# Spaghetti Sauce in a jar, I'd rather not, but in a pinch, how to punch it up? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 28, 2013, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spaghetti-sauce-in-a-jar-id-rather-not-but-in-a-pinch-how-to-punch-it-up/664719 "2013-07-28T03:49:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spaghetti-sauce-in-a-jar-id-rather-not-but-in-a-pinch-how-to-punch-it-up/664719/21 "2013-07-28T17:17:40Z")
Any can of tomatoes - crushed, diced, sauce - and then add heaping amounts of salsa…gives it a nice kick. Ground beef helps as well. But by then, you probably should have just made it from scratch anyway… ---
**Author:** ![Whitney\_Harper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@Whitney\_Harper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whitney_Harper)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spaghetti-sauce-in-a-jar-id-rather-not-but-in-a-pinch-how-to-punch-it-up/664719/22 "2013-07-28T17:24:33Z")
Raisins are excellent in spaghetti sauce. It sounds a little odd but it really tastes good heated. In addition, shredded carrots can punch up spaghetti sauce as well. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spaghetti-sauce-in-a-jar-id-rather-not-but-in-a-pinch-how-to-punch-it-up/664719/23 "2013-07-28T18:05:49Z")
Personally, I always find jar spaghetti sauce too thin. I’ll stir in a small can of tomato paste to thicken it up. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Conrad\_Shadowdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ea924/32.png) [@Dr.Conrad\_Shadowdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Conrad_Shadowdale)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spaghetti-sauce-in-a-jar-id-rather-not-but-in-a-pinch-how-to-punch-it-up/664719/24 "2013-07-28T18:08:14Z")
In addition to fresh basil, I always add an inch of anchovie paste. AP adds that special “something” that canned sauce lacks. A depth? ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spaghetti-sauce-in-a-jar-id-rather-not-but-in-a-pinch-how-to-punch-it-up/664719/25 "2013-07-28T18:12:07Z")
Dried red peppers…for arribitta sauce. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spaghetti-sauce-in-a-jar-id-rather-not-but-in-a-pinch-how-to-punch-it-up/664719/26 "2013-07-28T18:40:30Z")
It’s funny because all the stuff you guys are recommending to add, if you just added to plain ol’ tomato sauce, you’d get a great sauce. \>\_\< I really don’t see the point in “jazzing up” pre-made pasta sauce. Everything you’d add to it, you could just add to tomato sauce and get the same/better sauce 😃 I’m all about jazzing up other pre-made things like Hamburger Helper, or Mac&Cheese, Rice-a-roni, and other such stuff, though. For pasta sauce, I just do not see the point. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spaghetti-sauce-in-a-jar-id-rather-not-but-in-a-pinch-how-to-punch-it-up/664719/27 "2013-07-28T19:13:22Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Italian sausage is the key to good sauce. This. Preferably HOT Italian sausage. You can easily slit and remove the casing for ‘ground meat’. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spaghetti-sauce-in-a-jar-id-rather-not-but-in-a-pinch-how-to-punch-it-up/664719/28 "2013-07-28T19:33:48Z")
> [@Dr.Conrad\_Shadowdale](#): > > In addition to fresh basil, I always add an inch of anchovie paste. AP adds that special “something” that canned sauce lacks. A depth? Anchovies, in amounts too small to be tasted as ‘fishy,’ load in umami. A secret ingredient that will make people fight over the last of your beef stew is a tablespoon or so of diced anchovy, or that inch or so of anchovy paste. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spaghetti-sauce-in-a-jar-id-rather-not-but-in-a-pinch-how-to-punch-it-up/664719/29 "2013-07-28T19:35:49Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > This. Preferably HOT Italian sausage. You can easily slit and remove the casing for ‘ground meat’. You can, but it’s not the best idea. Cased sausage is formulated differently from loose-ground, and you end up with gluey, sticky mush that doesn’t cook well. Quality fresh-made sausage is the same loose or cased, but if you’re talking about any grocery store brand, even an upscale one… cased is slimy mush if you try to use it loose. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spaghetti-sauce-in-a-jar-id-rather-not-but-in-a-pinch-how-to-punch-it-up/664719/30 "2013-07-28T19:46:52Z")
