had only ever had convenience foid. So I would start with a jar and gradually changed their taste buds by adding more of my own stuff.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I would have been disowned by family if I ever used a bottled tomato sauce so I have never. If I don’t want to cook for hours, I open canned puree or tomato sauce and doctor it up. It is less expensive and has less ingredients/preservatives. As a first generation Sicilian, we do not add a plethora of things to our gravy. Yes, we still call it gravy!! LOL! We start with olive oil/minced garlic and perhaps diced onions. We also just add cooked sausage/meatballs or if you are making lasagna, cooked ground chop meat. Or no meat for a marinara sauce. We add spices – fresh if possible and I add some crushed pepper flakes to mine as I like a little “heat”. You can add a pinch of sugar instead of tomato paste. The sauce mentioned sounds healthy but we get our intake of veggy’s elsewhere. Just as pineapple, bacon etc over the years has been added to pizza (an American thing) we keep it simple and enjoy the original. Also, you have never had a truly good pizza unless you have had a NY original Little Italy pizza!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Red gravy! :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.No, it’s just gravy. And brown gravy is just that……brown. don’t u know any Italians!!
Hey, I 1/2 Italian and 1/2 Greek. My Nana and we called our Sauce “Gravy”. Most Italians did!!
I LOL when I think of this. My son hated mushrooms when he was younger. But I love the taste in pasta sauce. So I blended the mushrooms and add them to the sauce. There was one piece that didn’t get totally blended and of course, he got that piece. He pulled it out and looked at it and said “crab lungs”??? The underside kind of looks like that. Then he realized it was a piece of mushroom and he said “mushrooms”! and just pushed that plate of spaghetti away and got up from the table. I still think he probably would have eaten it as “crab lungs” but not as mushrooms. So if you really want to hide a veggie someone “says” they don’t like, make sure it is totally blended beyond any recognition!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That is really funny as I have a son and daughter who hate mushrooms too. They know I will not cater to them for certain dishes as it is really hard to sift through cream of mushroom soup in the casseroles they really like. One night he sat and picked out every little piece and then ate his dinner. We have since compromised on cream of chicken in some of the casseroles.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Lol! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.How funny! Blending the mushrooms was such a great idea!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Why not just start with plain tomato sauce and use all these wonderful ideas to make it better? Do you have one recipe that incorporates all this into one? THANKS much.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use a large can of crushed tomatoes, a small can of tomato paste (sorry, I don’t know the sizes off hand), sweetener(stevia, honey, or sugar) to taste, grated cheese, and salt and pepper. That is my basic recipe, and then I add whatever extras I have on hand!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Making sauce from scratch is so easy and so much better tasting than tweaking jar sauce. Start with an onion and garlic, saute in olive oil, add ground beef or whatever meat you wish, brown, add Italian seasonings (oregano,parsley,basil,etc., pepper, salt). Add a large can of tomato sauce and a large can of diced/crushed/stewed tomatoes and a splash of red wine and simmer. If the tomato’s acidic nature is too much add a splash of milk near the end of cooking time. You can also add veggies if you want.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You could absolutely combine more than one of these tips and use a can of crushed tomatoes instead of jarred sauce :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for all the great ideas. Here is another: pasta with red clam sauce. I much prefer the taste of red clam sauce over the white, but I don’t like the taste that results when the shells are added to the sauce. Since it sometimes is hard to find that combo in a restaurant, I was delighted to find how easy it is to make a delicious, quick and easy red clam sauce using jarred spaghetti sauce. I prefer using a marinara sauce or the sauce that comes with extra with basil and garlic, but any jarred sauce without meat will work fine.
Start by sautéing a little onion and a couple of cloves of garlic in a little olive oil. Sauté until the onion is soft and translucent. Then, add a can or two of canned clams with their liquid and heat the combination for a minute before adding the sauce. The number of cans I use depends on how intense I want the clam flavor and on whether I am having guests and need more protein. If I want to intensify the taste, I sometimes add a dash or two of Asian fish sauce, but it is optional and delicious even if you don’t add it. If you want your sauce to have a little more mellow taste, add a dollop of butter by the end (good general tip for any sauce when you feel your sauce ends up tasting a little too sharp/harsh).
It is more authentic to use linguini as your pasta, but plain thin spaghetti also works well too. Note: since canned clams come from the sea, you do not need as much salt when you cook your pasta, and resist adding any extra salt when cooking the sauce.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.To zip up pasta sauce I usually add a generous Tanlespoon of our favorite salsa. Works great on tomato soup from a can as well. Thanks for the great ideas!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I do this, too! But I usually mix 1/2 jar of pasta sauce with an equal amount of salsa.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.One thing that wasn’t added to this is treat yourself to a decent piece of cheese and a grater. That stuff in a can it plastic bottle isn’t great. That alone can make your jarred sauce tastes so much better.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We keep a good wedge in the freezer just for salads & pasta dishes. It’s not cheap, but you don’t need much either. So much better than the cheese on the pasta row.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great suggestion Joan!
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