I’d drain away a good half of the liquid, then add it to garlic, capers, anchovy and chilli flakes that have been fried in good olive oil, then toss the spaghetti in that until it’s coated well. Personally I prefer pasta that has a light coating of whatever sauce it’s served with, rather than swimming in it. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2013, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spaghetti-sauce-in-a-jar-id-rather-not-but-in-a-pinch-how-to-punch-it-up/664719/31 "2013-07-28T20:03:44Z")
I’m a big fan of a little lemon juice or lime juice to brighten up sauces. It’s quick and easy. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spaghetti-sauce-in-a-jar-id-rather-not-but-in-a-pinch-how-to-punch-it-up/664719/32 "2013-07-29T13:33:56Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > You can, but it’s not the best idea. Cased sausage is formulated differently from loose-ground, and you end up with gluey, sticky mush that doesn’t cook well. > > Quality fresh-made sausage is the same loose or cased, but if you’re talking about any grocery store brand, even an upscale one… cased is slimy mush if you try to use it loose. I haven’t noticed this with any of the grocery store sausages (the ones that are often sold at the meat counter, not prepackaged.) The only time I’ve gotten slimy mush is from the chorizo that is sold in the plastic tubing. If there’s a difference between, say Jewel’s (local grocery) bulk Italian and Italian links, I certainly can’t tell. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spaghetti-sauce-in-a-jar-id-rather-not-but-in-a-pinch-how-to-punch-it-up/664719/33 "2013-07-29T13:56:35Z")
> [@RobDog](#): > > I’d drain away a good half of the liquid, then add it to garlic, capers, anchovy and chilli flakes that have been fried in good olive oil, then toss the spaghetti in that until it’s coated well. To repeat something that’s been said before in this thread and others… by the time you go to that much trouble, why use jar sauce at all? Canned crushed and diced tomatoes are cheaper, lack sugar and other additives (barring a few pinches of simple preservatives) and - IMVHO - produce an infinitely superior flavor. Nuke and eat is one thing. Firing up a skillet and doing a significant amount of prep and cooking is another. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spaghetti-sauce-in-a-jar-id-rather-not-but-in-a-pinch-how-to-punch-it-up/664719/34 "2013-07-29T15:40:24Z")
Ooh. [This](http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/shrimp-vodka-pasta-50400000120270/). Do this. Ignore the shrimp and packaged refrigerated fettucini, and just do step three. That vodka/cream/tomato sauce is awesome. Basically, it’s thinly sliced garlic sauteed in a little oil, add 1/3 cup vodka and simmer for a bit, add 1 1/3 cups of your jarred sauce with some basil, salt and pepper, then toss in 1/4 cup cream and simmer for a bit more. It’s nom. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spaghetti-sauce-in-a-jar-id-rather-not-but-in-a-pinch-how-to-punch-it-up/664719/35 "2013-07-29T20:31:10Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > To repeat something that’s been said before in this thread and others… by the time you go to that much trouble, why use jar sauce at all? Canned crushed and diced tomatoes are cheaper, lack sugar and other additives (barring a few pinches of simple preservatives) and - IMVHO - produce an infinitely superior flavor. > > Nuke and eat is one thing. Firing up a skillet and doing a significant amount of prep and cooking is another. Store cupboard ingredients, oil, heat, three minutes’ work, tops. Insignificant. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2013, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spaghetti-sauce-in-a-jar-id-rather-not-but-in-a-pinch-how-to-punch-it-up/664719/36 "2013-07-29T20:35:14Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Garlic, oregano, basil, pepper flake, red wine and some onions. Exactly. Unless I have tons of time I always start with a jar sauce. To the above I’d also add sausage, since to me if it doesn’t have meat it’s missed the boat. I also use hot Italian seasoning if I’m in a hurry, since it’s already pre-mixed, but if I have the time I’ll do fresh garlic and onions with the rest. Then I cook it down on a slow simmer until it’s nice and thick, the way I like it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spaghetti-sauce-in-a-jar-id-rather-not-but-in-a-pinch-how-to-punch-it-up/664719.md?page=1)